Outage Reporting System Ready

Residents Can Use Tablets, Smartphones

— The city could get a test of its online power outage reporting system today with icy weather in the forecast.

The National Weather Service is calling for snow and sleet before noon today and freezing rain after midnight.

Residents can let city Electric Department staff know about power outages online through their smartphones or tablet devices. Residents can click on the “Report Power Outages” button on the city’s homepage at www.bentonvillear.com.

At A Glance

Power Outage Information

• During business hours, call the Electric Department at 271-3135.

• After hours, call 1-800-286-1262.

• Report outages via the city’s website at bentonvillear.com anytime.

The site will pull up a map displaying power outage reports in red. If the respondent’s address is red, the city is aware of the outage and working to repair the system, according to a city news release.

City officials want residents to report outages even if their neighborhood is already red, according to the release.

Some residents had issues reporting outages on the system recently, said Travis Matlock, city engineering director. Subsequent tests have shown the system is working as planned, he said.

Residents can still call the Electric Department at 479-271-3135 to report outages during business hours. If the outage proves to be widespread, the city will switch calls over to an answering service to take reports. After 4 p.m., residents can call 1-800-286-1262 and talk to an operator or use an automated system to record an outage, the release stated.

“I would avoid calling and report it directly on the web,” Matlock said.

The city asks residents not to call 911 or the Police and Fire departments to report an outage.

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