 Water
Distribution Department Frequently
Asked Questions
- I have discolored water
in my house. Is it safe and why is it discolored?
- What can I do about the
discolored water?
- What can I do about milky
or cloudy water?
- Why is my water pressure
low?
- The water pressure in my
house is too high. Can the water company turn down the pressure at
my house?
-
I need to find my houseline and my pressure
regulator. Can Benton Water locate them for me?
- If the leak is
across the street or the neighbor across the street ordered a new meter,
why are you digging in my yard?
- Will Benton Water
Facilities leaks cause my bill to be high?
- What is Benton Water’s area of
responsibility?
- My water meter is hard to turn
off and on. Can you fix it so I can turn it off and on easily?
- You tore up my yard working on the water
lines. What are you going to do about it?
- There was nothing wrong with my water
meter. Why did you suddenly come out and change it?
- I am going to landscape my yard and
change the grade. How do I get the meter box and/or valve box adjusted
to the new grade?
- There are colored markings all over
my yard and in the street. What's going on?
- There was a main break and my
water was off. Do I need to boil my water now?
- I have questions about doing
my own plumbing or I want to check out what my plumber is telling me.
Can Benton Water answer my plumbing questions?
- Why did you turn off
the water in my neighborhood without telling us?
- Benton Water did an
investigation and said the problem appears to be on my lines. Will you
tell me who to call and what they need to do to fix the problem?
- What happens when you make a trouble call
to the Distribution Department?
- I need to dig and I know there is underground
utilities in my area, who do I call?
- In the event of a water outage, who do I
call?
- Where do I go to get Water turned on at my
house or business?
- I have a question about my bill, who do
I call?
- I need an plumbing inspection, who
do I call?
- How do I read my water meter?
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I
have discolored water in my house. Is it safe and why is it
discolored?
Yes, the water is safe. The substance you see is manganese,
which is a natural precipitant of treated water and normally
adheres to the sides and bottom of the water main. When the
pressure and/or flow of the water changes the manganese can
scour off the walls of the main and get into your home or
business. Manganese is a natural mineral and is not harmful.
Discolored water happens when a water main is bumped or moved,
as in construction, or there is a change in the pressure
and/or flow within the pipe, such as what happens when a fire
hydrant is opened, a valve is operated or a main is broken.
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What
can I do about the discolored water?
Discolored water can be caused by many factors, i.e.,
construction in the area, lightening strikes, operation of a
fire hydrant, natural ground movement, and adding additional
pumping capacity to the water system. Because most of these
factors can not be anticipated or controlled by Benton Water,
it is necessary to address the situation after it has
happened.
- Determine if the discoloration is in your hot water or your cold
water. If only your hot water is affected the problem most likely is in
your hot water heater and you will have to address it as a maintenance
issue.
- If your cold water is affected, use as little hot water as possible
to keep the discoloration out of your hot water tank.
- If your water is just slightly discolored the color of a brown paper
bag or lighter, open all and only your cold water taps and let them run
5-6 minutes.
- Flush your toilets 2-3 times.
- If the initial cold water flush does not clear up the problem, wait
about an hour and repeat flushing. This amount of water should not
affect your water bill. If the problem persists, DO NOT hesitate to call
Benton Water, and we will send someone out.
- Do not wash laundry in discolored water, it will discolor light
clothes. If your water becomes discolored during a laundry in cycle,
keep the laundry damp until the water clears. Rewash the clothes, DO NOT
USE CHLORINE BEACH.
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What
can I do about milky or cloudy water?
Sometimes when a repair is made to a water main, or a
homeowner's water service, air can become trapped in the
lines. Because the lines are under pressure, the trapped air
becomes suspended in the water. The result is water that is
saturated with air, and looks milky when put into a clear
glass. In some cases the Water Dept. staff will purge the air
out of the line through a fire hydrant, but in most cases it
clears up on its own. To clear this up, you can
generally let your faucet run for five minutes or so, and it
will run clear. This is not enough water to effect your water
usage on your bill.
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Why
is my water pressure low?
