OUR MISSION
The mission of the Water Department is to provide our customers with a safe, potable water supply that is consistent in capacity and adequate in pressure that meets or exceeds all state and federal standards and regulations.
Water Department
ABOUT US
Bella Vista POA owns and operates a public water system that services approximately 13,500 service connections. Bella Vista POA purchases treated potable water from the City of Bentonville through three metering locations and Benton-Washington Regional PWA through one metering location. The distribution system consists of 9 water storage tanks, 7 booster pump stations, and 600 miles of water main. Water purchased from the City of Bentonville and Benton-Washington Regional PWA is fluoridated to optimum levels in accordance with the Arkansas Department of Health’s Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Public Water Systems.
Consumer Confidence Report
Every year, the Bella Vista Water Department publishes a consumer confidence report. This report is compiled from the Arkansas Department of Health’s official records, based on the department’s routine water sampling and testing results. State and federal rules require 30 bacteriological water samples to be collected and tested monthly by the Arkansas Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratory in Little Rock. The samples are collected from established sampling points throughout the entire water distribution system. Each year, this report is distributed via an internet link located on the customer’s water bill.
To view the current Consumer Confidence Report, click here. Previous Consumer Confidence Reports are available upon request.
Customer Leaks and EyeOnWater
Water leaks can be difficult to find because depending where the leak is located, they may never show themselves. The karst and rocky terrain in Bella Vista is notorious for absorbing water leaks, never allowing them to surface. Broken pipes, leaking toilets, malfunctioning irrigation systems are all common places where leaks are found. Any water leak from the brass union on the downstream side of the water meter setter, downstream to the house, is the customer’s responsibility.
Upon request, Bella Vista POA provides toilet leak detection tablets that can assist the customer to determine if they have a leaking toilet. A small 1 gallon per minute water leak can cause a customer to have an additional 43,000 gallons of usage on their water bill in one month!
In 2018 and early 2019, Bella Vista POA finished installing an entirely new water meter system utilizing Badger water meters with a Beacon cellular reading system. This new system allows customers to monitor their consumption from their computer, tablet, or smartphone using an application called EyeOnWater. EyeOnWater allows customers to set up alerts via email or text message when a leak is detected or when water consumption reaches a predetermined level that makes the customer uneasy. Click the button below for specific instructions for EyeOnWater registration. Once you have registered for EyeOnWater, you will need to set up a leak alert if you would like to receive emails or text messages when you water meter sets a “leak alert”. If you have any questions regarding the registration or use of EyeOnWater, please contact Bella Vista POA Water Billing Department at (479) 855-8000, option 1.
Backflow Prevention
What is backflow prevention? Backflow is simply the undesirable reversal of flow in a potable water distribution system as a result of a cross-connection. If a cross-connection exists within the customers’ plumbing system, it is possible for water from within that system to backflow, or re-enter the public water system.
Most commercial customers and all residential irrigations systems are required to have a backflow prevention device installed on their service. The need for and the type of backflow prevention device depends on the hazard level and will be determined by the Water Department.
It is required by Bella Vista POA and the Arkansas Department of Health that backflow prevention devices are tested by a certified tester on an annual basis. Copies of this test should be sent to the Water Department.
If you have any questions, please contact Water Department staff at 479-855-5060.
For a list of individuals that are certified by the Arkansas Department of Health to test and repair backflow preventers, click here.
CONTACT US
TWO LOCATIONS
Establishing Water Service
Water will only be sold to Bella Vista Property Owners. Owners are required to complete a Bella Vista Water Utility Application at either of our Water Billing & Services Locations. A copy of a notarized deed is required before water service is established. Should the owner not be in Bella Vista or the surrounding area at the time service is required, please follow the below instruction for service without the owner present.
- The owner may elect to complete the Bella Vista Water Utility Application by electronic mail. Should the owner choose this option, the owner is responsible for transmitting to the Water Billing and Collections office, at moc.a1686342857opvvb1686342857@gnil1686342857liBre1686342857taW1686342857 the signed utility application along with a notarized deed.
Completion and validation of the application is subject to the applicant providing their true name, mailing address, telephone number(s), the last four digits of their social security number or other identifying number, employer, next of kin not residing at the same address and such other information as the Bella Vista POA may deem necessary in order to ensure the effective billing and collection of each account.
Identification to substantiate the signature of the applicant and proof the applicant is at least eighteen years of age must be presented when the agreement is filed. A notarized deed is required to begin service. Refusal to provide requested information or identification or providing false information may result in denial or termination of service.
Online Forms
Water Security Deposit
Collecting Deposits:
A Water Security Deposit is required on all new Primary Residence Accounts, on prior accounts with no service during the previous 12 months and on accounts that have been involuntarily disconnected.
The Water Security Deposit for a primary residence is $75.00. The Water Security Deposit for a rental property is $100.00. Deposits on rental properties are the responsibility of the tenant.
The Water Security Deposit will be included on the first water bill following the purchase or rental of a home or on the first bill following an involuntary disconnection resulting from a past due balance.
