Central Arkansas Water has hired a consultant to study what risks an oil pipeline may have on the watershed of Lake Maumelle, which provides drinking water to 400,000 people in central Arkansas.
The utility's board voted Thursday to award a $160,000 contract to Tectonic Engineering and Surveying Consultants PC.
The study comes after ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline ruptured in Mayflower in March. The consultant will assess what vulnerabilities exist in the Lake Maumelle watershed.
According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Tectonic says it will evaluate the consequences of physical damage to the Pegasus pipeline, which crosses through the watershed.
The company will also assess any design threats or hazards and offer recommendations for reducing risk.