Pine Bluff Wastewater Utility
Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71601
Fax: 870-535-6243

General Information

NEW CUSTOMERS

New residential customersare charged a facility charge ($4.65) plus a basic sewer rate ($16.20) and aone-time, non-refundable fee of $30.56. The sewer rate is based on the averagewater consumption (8Ccf) that is used by all customers. New customers cancontact us after three (3) months of service for an account review and possiblesewer adjustment according their specific pattern of usage.


EXISTING CUSTOMERS

Existing residentialcustomers are charged a sewer rate based on their average water consumptionfrom November through April. In May, your residential sewer bill is re-averagedto determine the basic sewer rate for the next year. 

BILL CALCULATION

Sewer bills consist of two (2) parts: Facility (basic rate) and Volume

Facility charge(based on meter size)   

5/8” meter = $4.65

3/4” meter = $6.53

1” meter = $9.31

 

Volume charge (multiplied by consumption)  

Residential: $1.95 X Ccf

FYI: 1 Ccf equals 748 gallons of water

  

Service Charge

(Based on meter size)

Meter SizeMonthly Charge
5/8”$4.39
¾”$6.16
1”$8.78

Most residential customers have a 5/8”meter.


Sample Residential Sewer Bill

If a customer’s average water usage from November to Aprilis 10 Ccf (7,480 gallons) their monthly sewer bill will read as follows:

Facility Charge $4.65 + Consumption $19.50 (Volume $1.95 X 10 Ccf) = Total Amount $24.15 per month




CHARGES EXPLAINED

Why are sewer charges based on a six-month average? Answer:Fairness. This method more accurately reflects the household water usage thatenters the sewer system. 


Leaks during the winter months could increase your sewer rate.We may be able to help lower your sewer bill. Call us for a billing inquiry andlet us perform an account review for a possible rate change. Just complete aRequest for Sewer Adjustment (RSA) form and return it along withproof-of-repair (plumber’s invoice, purchase receipt or detailed explanation)to PBWU. We will conduct our verification process to ensure your usage hasreturned to normal levels and make necessary changes if any. Adjustmentrequests must be received within 12 months of the leak event. Free leakdetection kits are available, upon request, at the Main Office.


HOW WE DO IT

Before the treatment of wastewater became a standard practice, the amount of waste being released into the environment was a real hazard – the source of many life threatening diseases and the cause of dangerous pollution.

Today, thanks to modern methods of collection and treatment practiced by facilities like Pine Bluff Wastewater Utility, we can all enjoy clean water and better health than ever before.


Collection of Wastewater:

Wastewater runs from homes and industries in Pine Bluff into our wastewater system. As the name implies, it is mostly water; only about .06% is waste material.


It is carried by the wastewater system to the wastewater treatment facility. Here it is cleaned in much the same way as nature cleans water. Pine Bluff Wastewater just speeds up the process so that water can be purified in about 100 days instead of months to years.


Our treatment plant uses a series of treatment stages to clean up water so that it can be safely released into the Arkansas River. There are two major steps:


Primary Treatment: 

First, debris such as tires, 2x4s, cans, etc., are separated from the water using screens. This primary treatment removes a portion of the pollutants.


Secondary Treatment:

After primary treatment, wastewater still contains solid materials and waste dissolved in the water. Under natural conditions, these substances would provide food for microscopic organisms – fungi, algae, and bacteria – that are an important part of life in a stream or lake.


Pine Bluff Wastewater Utility steps up this process in the secondary stage. Air is supplied to stimulate the growth of bacteria and other organisms that consume most of the waste material, up to 85 or 90 percent.


Towards the end of the treatment process, the organisms start to consume one another due to the lack of food. This is called endogenous respiration. The clean water is then disinfected to kill any remaining harmful bacteria and released in the Arkansas River.


From here, it will evaporate into the air and then condense into rain – then it will fall to earth, starting the water cycle all over again.