Most often low pressure is a problem with the private plumbing
and not something Benton Water can remedy. Things like
galvanized piping, faulty pressure regulators, and stopped up
faucet screens can cause low pressure. At the customer's
request Benton Water will perform a pressure and flow test at
the meter to confirm there is adequate water to and through
the meter. A comparison test will be done at an outside faucet
if one is accessible at the front of the house. A note will be
left reporting the results. The customer need not be home at
the time of the test.
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The
water pressure in my house is too high. Can the Water
Company turn the pressure down at my house?
To ensure that water pressure is sufficient to all our
customers, it is necessary for Benton Water to maintain a
higher pressure in the water mains than is recommended for
your plumbing. Refer to the Arkansas Department of Health
Plumbing Codes (Arkansas Plumbing Law) for approved ways to
regulate the water pressure after it leaves the water meter.
The water meter does not regulate the pressure in any way.
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I
need to find my houseline and my pressure regulator. Can
Benton Water locate them for me?
Benton Water does not have any records on how your plumbing
lines are run, where your shutoff valve is or where your
pressure regulator might be.
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If
the leak is across the street or the neighbor across the
street ordered a new meter, why are you digging in my yard?
Water is delivered to your neighborhood by a water main
system. Generally a street will have only one main running
down it. To get the water to the customers on the opposite
side of the street the main will need to be accessed and a
SERVICE run underground from one side of the street to the
other. The main is probably on your side of the street and we
have to dig in your yard to tap into the main for the service
line.
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Will
Benton Water Facilities leaks cause my bill to be high?
Leaks on mains, services on the street side of the meter,
valves, and fire hydrants will not affect your bill. Some
meter leaks on the outlet side of the meter can have an affect
on your consumption and if that is the case the Water Dept.
will notify Customer Service for an adjustment.
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What
is Benton Water’s area of responsibility?
Benton Water maintains the public mains, valves, fire
hydrants, services to the meters, valve boxes, meter boxes and
water meters in our system. Any leaks at the connection and
beyond on the customers side of the meter is considered the
customer’s responsibility.
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My
water meter is hard to turn off and on. Can you fix it so I
can turn it off and on easily?
The valve on the water meter is for use by Benton Water
personnel. If we inspect the meter and find the shutoff valve
operates to our satisfaction it will be left as is. The
Arkansas Health Department Plumbing Code requires the customer
to have a shutoff valve outside the meter box that will shut
off the water to the entire structure in case of an emergency.
It is a good idea to locate your shutoff valve, be sure it is
in good operating condition and mark it so it is easily
operated in case of an emergency.
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You
tore up my yard working on the water lines. What are you going
to do about it?
When it is necessary to excavate on your property Benton Water
will make every effort to return the site to the condition we
found it. Depending on the time of year this can take several
weeks if sod and plant material is not available at the time
of the initial excavation or the area is too wet for equipment
at the time.
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There
was nothing wrong with my water meter. Why did you suddenly
come out and change it?
Meters, like other equipment, age with time. We change out
meters to ensure accurate use of the meter.
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I
am going to landscape my yard and change the grade. How do I
get the meter box and/or valve box adjusted to the new grade?
As soon as the new grade is established call Benton Water's
Distribution (776-5933) and they will send someone to adjust
the boxes. Be sure to give a few days notice because it is not
always possible to respond to such requests immediately.
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There
are colored markings all over my yard and in the street.
What's going on?
Arkansas state law requires anyone making an excavation to
notify owners of underground utilities of their intent to dig
in a specific location. The white lines are the area of the
intended excavation and the colored lines are the location of
underground utilities. You may want to visit the
Arkansas
One Call Home Page for more details.
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There
was a main break and my water was off. Do I need to boil my
water now?
It is not always necessary to issue a Boil Order every time
the water is turned off. There are several factors that are
considered before a Boil Order is issued. If it is determined
a "Boil Order' is required you will be notified either by a
door hanger or signs posted in the affected area. Additionally
the media will be notified for broadcast.
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I
have questions about doing my own plumbing or I want to check
out what my plumber is telling me. Can Benton Water answer my
plumbing questions?
Benton Water personnel are not plumbers and are not qualified
to answer plumbing questions. You may find it helpful to visit
the Arkansas Department of Health site and browse the
"Plumbing Law" section,
Division of Protective Health Codes Services Page.
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Why
did you turn off the water in my neighborhood without telling
us?
