Inspection Scheduling
The Baxter-Marion Water System has passed required AR Health Dept. bacteria testing, and is currently in the process of notifying customers that our transmission lines have been cleared for public use. Plumbing contractors/Homeowners should contact the BMRWA operator/inspector at {870}431-0050, and confirm his availability for the date/time you would like to install the required shut off, pressure reducing valve, dual check valve, and piping needed to connect to the BMRWA meter outlet. The BMRWA distribution operator/inspector will come to your property and set your water meter in place, with service locked until your existing plumbing is separated from your well connection by a minimum of 12” air gap. The inspector will also want to ensure you have installed the thermal expansion tank if you have a hot water heater in service when hooking to the BMRWA water meter.
After the required parts & air gap separation have been confirmed, the BMRWA inspector will unlock service at your meter to let your system pressurize. He will watch the meter without any water running in your home to make sure there are no leaks, and sign off in your customer file that your property is to be included on the next applicable meter reading cycle.
Customers who qualified for the Low/Moderate income construction grant will not receive a bill until their service lines have been installed by the LMI plumbing contractor, but all other BMRWA members should expect to receive their first bill by the final week of April in 2015. There is no set time period in which customers must be hooked up to the BMRWA system, but those who choose to wait will still receive the minimum bill either way.
Throughout the past year, BMRWA has faced a 22.5% increase in the projected water rates that were presented for public consideration at the start of the construction phase. In an effort to maintain a budget that satisfies operational costs & debt funding, the Baxter-Marion board of directors raised the minimum monthly billing rate by 19% during the regular monthly meeting held on Jan. 5th 2015. The new BMRWA minimum monthly billing rates are as follows.
Residential - $38.00 per month
Mater Meter - $11.00 x the # of units served per month
Barn Café - $ 22.00 per month
Any customers that have not paid their meter security deposit at the time their first billing cycle begins will have the $100 deposit added to their total due balance on their first bill. Those who do not pay the balance in full before their 1st late due date will be subject to immediate disconnect, as well as possible reconnection fees as outlined in the BMRWA board policies/by-laws documents. Likewise, those customers who paid a $200 deposit at signing will be issued a $100 bill credit which will be applied to their future balance until such a time as the difference has been fully refunded.
Customer can visit www.bmrwa.org or call 870-431-0050 with questions or concerns, and we thank you for your patience throughout this busy time.
Association Duties and Responsibilities. For Members
entering into a water user agreement with the Baxter Marion Rural Water
Association No 1, the BMRWA will install a water meter service, including a
service line which begins at the water main line and terminates at the edge of
the Member’s property, if possible.
The
meter service and service line will connect with the water main line of the
BMRWA and will be installed at a location suitable to provide easy access to
the water meter by BMRWA personnel.
The
BMRWA is the final authority in any question for location of any meter service
or service line connection to its water main. The BMRWA has exclusive right to use the
facilities that are installed by BMRWA.
The Member is not permitted to be inside the BMRWA meter box at anytime
without approval of BMRWA personnel.
Deposits and Fees Paid by the Member.
Any deposits and fees,
with the exception of the meter deposit, paid to the BMRWA by the Member in
connection with providing the water meter service is non
refundable. Refund of the Meter Deposit is
subject to conditions as described herein.
Start of Water
Availability. The Member will be notified by
the BMRWA in writing when water service will be available. Water charges to the
Member shall commence on the date service is made available, regardless of
whether the Member connects to the system by that date.
Continued Use of Well. Members may continue to use their well when connecting to the water system; however, the BMRWA water supply and a well cannot use the same pipes or be connected in any way. Existing Member wells can continue to be used, as long as they are a physically separate plumbing system from the BMRWA water supply. The Member is held liable for eliminating present or potential future cross-connections in the Member’s water system, including associated expenses incurred by the BMRWA.
Member’s
Service Line Installation and
Maintenance. The
Member’s service line connects to the BMRWA’s water meter stub out
pipe. Installation and maintenance
of a service line from the BMRWA meter to the Member’s residence or other
point of use is the Member’s responsibility and at the Member’s
expense.
The
Member’s service line and plumbing connections must be inspected and
approved by a State of
Determinations
of the actual plumbing components that are installed by the Member to connect
to the water meter stub out pipe are at the sole discretionary
judgment of the
Generally,
at the Member-side of the meter connection, the Member can expect to be
responsible for the installation of a pressure reducing valve, a cut off-valve, and a back-flow device. Additional items may be required by the
The
cost for items and services under the responsibility of the Member will vary,
according to negotiation between the Member and the Member’s personal
installation contractor.
Easements.
An easement is the right to use the real property of another for a specific
purpose. The easement is itself a real property interest, but legal title to
the underlying land is retained by the original owner for all other
purposes. In order for the BMRWA to
install the necessary service line and meter to provide water to the Member,
the the water user Member must grant the BMRWA an
easement. If it is necessary to
secure an easement over property not owned by the Member in order to achieve
access by the BMRWA to the Member’s property, it is the responsibility of
the Member to secure such easements.
