Senate Bill 255 Summary

• Creates the Arkansas Water Additive Accountability Act to establish state oversight of substances added to public drinking water for non-potability purposes, citing the absence of federal safety standards since 1988

• Requires water districts to obtain manufacturer declarations certifying that water additive products are effective at treating legislatively identified diseases and safe for all populations including infants, children, and the elderly at approved dilution levels

• Mandates water districts obtain and publicly disclose complete toxicological studies, country of origin, product composition percentages, chemical abstract numbers, impurity lists, manufacturing processes, and spectrum data for all water additives

• Requires independent analysis by ANSI or NSF International-certified laboratories for each shipment of products to verify content and contaminant concentrations match manufacturer declarations, with results made immediately accessible to the public

• Classifies violations as public nuisances subject to abatement and allows courts to assess reasonable attorney's fees and court costs against violating water districts