Fort Smith Opens Sewer Work to Outside Bids

Engineering and contracting firms in Fort Smith should watch design bids for 117,990 feet of pipe over the next six months.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in People

Fort Smith Opens Sewer Work to Outside Bids

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Fort Smith's Board of Directors approved a $2,256,000 consent decree management agreement with Arcadis, a global engineering firm, by a 4-3 vote on Monday, Nov. 3. Fort Smith businesses in engineering, construction and contracting should watch how the city procures outside oversight for its multi-year sewer work.

Why it matters

The city is under a 2015 consent decree with federal and state agencies requiring more than $200 million in sewer upgrades over 12 years, and Director Kemp said the project's scale and remaining work require outside management. The board had tabled an earlier Arcadis agreement of nearly $2.5 million on Oct. 20 over concerns about cost and contract terms.

The board approved a first-year cost cap of $2,256,000, down from the nearly $2.5 million agreement it tabled on Oct. 20. The sewer program carries more than $200 million in commitments over 12 years, with design now nearly complete for 117,990 feet of pipe and 567 manholes.

The players

Arcadis

Global engineering and consulting firm headquartered in the Netherlands with an office in Little Rock, previously completing consent decree requirements for Chicago.

Fort Smith Board of Directors

The elected governing body of Fort Smith that approves municipal contracts, including the city's multi-year sewer and consent decree work.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Federal regulator that co-signed the Fort Smith consent decree and requires annual updated financial management plans for the city's sewer work.

The details

Under the agreement, Arcadis will work with city staff to oversee consent decree projects and ensure federal compliance. A panel of city staff reviewed three firms and recommended Arcadis, and the board may review and approve a three-year term after the first year. Arcadis staff will spend a 90-day program launch period learning the city's program before design work is sent out to bid over the next six months.

2015: Fort Smith entered the consent decree with the Justice Department, the EPA and the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality.
Sept. 15: A city staff memo reviewed three firms and recommended Arcadis.
Oct. 20: The board tabled a previous Arcadis agreement of nearly $2.5 million.
Nov. 3: The board approved the $2,256,000 agreement by a 4-3 vote.
Jan. 2, 2027: The original consent decree deadline, later extended to June 30, 2038.

Market Landscape

Fort Smith's 2015 consent decree with federal and state agencies sets the framework for this oversight contract, which is now extended to June 30, 2038. Municipal consent decree management is a recurring procurement category, and cities facing similar federal sewer orders typically outsource this oversight to engineering firms.

Engineering, construction and contracting firms in the Fort Smith area should track the design bid schedule over the next six months, since the city is moving from oversight setup into procurement for pipe and manhole work. Firms that handle municipal compliance reporting may see demand shift toward partners who can support the annual financial management plan the EPA requires.

The takeaway

Fort Smith's sewer program will generate design and construction work for years, so local firms should watch the bid schedule closely. Operators should also note that the city must file an updated financial management plan with the EPA every year, a deadline worth calendaring if you plan to bid on related work.

What happens next

Arcadis's 90-day program launch period will run after the Nov. 3 approval, and design work is expected to go out to bid over the following six months.