A small system has grown to a large system through good design, management, hard work and customers who realize the need of an adequate guaranteed supply of high quality water for present and future needs.

South Sebastian County Water began construction of the System in 1967. The Farmers Home Administration financed the initial construction of the System. The System serves all of Sebastian County south of Fort Smith and Fort Chaffee except the City of Greenwood. The population of the area served is approximately 15,000.

Since 1968, the number of users has increased from approximately 450 users to approximately 4,100 users in 2003.

The System has been adding customers at the rate of approximately 100 per year for the past few years. The cities of Hackett, Huntington, Mansfield, Hartford and Sebastian Lake Estates are counted as individual users. The aggregate population of the cities is 4101. As of November 2002, there was a total of 6,103 water meters within the service area of the System. The System has long-term contracts with the cities of Hackett, Huntington, Mansfield, Hartford and the residential development of Sebastian Lake Estates. Two other incorporated towns and unincorporated communities are also served, but the System directly meters each customer and owns the distribution system.

In 2004, the South Sebastian County Water Users Association along with the Scott County Regional Water District let a contract for the construction of 110 miles of transmission and distribution line in Sebastian and Scott counties. That project (Phase I), when completed in the Spring of 2006, will provide water to 550 rural customers. South Sebastian County Water proposes to construct a Phase II addition to the above project. Phase II will provide water to 350 customers. The communities are Boles, Parks, and Turkey Track.

The Phase II expansion will require distribution piping, one tank, and one pump station. There will be 42 miles of distribution line. The line size will range from 3" to 8" diameter. The estimated cost of this project is $2,899,000.

On January 1, 2006, South Sebastian County Water Users Association will change its name to James Fork Regional Water District.

The System’s source of water is James Fork Lake. The high quality water is a 232 acre Reservoir with a clay, earth fill dam on the James Fork Creek and Posey Creek in Sebastian County, Arkansas, with a 3.25 MGD water treatment plant and water distribution lines to convey the treated water to the System’s customers.

The dam is approximately 2080 feet in length with a top elevation at 890.0, the toe at an approximate elevation of 806.0, a normal water surface elevation of 877.0 and a surface area of 232 acres at normal pool. The height of the dam is approximately 84 feet. The drainage area is 6,528 acres, or 10.20 square miles.

The water treatment plant consist of two solids contact up flow clarifiers and dual or mixed media filters with approximate chemical feeders, laboratory, office space, clearwell, and a finished water pump station.

The water treatment plant is a sedimentation/filtration plant. The chlorination system is designed so that application can be made at several different points to provide adequate disinfection wherever needed. The plant has the capacity to meet the 1986 Safe Drinking Water Standards.

The distribution lines will consist of an excess of 466 miles throughout the two counties.

For more information contact :
Wayne Stallings, General Manager
James Fork Water
(479) 996-4296 or 1-800-782-4812