Easements for granting BMRWA Right Of Way for property not owned by the
Member will not be recognized as achieved until filed with the appropriate
The
Member, by entering into this water user agreement with the BMRWA, agrees to
grant the BMRWA a perpetual easement in, over, under, and upon the
Member’s land as necessary for the BMRWA to install, and thereafter; use,
operate, inspect, repair, maintain, replace, and remove water pipelines and
appurtenant facilities. This
includes the granting the right of the BMRWA to utilize adjoining lands
belonging to the Member for the purpose of ingress and egress from the
above-described lands. As
determined by the BMRWA, a formal Right Of Way Grant may be established.
Monthly Water Bill: The Member
water bill will be determined by the Member’s actual meter reading. If no water is used, the minimum monthly
charge will be assessed, according to the BMRWA rate schedule then in force.
Transfer of Property. If the Member sells or bargains his or
her property to another, AND the water service contract remains in the
Member’s name, the Member will continue to be financially liable for
payment of all water fees for the remainder of the 5-year term of the water
user agreement with the BMRWA. As long as the water service contract remains in the name
on the Member on record with the BMRWA, that Member is the responsible party
from whom the BMRWA will require monthly payments for the 5-year term of the
contract. The Member is
responsible for arranging with the new property owner and the BMRWA a transfer
of Member financial liability.
For
transfer of the Member’s financial liability, the new property owner must
complete the required BMRWA paperwork documenting transference of property and
assumption of remaining term of the water user agreement. Unless this is done, the original (or
previous) Member/property owner will continue to be responsible for the
agreement and assumption of financial liabilities and responsibilities, until
the new owner has completed the above-mentioned paperwork and paid the
appropriate fees, if any.
The
BMRWA will return the initial Meter Deposit to the Member only upon proper
transfer of the Water User Agreement to the new property owner, payment of a
meter deposit fee by the new owner, and receipt by the BMRWA of full payment of
all unpaid invoices due for water service.
Member Liability for
Contract Termination. Member payment of the monthly bill is
essential to ensure adequate funds to cover the debt service (to repay the loan
for system construction), and proper operation and maintenance (O&M) of the
system. Therefore, each Member hereby agrees to pay the monthly water bill for
five years, beginning at water service availability.
In
the event the Member shall breach this contract by refusing or failing, without
just cause, to pay the monthly water bill or otherwise terminate the contract
without the express prior written agreement of the Association, the Member
agrees to pay the BMRWA a lump sum of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000) as
liquidated damages, prorated over the five-year term of this contract, as
calculated from the start of water service availability.
It
is expressly understood and agreed by the parties hereto that the said amount
is agreed upon as liquidated damages in that a breach by the Member in either
of the respects set forth above would be difficult, if not impossible, to prove
the amount of such damages. The parties hereto have computed, estimated, and
agreed upon said sum in an attempt to make a reasonable forecast of probable
actual loss because of the difficulty of estimating with exactness the
resulting damages.
The
Member may, at the end of the 5-year term of this contract, provided full
payment has been made to the BMRWA of all invoices due for water service, elect
to discontinue further water service.
Upon written notification of such intent, the BMRWA will disconnect the
service by removal of the water meter.
The initial water meter deposit will then be returned to the
Member. Reconnection will be
subject to the fees and conditions then in effect, as determined solely by the
BMRWA.
Disconnect Policy. The BMRWA may, without notice, shut off water to a Member if a connection or
extension to the Member’s service line has been made that was not
authorized by the BMRWA. It does
not matter who made the unauthorized connection. Under this Water User Agreement, the
Member agrees that no other present or future water source will be connected to
any Member-owned water lines served by the BMRWA water meter and lines. No additional residence may be connected
to the Member service line. The
Member will disconnect any other water source or additional residence from the
present water supply prior to connecting/switching to the BMRWA’s
system.
Late Payment Penalty. If the Member fails to make all the
required monthly payments, the Meter Deposit will apply to the meter service,
service will disconnected, and service will not be re-connected for any current
or future property owner on the serviced property without the liquidated
damages payment.
The
failure to pay the normal water charges as established by the BMRWA will result
in the automatic imposition of the following current penalties:
1: Water bills
are mailed on or near the 26th day of the month. Bills are due on the 10th day of the
following month by 4:30 p.m. Nonpayment of the account by the 10th day of the month
after 4:30 p.m. will result in a late penalty being assessed to the delinquent
account.
2: Nonpayment
of the account by the 18th day of the month will result in the water service
being shut off from the Member’s property.
3: In the
event it becomes necessary for the BMRWA to shut off the water from a service
meter property, the Member will be charged for a disconnection and re
connection of the service.
If you would like to read up on additional information about anything related to Public Water Systems in Arkansas, you can click on the links below to visit the Arkansas Health Department site and browse through their online archives.
AR Health Dept. Engineering section with links to many of the rules, regulations, and requirements that pertain to public water systems state wide:
Swimming Pool Regulations:
http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/aboutADH/RulesRegs/SwimmingPools.pdf
Mobile home & RV park Regulations:
http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/aboutADH/RulesRegs/MobileHomeParks.pdf
Information on Cross Connection Control & Backflow prevention:
Fire Protection System Backflow Prevention Requirements:
General Sanitary Regulations:
http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/aboutADH/RulesRegs/GeneralSanitation.pdf
More info is available through the AR Health Dept. website at: