Approved Water Rate Increases (2024)

Please note that the below table is only in reference to water rates. Other portions of your utilities bill (trash and sewer) would remain unchanged.

Why are water rates increasing?

Why can't we take money from another fund (like the money spent on the ACME brick park) and put it toward water utilities?

Water Utilities operates with an enterprise fund, meaning it is budgeted more like a business. The revenue for an enterprise fund primarily comes from user fees, such as your monthly utilities bill, rather than from tax dollars. This design ensures that an enterprise fund is self-sustaining.
The majority of big projects (what we call Capital Improvement Projects) are paid for with sales tax revenue. The use for that money was decided upon by voters, so we cannot use it to fund things outside of what it was intended for. For example, 1% (or 1 cent) of the current sales tax goes to streets, bridges, and drainage. That money cannot be used to fund the new Creekmore Bathhouse, for example. It can, however, be used to resurface a street or build a retention pond.

This pages does a good job breaking down the current sales tax and how it is allocated in Fort Smith: https://www.fortsmithar.gov/government/municipal-code-laws-taxes/taxes

How much will my bill increase be?

This all depends on how much water you use. Fort Smith measures usage in CCFs rather than gallons (Centum Cubic Feet, or 100 Cubic Feet). 1CCF = 748.052 Gallons. See the chart above for more details.
Those who use more water each month will see a larger increase than users who use less. The biggest increases will be to commercial users that use substantially more water than the average household.
80% of households in Fort Smith use 7CCF or less.
60% of households in Fort Smith use 5CCF or less.
The chart above outlines the proposed increases based on monthly CCF usage.