Water Security Deposits may be collected at the time of closing, when application is made or after the Water Account is transferred.
Waiving the Water Security Deposit:
The Water Security Deposit for a new primary residence account may be waived if the new customer provides a Letter of Credit from a utility company showing 12 months of consecutive payments with no late fees. (Letters of Credit will not be accepted on rental properties.)
Delinquent Water Security Deposits:
Due dates for the Water Security Deposit will coincide with the due date of the statement on which the deposit is reflected. If payment is not made by the stated due date, it will result in disconnection of service based on our current Disconnect/Reconnect Policy
Refunding Deposits:
Water Security Deposits are refunded after twenty-four consecutive months of on time payments (Refunds will be credited to the water account; no checks will be provided. Refunds will not be provided on rental properties.)
Water Service for New Residential Construction
There are three fees that must be paid for each new residential service. The Water Capital Buy-in-Fee is $2,500.00 which goes toward improving the water system to meet the needs caused by growth. The Water Tap Fee is $2,356.53, for an average 5/8 x 3/4-inch meter. Larger meter sizes cost more because they can exert a greater demand to the water system.
After the fees are paid, the Arkansas Department of Health requires an approved sewage disposal plan and written documentation that the building’s service line and plumbing were inspected by a licensed plumbing inspector and was found to be in substantial compliance with the State Plumbing Code.
Discontinuing Water Service
To stop existing water service, a completed and signed water work request must be submitted to the Water Billing Office. To obtain the form you may call the Water Billing Office at 479-855-8000 option 1.
Water Billing Due Date
Water bills are mailed on the last day of each month and are due on receipt. A late fee of 10% minimum of $12.00 will be charged if payment is not received by the 15thof the month.
Accounts with balances over $20.00 will receive a Reminder Notice if the bill is not paid by the 15th of the month. If the account remains unpaid after the 25th of the month, a $25.00 Past due Penalty will be charged.
Delinquent Accounts
Accounts with balances over $20.00 remaining unpaid after the 25th of the month will receive a Disconnect Notice. Accounts remaining unpaid 5 business days after the Final Day to Pay as stated on the Disconnect Notice are subject to disconnection. An additional fee of $16.43, tax included, will be charged when the Disconnect Service Order is issued.
The account must be paid in full, including the past due balance and any applicable fees, at the Water Billing Office in order to reestablish water service.
Customers may choose to register for the automatic draft program (ACH). By signing up for this service, your water payment will be withdrawn from your checking or savings account on the 15th day of each month.
Customers can receive the bill electronically by registering at “Online Bill Pay”.
If water service is disconnected due to a returned item, the reconnect fee is $43.80.
Water service may also be disconnected for chronically delinquent assessment account(s) pursuant to Bella Vista Village POA policy 3.09. See policy 3.09 for more information.
If service was disconnected due to past due assessments, the assessments must be paid in full or a payment plan established before service is restored. A service fee of $43.80 will be charged to the water account to re-establish service.
Service will be re-established after the POA receives full payment. Re-establishment of service will not be made after business hours or on non-business days, unless management determines there are circumstances that warrant after-hours installation. The service fee for after hours installations will be $65.70.
Payment Options
- Pay in person at one of the two Water Billing Office locations with cash, check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover
- Pay online
- Remit payment by mail to:
Bella Vista POA
Dept. #3069
PO Box 11407
Birmingham, AL 35246-3069
(To ensure payments are credited properly, please include the payment stub with your check) - Place payment at one of our four drop box locations:
- Metfield Clubhouse
- Town Center
- Branchwood Clubhouse
- Water Billing Office at 51 Huntley Lane (Pick up times vary on each drop box. To ensure same day credit, please adhere to the posted times.)
- Set up automatic bank draft. Water charges/fees are drafted on the 15th of the month
- Pay by phone with Debit or Credit card by calling 479-855-8000 Option 1.
If paying through your financial institution, the account number should be set up as follows: 00-00000000-000. Payments made via your financial institution should be mailed to 51 Huntley Lane, Bella Vista, AR 72715.
Billing Disputes
If you are concerned there may be a billing error, please call the Water Departments Billing Office at 479-855-8000 option 1 or write to BVPOA, Attn: Water Billing 51 Huntley Lane, Bella Vista, AR, 72715.
Leak Adjustments
The Bella Vista POA Water Utility will not be liable for any loss, damage, or injury whatsoever caused by leakage, escape, or loss of water after the same has passed through the meter, nor for defects in the customer’s piping.
All pipes and fixtures on the customer’s side of the meter shall be kept in good repair and free from leaks at the expense of the customer.
As a courtesy, the Bella Vista POA Water Utility will notify customers when the water meter that serves their home transmits a “leak alarm” in excess of 5 gallons per hour. Notification is accomplished by phoning the customer or by a hang tag left on the front door of the residence.
