The city has taken a very proactive approach to water rate studies by implementing a system requiring an independent review firm to perform a water and wastewater rate study every three years. This assists us in our pursuit to avoid large increases and to ensure a long-term strategy for infrastructure repair and maintenance. By ordinance, 2020 was the year scheduled for this review, which showed a shortcoming in revenues to meet the financial needs of the water/wastewater needs of Bryant.

Health and safety guide the city’s decisions. Additionally, Bryant self-monitors its infrastructure in accordance with water/wastewater ordinances to ensure transparency and minimum cost to citizens. An independent audit firm further guarantees that information as infrastructure needs, water rates, revenues and expenses are reviewed objectively to keep the quality of life that our citizens expect when they make Bryant their home.

Many other cities have an electric utility company or other resource that can offset rates in one department with revenues from another. An appropriate comparison would be to look at cities similar to our growth pattern, such as Fayetteville. Fast growth and strain on existing infrastructure is a factor, and our pricing is in line with cities that are fortunate to experience the same growth challenges as Bryant.

For many years, the city tried diligently to maintain the lowest water rates possible for its citizens. But, as rapid growth continued at an astounding pace, the development placed significant stress on the city’s aging, existing water/wastewater infrastructure. And as a result, sewer overflows occurred at Bryant’s wastewater treatment facility. Due to the issue, ADEQ fined the city and issued the current consent action order. This order placed a requirement on the city to complete certain repairs within a set deadline or face additional fines or risk the state agency performing the repairs and passed the costs to Bryant.

This consent action order requirement forces the city to actively repair and upgrade the wastewater collection system on an accelerated schedule. Typically, the city spreads repairs needed over a multiple-year period to keep citizen billing costs as low as possible.

Presently the City's water and wastewater fund are not quite recovering all of their costs. This is due in part, to the review that was completed in 2017 not containing correct projections for the city council to make adequate adjustments at that time to cover the water and wastewater operations. Our current review firm recommends a larger adjustment the first year to make the system "whole" or to place us on solid fiscal ground to cover our obligations and costs. The lesser adjustments will then cover the future forecast increases in operating and capital costs. To help see the change, here is a sample copy of an average customer bill.

The Consent Administrative Order (CAO) required Bryant to submit to ADEQ a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that evaluates the existing wastewater infrastructure and outlined a seven-year plan (beginning in 2018) to implement the repairs and improvements. If successfully implemented, the city may request the termination of the CAO. Once completed, it may be possible to lower sewer rates.

The city strives to keep the level of service to citizens at the level expected from a city that offers the quality of life enjoyed by our citizens. This requires a proactive approach to implementing repairs and improvements to infrastructure systems before a situation becomes an emergency. Without the adjusted water/wastewater rates, the public water and wastewater utilities will operate in a deficit spending budget, limiting preventative repairs leading to more emergency repairs and unscheduled outages. That would cost citizens much more than the proposed rate adjustments.

Yes. Funds in the city’s reserves are allowing the water department to meet budget requirements for the first quarter. During the February city council meeting, the council approved a budget adjustment of $900,000 to make up for the deficit expected for the first quarter. If a rate adjustment is not approved, the request will be for the same amount to be pulled from savings in the second quarter this year. This impacts the amount of money available for other projects throughout the city.

Yes. The city council did request and received a second opinion that validated the initial report.

Based on the Bryant Rate Study recommendations, for the average Bryant user who uses 4,000 gallons per month, the adjusted amount will be approximately $5.28 per month in 2022. In 2022 there will be an additional adjustment of around $3.20 per month, and in 2023 another adjustment of about $1.34 per month. These rates could be less as progress is made on the consent order and/or wholesale water costs.

Ex: Current Water/Wastewater Customer at 4000 gallons pays $58.13 (Including taxes, FSDWA, Wastershed and Stormwater fees)

2022 that bill will change to $63.96 *53.98 -Senior Discount

2022 that bill will change to $67.16 *57.18 - Senior Discount

*estimated cost at the senior discount for standard water/wastewater customer

The City of Bryant is a member of the Saline County Regional Water Authority, which strives to find additional water sources. Current planning is underway to seek a connection to the Ouachita River for a water source for Saline County. This has been on the long-term plan for the city for several years. Recently, a few city council members have requested a meeting with Central Arkansas Water to consider a proposal to allow the outside utility to operate the water portion of Bryant’s waterworks. Bryant will schedule that meeting in the future.

These steps were already taken in an attempt to delay the current rate adjustment needs but did not reach the level of revenue needed to avoid the rate adjustments.

There is no reason to set a sunset for the adjustments as the city reviews water/wastewater costs on a yearly basis. This information is shared during department reports and the budgeting process with the city council. If a significant change occurs, the city council can approve an adjustment to the rates.