Utility's mailing explains new bills

Maumelle to pay water surcharge

Maumelle residents will get their first water bills from Central Arkansas Water starting next week, and the bills will include a surcharge, the utility announced in a mailing to Maumelle customers.

The monthly billing statements will be under the name Utility Billing Services, a section of Central Arkansas Water that handles bills for water, wastewater and other services.

Former Maumelle Water Management customers are now under Central Arkansas Water management and operation through a consolidation approved late last year. The consolidation became effective March 1, but March bills were still under the Maumelle Water Management name.

North Little Rock Wastewater has taken over the wastewater portion of Maumelle Water Management as part of the Maumelle utility's consolidation with Central Arkansas Water. The wastewater billing for March will continue with the Maumelle Water Management rates, then the next billing will begin reflecting North Little Rock Wastewater rates, according to the Central Arkansas Water information mailed Thursday.

Maumelle Water Management rates for water will continue for at least two years until Central Arkansas Water becomes the water provider for those customers.

However, the new monthly bills from Central Arkansas Water will carry a consolidation surcharge of $24.85 for most customers, based on water meter size. The monthly charges are meant to recover short-, intermediate- and long-term costs of the transition between utilities.

The surcharge replaces an $8.25 debt service fee that the Maumelle utility had charged. Other differences in the new bills include a $1.50 Watershed Protection fee that will be new to Maumelle customers, replacing a 75-cent Water Source Protection and Development fee that had been charged by the Maumelle utility.

All changes are detailed in the information Central Arkansas Water mailed to Maumelle customers Thursday, along with a sample bill for a "typical" customer.

Current Maumelle water rates will continue for 24-30 months while a transmission pipeline is constructed. Once the pipeline is built, Central Arkansas Water will provide Maumelle with water drawn from Lake Maumelle and Lake Winona, the utility's water sources. Maumelle's water will continue to come from a series of wells until that time.

Central Arkansas Water services about 125,000 metered customers, mainly in Little Rock and North Little Rock. Maumelle Water Management had about 10,500 metered customers, with about 7,400 of those being residential.

More information on the changeover is available online at carkw.com/maumellewater.

Metro on 03/26/2016

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