Keeping our customers informed is a priority with Benton
Water. If Benton Water has a planned project that requires the
water to be off, every effort will be made to notify our
customers prior to the shutdown.
However, many times there are spontaneous breaks or breaks
caused by contractors hitting the water lines. In those
emergency situations we will respond as rapidly as possible to
get the water shut off, make repairs and get the water back
on. Even in an emergency we will make every effort to keep our
customers informed.
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Benton
Water did an investigation and said the problem appears to be
on my lines. Will you tell me who to call and what they need
to do to fix the problem?
Because Benton Water employees are not plumbers, we do not
specifically identify plumbing problems or answer specific
plumbing questions. To get the problem repaired the Arkansas
Plumbing Code allows a property owner to make repairs on his
own plumbing lines. If you are not the property owner and/or
do no feel you can make repairs, we recommend you check the
Yellow Pages for a licensed plumber for advice and assistance.
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What
happens when you make a trouble call to the Distribution
Department?
Your call will be received by someone at Benton Water Dept.
during normal business hours or at the Benton Communications
Center after hours. We have crews on call 24 hours a day to
ensure customers receive quick and quality service.
The person you talk to will make an effort to answer your
questions and concerns immediately. If it is determined that
an onsite investigation is necessary, the appropriate
personnel will be dispatched. The problem will be prioritized
and dispatched to the pipe fitter responsible.
The employee will conduct an onsite investigation of the
problem. If the problem is one that Benton Water will repair
the employee will determine if emergency, high priority or
routine repairs are needed. Emergency orders will prompt the
immediate notification of crews to respond to the area. High
priority orders are worked the next business day and routine
orders are worked as the schedule permits.
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I
need to dig and I know there is underground utilities in my
area, who do I call?
You need to contact Arkansas One-Call at 1-800-482-8998 or
www.arkonecall.com.
They will notify all underground utilities in your area for
you and tell you the proper procedures.
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In
the event of a water outage, who do I call?
If you pay your utility bill to Benton Utilities, call
501-776-5933. This phone number is answered 24 hours a day/365
days a year. If your bill has been turned off for non-pay, you
will be required to pay the past due amount in order to get it
restored.
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Where
do I go to get Water turned on at my house or business?
You will go to the Benton Utilities Billing / Customer Service
Department at the Benton Municipal Complex, there phone number
is 501-776-5916.
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I
have a question about my bill, who do I call?
Call the Billing/Customer Services department at 501-776-5916.
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I
need an plumbing inspection, who do I call?
Call the City of Benton Community Development Division to
schedule one, their number is 501-776-5938.
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How
do I read my water meter?
Benton Water uses several brands of water meters. All have a meter register
that looks very much like the odometer in your car, and have six or seven
digits to read. The meter readings are read in thousands of gallons. The
billing system is programmed to take these meter readings and calculate the
correct water usage in thousands of gallons.
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Dial Read Meter – This is one of the oldest types of meters in our system.
The reading on your bill is derived from reading the digits one at a time
from the one million down to the tens, rounding all numbers down to the
lower number in the sequence. Your reading on your bill will only reflect
the first four digits of this reading. This meter reads 615 or 615,386
gallons of water. |
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Badger Meter – This is one of the older type meters in our system. The
reading on your bill is derived from reading the first four digits that are
black in the odometer style reading device, your meters are read in
thousands of gallons. This meter reads 2,955 or 2,955,000 gallons of water. |
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Sensus Meter - This is one type of meter in our system. The reading on your
bill is derived from reading the first four digits that are black in the
odometer style reading device, your meters are read in thousands of gallons.
This meter reads 4,567 or 4,567,000 gallons of water. The red hand is a leak
detector, so if everything is off including things like icemakers and it is
moving, you have a leak on your side of the meter. |
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Sensus Meter - This is the newest type of meter in our system. The reading
on your bill is derived from reading the first four digits from the left in
the odometer style reading device, your meters are read in thousands of
gallons. This meter reads 0 or 2.7 gallons of water. The red dial is a leak
detector, so if everything is off including things like icemakers and it is
moving, you have a leak on your side of the meter. This meter is fitted with
a electronic reading device which transmits readings to a computer in a
truck at meter reading time. |
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