Sewer System (1911-1929)

Conway’s first sewer system, built in 1914, was one of the most complete in the state – embracing almost the entire corporate limits of the city and serving practically every street where water service was available.

The history of the formation of a safe, sanitary and collective sewer system dates back to Tuesday, June 27, 1911. It was on this date that Conway Mayor W.H. Duncan appointed a committee of aldermen to meet with the Board of Trade (forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce) to discuss the establishment of a Sewer Improvement District.

Those aldermen asked to serve on the committee were Captain W.W. Martin, W.D. Cole Jr., and Frank E. Robins.

During that same city council meeting, aldermen voted to issue a moratorium on the installation of new septic tanks within the city limits for a period of 30 days.

Two days later, at the committee meeting, Board of Trade President Jo Frauenthal appointed Martin, Cole, Robins, Professor G.H. Burr and J.A. Pence to serve on a committee to determine the boundaries of the proposed sewer district and estimate the cost of the project.

Sewer Improvement District formed
A public meeting was held the following month, and the 200 property owners present voted to form the Sewer Improvement District. Another committee was appointed to set the boundaries and draw up a petition to be submitted to the City Council.

Members of this committee were J.W. James, S.G. Smith, F.U. Halter, Professor C.J. Greene, Dr. George S. Brown, A.M. Ledbetter, Burr and Guy A. Watkins, an engineer.

The City Council approved the petition in August, and by April 1912, Sewer Improvement District No. 1 was in place. James, S.E. Anderson and H.B. Ingram were named as board members. John Hartley, C.E. Durham and Greene were appointed to serve as assessors for the district.

One of board’s first official acts was to hire Burr to draw up the plans and make cost estimates for the project.

His preliminary estimate was:

 

In August and September of 1912, surveyor B.G. Wilson ran a preliminary survey of the proposed sewer system, and G.S. McHenry of Faulkner County Realty and Abstract Co. completed the abstract. The total assessed value of the property within the district was $537,541.00

In May 1913, Burr completed plans, which called for a septic tank system of sewage disposal and the construction of two large tanks. Later that month, the sewer district’s assessors reported a total of $102,000 is assessed benefits. In June, bids were opened on the proposed sewer system project.

Little Rock Contractor Joseph McCoppen, who had just completed installation of the city’s water system, submitted a low bid of $35,124.90 for 13 miles of sewer mains, two septic tanks and other related items.

Hendrix purchased required bonds
In July, Hendrix College purchased approximately $40,000 worth (at $0.97 on the dollar) of the bonds required for the sewer project. This was thought to be the first time in Arkansas that a city the size of Conway financed a bond issue of this magnitude with local capital.

Plans for the project were submitted to the state Health Department, and on July 24, 1913, the first carload of vitrified clay sewer pipe arrived in Conway. Construction began the following month.

In September, the district purchased a 100-foot square parcel of land north of Robins Street and east of Griffith Street on which to install the septic tank to serve the eastern part of the sewer district.

Several of the property owners who owned land near the site opposed the location of the septic tank and in October the city council passed a resolution forbidding the construction of a septic tank within the city limits. Sewer Improvements District officials, however, claimed it would cost several thousand dollars more to alter the project at that point.

In October, City Attorney R.G. Bruce filed a lawsuit enjoining the Sewer Improvement District from locating the septic tank at the site, contending that it would constitute a public nuisance and depreciate adjacent property values. A week later, however, the city council voted to drop the suit because it was, in essence, a suit against itself. Work on the sewer project proceeded as planned.

In March of 1914, a second parcel of land was completed in July of 1914, and the city council passed an ordinance requiring all drains from bathtubs, kitchen sinks, lavatories, toilets and other plumbing fixtures to be connected to the city’s sewer system.

The sewer system construction project cost $1,652 more than the estimate submitted by McCoppen, but the city council refused to authorize payment of the overrun. A decade passed and residents began to complain about the septic tanks. In January of 1926, State Health Officer Dr. C.W. Garrison condemned both tanks. Seven months later the city council passed an ordinance forming Sewer Improvement District No. 2 for the purpose of extending sewer mains and constructing a sewer treatment plant to replace the existing septic tanks and bring the system into compliance with state Health Department regulations.

In December of that year, W.D. Cole, J.J. Hiegel and J. Frank Jones were appointed to the board of Sewer Improvement District No. 2. Cole was chosen to serve as chairman and R.W. Robins was appointed as attorney for the board.

Plans made for modern sewage plant
In January of 1927, W. L. Winters of Fort Smith was hired as engineer for the project and in April plans were competed for 17 miles of new sewer mains and a modern sewage disposal plant to be built two miles south of the city on Stone Dam Creek. The estimated cost of the project was $150,000.00

State health officials approved the plan and in May assessors for the district – J.H. Thompson, D.O. Harton, Jr. and Maurice Moix – completed their work . Bids were opened in September, 1927, with W.B. Carter of Tulsa, OK submitting a low bid of $126,979. Added to this bid was $10,620 for equipment for the sewer plant and $367 for a pump.

Work began in October and was completed in March of 1928.

Completed plant turned over to Conway Corporation
The sewer system was operated under the supervision of the city council’s Light and Water Committee until 1930, when the sewer plant operation was turned over to the newly-formed Conway Corporation.

It was not until 1957 that the city council also turned over supervision of the sewer collection system to the Corporation.