Van Buren Public Water and Sewer System Rate Adjustments effective January 1, 2026
December 08, 2025
Effective for Van Buren services billed on or after January 1, 2026, the cost of Van Buren Water, Sewer, and Residential Sanitation for the average residential user at 4,000 gallons (the national average residential usage) will increase by approximately 2%, from $92.18 to around $94.35 for the average monthly bill. (These rates do not apply to Oak Grove Public Water Authority (OGPWA) system customers – OGPWA purchases water wholesale from the City of Van Buren and sells water retail to its water users. OGPWA Retail water rates are set by the OGPWA Board of Directors and will likely be adjusted in the near future.)
Residents using more than 4,000 gallons, Commercial, and Industrial user's cost of service will increase based on the volume (gallons) of water/sewer used.
In an effort to maintain compliance with Arkansas Act 605 of 2021 for the Oversight of Retail Water Providers, Van Buren Ordinance(s) No. 06-2024 and No. 07-2024 establishing water and sewer rates ordain that, water and sewer rates may be adjusted annually based on increased Revenue Requirement percentages calculated by using the U.S. Consumer Price Index for Water, Sewer, and Trash Collection Services (CPIWST) as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis increase, provided that the City of Van Buren Municipal Utilities Commission may adjust the increase to a lower percentage than the CPI-WST. The CPI-WST increase for the previous twelve (12) month period at the time of the rate calculation; is 4.83%, the City of Van Buren Municipal Utilities Commission, after review, has adjusted the water and sewer rates for services billed on or after January 1, 2026, by adjusting the projected Revenue Requirement for 2026 by 3.00%.
The City of Van Buren Municipal Utilities realizes that any increases in cost of services are challenging to all of Van Buren's Residents and Businesses. Like rising costs of services such as fuel, electricity, natural gas, communications, groceries, and general items; the cost of providing public water, sewer, and sanitation services has increased across the state and the nation as well. The City of Van Buren does not receive any state or federal funding to supplement the cost of providing Water, Sewer, or Sanitation Services. Federal and state funding for the Arkansas Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) was discontinued in 2024.
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