The POA Water Utility may, under certain conditions adjust the water charges in the event of a leak in the service line and/or irrigation line between the meter connection and the structure which results in excessive water loss. Adjusting the water bill does not extend liability to the POA Water Utility for any collateral damage or loss. Only one adjustment will be given within a twelve (12) month period. No more than two (2) consecutive months of excessive water loss will be adjusted. The conditions taken into consideration are listed below.
Conditions (Residential)
The conditions for an adjustment of charges on a house meter to be considered are:
- There must be firm evidence of a leak on the customer’s side of the meter, excluding outdoor faucets and devices connecting to and extending outside the structure, (i.e. hose bib, soaker hose etc.)
- Once notified, the customer is required to resolve the leak within thirty (30) days of the initial notification.
- A copy of an itemized invoice from a plumbing company that repaired the leak stating the date(s) of repair and clearly stating the location of the leak must be presented to the staff at the POA Water Billing Office.
- For a leak repaired by the customer, a notarized letter from the customer stating the date the leak was first detected, the date(s) of repair and clearly stating the location of the leak along with an invoice for parts used in the repair must be presented to the staff at the POA Water Billing Office.
- For a service line to a structure, the total consumption for the period of the water loss must exceed the average consumption for the six past billings representing normal occupancy and usage by at least 5,000 (five thousand) gallons.
- For an irrigation line, the total consumption for the period of water loss must exceed the average consumption of a representative period by at least 25,000 (twenty-five thousand) gallons. Factors such as time of year and average of previous season will be taken into consideration.
Calculating the Adjustment of Charges (Residential)
The procedure for calculating the adjustment of charges on a house meter is:
- The average consumption as calculated above will be billed at the standard rate.
- The remaining consumption will be billed at the actual contracted cost of the water to the Bella Vista POA Water Utility.
The procedure for calculating the adjustment of charges on an irrigation meter is:
- The average consumption as calculated above will be billed at the standard rate.
- The remaining consumption will be billed at the actual contracted cost of the water to the Bella Vista POA Water Utility.
- In the event the adjusted billing results in a dollar amount more than 3 (three) times the average dollar amount of water and tax charges on the previous six billings, the POA may accept a written payment plan for the adjusted billing only, not to exceed 6 months
Exception:
Should a POA Residential Water Utility Customer experience an additional water loss within the same twelve (12) month period and that loss significantly exceeds the initial loss, a policy exception to grant an adjustment may be made by management under the following conditions:
- The leak meets all the conditions required for an adjustment.
- The additional loss must exceed the original loss by 25,000 gallons.
- The original dollar adjustment will be deducted from the second adjustment.
Conditions (Commercial)
The conditions for an adjustment of charges on a commercial meter to be considered are:
- There must be firm evidence of a leak on the customer’s side of the meter, excluding outdoor faucets and devices connecting to and extending outside the structure, (i.e. hose bib, soaker hose etc.)
- Once notified, the customer is required to resolve the leak within thirty (30) days of the initial notification.
- A copy of an itemized invoice from a plumbing company that repaired the leak stating the date(s) of repair and clearly stating the location of the leak must be presented to the staff at the POA Water Billing Office.
- For a leak repaired by the customer, a notarized letter from the customer stating the date the leak was first detected, the date(s) of repair and clearly stating the location of the leak along with an invoice for parts used in the repair must be presented to the staff at the POA Water Billing Office.
- For a service line to a structure, the total consumption for the period of the water loss must exceed the average consumption for the six past billings representing normal occupancy and usage by at least 40,000 (forty thousand) gallons.
- For an irrigation line, the total consumption for the period of water loss must exceed the average consumption of a representative period by at least 50,000 (fifty thousand) gallons. Factors such as time of year and average of previous season will be taken into consideration.
Calculating the Adjustment of Charges (Commercial)
The procedure for calculating the adjustment of charges on a commercial meter is:
- The first 50% of the consumption will be billed at the standard rate.
- The remaining 50% of consumption will be billed at 50% of the standard rate.
Note: If the leak is less than 100,000 (one hundred thousand) gallons, the calculation for a residential water adjustment will apply.
Rates and Fees
Water service consists of a minimum monthly bill of $21.25 which includes up to 1,500 gallons of water per month. Additional water consumption is billed at a pro-rated $9.99 per 1,000 gallons.
- New construction capital buy-in $2,500.00
- New construction water tap $2,356.53
- Water Deposit $75.00
- Water Deposit – rental property $100.00
- Water account transfer $35.00
- Voluntary Water Disconnect $16.43
- Voluntary Water Reconnect $16.43
- Same day voluntary water reconnect $65.70
- Penalty Unlock $43.80
- Penalty Install $43.80
- Priority penalty unlock $65.70
- Past penalty lock $16.43
- Lock tampering replacement $121.11
- Rental Application Fee $20.00
- Returned Item $25.00
- Water Account Review (audit, leak investigation, meter calibration, etc) $58.00
Late Fee: 10% of current balance (minimum $12.00)
Past Due Penalty: $25.00
