Public Water Authority
Central Arkansas Water
Serving Little Rock, North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Saline County, Grant County, and regional wholesale communities
Population served
Almost 500,000 Arkansans across the regional system. CAW reports about 125,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and master-metered customer accounts in Pulaski, Saline, and Grant counties, with retail and wholesale connections extending across additional counties.
State system code
FIPS 05
Billing frequency
Monthly. The 2026 CAW rate schedule applies availability, volume, infrastructure-investment, watershed-protection, and district charges to monthly billing statements; exact sewer billing can vary because CAW also bills several local wastewater and sanitation districts.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
Central Arkansas Water operates as a public water authority serving Little Rock, North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Saline County, Grant County, and regional wholesale communities. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Monthly fixed availability charge based on meter size plus increasing-block volumetric charges measured in CCF. For inside-city residential service effective January 1, 2026, the volume rates are $2.27/CCF for 1–5 CCF, $2.97 for 6–15 CCF, and $3.64 above 15 CCF. A typical 5/8-inch meter also has an $11.23 availability charge, $1.00 infrastructure-investment fee, and $0.90 watershed-protection fee; outside-city rates are higher.. Bills are generated monthly. the 2026 caw rate schedule applies availability, volume, infrastructure-investment, watershed-protection, and district charges to monthly billing statements; exact sewer billing can vary because caw also bills several local wastewater and sanitation districts., and a typical residential cost reference is For an inside-city 5/8-inch residential meter using 5,000 gallons (about 6.67 CCF), the water calculation is approximately $11.23 availability + $5.00 for the first 5 CCF + $4.95 for the next 1.67 CCF + $1.00 infrastructure fee + $0.90 watershed fee, or about $23.08 before any separately billed sewer, sanitation, taxes, or district charges. The applicable city and wastewater district determine the combined monthly amount.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
CAW’s bill can include water and wastewater amounts calculated per CCF, but CAW manages billing for multiple sewer districts rather than one universal regional sewer tariff. The current rate page links separate schedules for North Little Rock Waste Water Utility, Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority, Maumelle, Sherwood, and other districts. Customers must use the sewer provider and account jurisdiction shown on the bill; a universal winter-average formula was not published on CAW’s water-rate page.
Meter and infrastructure notes
CAW’s current public materials provide online account monitoring and abnormal-use review but do not identify a public AMI vendor or guaranteed transmission interval. Metered charges are calculated in CCF, with the 2026 water rate page defining 1 CCF as approximately 750 gallons. Customers should use the account portal and contact customer service when the recorded consumption does not match the physical meter.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
Call (501) 377-1239 for after-hours water emergencies. Water-main breaks and leaks are dispatched at (501) 223-1550; water-quality questions are (501) 223-1574, and billing/turn-on/turn-off service is (501) 372-5161 or toll-free 1-855-742-0309.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for Little Rock, North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Saline County, Grant County, and regional wholesale communities
Central Arkansas Water is listed here as a public water authority. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.