WAter & sewer Rates Increase
he March 1st water and sewer statement will include a rate increase to cover the increased costs of providing those services to the community. Click here for more information.
Make A Payment
Click Here to make a payment on your water and wastewater account. Or login to the WaterSmart portal at: alma.watersmart.com
Customer Portal
Call the water office for easy Customer Portal registration: 479.632.2254 or register at: alma.watersmart.com
- Make Payments and setup Auto-pay by Credit Card
- View Statements
- View Water usage
- View Payment History
- Set usage Alerts
- Register for e-statements
Free Bank Draft Registration
To register for FREE bank draft services, call the water office at 479.632.2254
Billing Information
Payment for a water and sewer service is due upon receipt and past due 15 days from the billing date. A 10% late penalty is charged for payments received after 5:00 pm on the 15th of the month. Late Notices are sent out the evening of the 15th indicating a potential disconnect on the 23rd if a payment is not made by the 22nd before 5:00 pm.
View Our Customer Service Policy >
Request New Water & Sewer Service
- NEW! Apply for Service & Pay Deposit Online >
- How to Obtain Water Service >
- Bank Draft Application >
Linkage between fluoride in drinking water and lower IQ in Children
The U.S. National Toxicology Program published a monograph yesterday finding that there is a linkage between fluoride in drinking water and lower IQ in children. The finding is stated as follows,
“This review finds, with moderate confidence, that higher estimated fluoride exposures (e.g., as in approximations of exposure such as drinking water fluoride concentrations that exceed the World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality of 1.5 mg/L of fluoride) are consistently associated with lower IQ in children. More studies are needed to fully understand the potential for lower fluoride exposure to affect children’s IQ.”
The final monograph emphasizes that there is “moderate confidence” that there is an adverse health effect. This monograph has been central to a legal effort to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review the risk posed by fluoride in response to a Toxic Substances Control Act citizen petition.
At this time, neither the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor EPA have issued statements. The CDC community fluoridation webpage states that there is strong evidence of fluoridation’s safety and effectiveness. The current recommended optimized level of fluoride in community water supplies is 0.7 milligrams per liter. EPA’s latest Six-Year Review acknowledged this ongoing NTP review noting, “the NTP systematic review and meta-analysis are not health assessments that could be used to directly inform the derivation of a potential MCLG.” Currently, there are both primary (health-based) and secondary (aesthetic) drinking water standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Maximum Contaminant Level is 4.0 milligrams per liter and the secondary MCL is 2.0 milligrams per liter.
In May of this year, the American Dental Association reaffirmed its support for community water fluoridation.
SEASONAL TASTE & Odor in OUR DRINKING WATER
The City of Alma’s water source is Lake Alma. The lake is influenced by environmental factors and undergoes seasonal variations caused by factors such as temperature, available sunlight, rainfall and runoff. These seasonal variations in environmental conditions can lead to fluctuations in naturally occurring algae and algal activity.
Commonly occurring algae in Lake Alma can impact water quality in a variety of ways. One way algal impacts are most notable to water customers is unpleasant taste and odor. Under certain seasonal environmental conditions, algae in Lake Alma can release taste and odor compounds into the water that have the potential to be noticed at the customer’s tap. Customers typically characterize the unpleasant taste and odor as “earthy,” “musty,” or “dirty.” These variations most commonly occur in the early spring and fall time periods.
We typically get several questions from customers during times when algal induced taste and odor is greatest in Lake Alma. Following are answers to some of the frequently asked questions regarding this issue:
Is the water safe to drink?
Yes. The taste and odor is purely an aesthetic issue. The City’s water remains completely safe to drink and use for all purposes. All of our drinking water continues to surpass all regulatory standards for safety.
What causes the taste and odor?
Seasonal variations cause algae in our source water (Lake Alma) to release unpleasant taste and odor compounds. These compounds are naturally occurring and not harmful to people. They are released to the water in extremely tiny quantities (nanograms/Liter or parts per trillion), but for those with sensitive noses and palates their arrival is quite obvious. The reason for the release can be due to several factors, including:
- Significant increases in algae levels, or commonly known as an algal bloom
- Change in algae types from those that do not produce taste and odor compounds to those that do
- A die-off of certain types of algae due to seasonal variations in water temperature or sunlight availability or other environmental conditions
- Seasonal turnover of the lake water column in the fall and spring
What steps does the City of Alma take to control the taste and odor?
It is our goal to produce high quality drinking water that is not only safe to drink but is aesthetically pleasing as well. We closely monitor our source water for algae/taste and odor compounds and utilize advanced oxidation by ozone to minimize the unpleasant taste and odors. However at times, levels of taste and odor compounds can be high enough that our water treatment processes cannot remove 100% of the unpleasant taste and odor from our finished drinking water. The City installed a lake surface aeration system to reduce algae growth and we continually plan for additional upgrades to the Water Treatment Facility that will further reduce the frequency of taste and odors detected by our customers.
How long will the taste and odor last?
The length of historical taste and odor episodes has typically been for just a few weeks in duration. While treatment for taste and odor in our source water is a routine part of the normal water treatment process, the peak periods where customers may notice this condition is generally only for a few days or up to a couple weeks. The time it takes for the taste and odor of the water to improve varies from household to household and is impacted by the fact that our drinking water has to work its way through the water distribution system, which contains over 60 miles of water lines, before it is delivered to your home. While the taste and odor may be completely removed and water restored to normal at the water treatment plant, it may take several days for these improvements to reach customers across town.
What steps can be taken at home by customers to minimize the taste and odor?
Some customers have reported improved taste and odor by adding a lemon wedge to a refrigerated open pitcher of drinking water. Additionally, using a Brita water filter pitcher that contains fresh carbon may help to mitigate the taste and odor of these substances.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or to report any concerns. (479) 632-2254
For more information about annual water quality of the City’s drinking water:
What is that black gunk on my shower head and in my toilet?
Click here for information.
About Our Department
Alma Water & Wastewater is committed to providing high quality drinking water to the families in our area, while protecting the environment through excellent wastewater treatment.
Alma Water and Wastewater is municipally owned and operated. However, operations are fully supported by water and wastewater rates.
Our water originates in beautiful Lake Alma. The water is purified at the Alma Water Treatment Facility before distribution to the Cities of Alma, Dyer, Kibler and Redhill Water Users. Alma’s water is ozonated for quality taste and fluoridated for oral health. Alma’s water has been a first place recipient of Arkansas’s drinking water taste contest.
To complete the cycle, our wastewater is efficiently collected and transferred to the Alma Wastewater Treatment Facility where aerated lagoons thoroughly process the waste before the water returns to the Arkansas River.