LRWRA

The Operations Department of the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (LRWRA) is responsible for the continuous, 24/7 reclamation of all used water generated throughout our service area. As the operational core of the utility, the department manages and operates three water reclamation facilities—Adams Field, Fourche Creek, and Little Maumelle—and the Peak Flow / Wet Weather Attenuation Basin. These facilities receive, treat, and renew residential, commercial, and industrial wastewater using advanced mechanical, chemical, and biological treatment processes.

Guided by stringent National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements, the Operations team continuously monitors and adjusts treatment processes to ensure all effluent meets or exceeds environmental and regulatory standards, demonstrating the department’s commitment to environmental stewardship and operational excellence.

Operations staff use modern control technologies to oversee treatment performance, optimize plant functions, and respond rapidly to changing conditions. Collaboration with other LRWRA departments ensures seamless system-wide performance and reliable water reclamation services.

Once fully treated, water from all three facilities is safely returned to the environment through discharge into the Arkansas River, supporting public health, environmental protection, and the long-term sustainability of Little Rock’s waterways.

Learn more about our facilities and process.

• Adams Field Water Reclamation Facility
• Fourche Creek Water Reclamation Facility
• Little Maumelle Water Reclamation Facility
• Peak Flow Attenuation Facility

The Engineering Department administers wastewater engineering, capital improvement plan administration, and collection system administration. The Engineering Department ensures that the Utility’s short- and long-term goals are implemented as effectively as possible while ensuring accountability, accuracy, and customer and ratepayer satisfaction.

• Wastewater Engineering: Determines policies for engineering practices and design. Designs, coordinates, and manages engineering projects and studies with other divisions of the Utility, private consulting engineers, the City of Little Rock, Arkansas Department of Transportation, and other utilities and agencies. Provides support to management through engineering calculations and graphical presentations. Provides in-house detailed design documents, project administration and inspection services for both in-house construction and contracted work. Provides engineering support through planning design and inspection for various annual maintenance construction contracts, such as trenchless rehabilitation, chemical root control, and pipeline cleaning.
• Professional Service Contract Administration: Negotiates, administers, and manages all professional services contracts for planning, pre-design, and design of capital projects. Reviews and coordinates the design of major sewer facility improvements, protecting the interests of Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority. Coordinates the professional services procurement process and conducts related informational meetings. Reviews and approves invoice processing, status reports, and accounting system requirements. Determines policies for standard engineering practices, design, and technical specifications.
• Capital Improvement Plan Administration: Administers, directs, and manages the construction of the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority capital projects. Provides management oversight of contractor construction activities to achieve successful project completion. Participates in pre-construction and progress meetings; assists the consulting engineer in resolving engineering and construction conflicts and disputes; and provides clarifications, interpretations, and directives as necessary to meet the terms of contracts and conditions and to minimize any negative impacts on the projects. Approves work directive changes and oversees the administration of change orders approval. Oversees the consulting engineer’s review and processing of invoices and construction progress payments. Provides information as required to meet funding agency reporting and compliance. Prepares and maintains construction files, including easement acquisition and contracts. Oversees consulting engineers’ coordination of construction activities with other utilities, internally, and other governmental agencies having jurisdiction, and regulatory agencies. Ensures construction compliance with contract documents and regulatory agency requirements. Reviews plans and specifications for constructability and risk mitigation.
• Collection System Administration: Provides engineering support as required to establish standard engineering practice and minimum standards for design and construction of collection system expansions. Provides inspection oversight for developer-funded collection system expansions. Obtains and reviews all records of easements, plats, and as-built information for all extensions to the collection system. Provides system information to potential customers concerning connection locations and requirements. Issues connection permits and provides inspection services for private service line connections.
• The Sewer Service Line Replacement Program: Encompasses the permitting and inspection of all residential, commercial, and industrial sewer service line installations and repairs, as well as administration of the residential Sewer Service Line Replacement Program (SSLRP). The LRWRA Permits Desk issues all permits for Sewer Service Line work within LRWRA’s coverage area, including new construction, service line replacement, repairs, and sewer seals, as well as street cuts for both residential and commercial customers. The Service Line Inspector provides quality control to ensure all installations of sewer service lines meet LRWRA specifications. CLICK HERE to learn more about our Sewer Service Line Replacement Program.
• The Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) Program: Helps LRWRA to maintain compliance with Title 40 CFR Part 403, while protecting LRWRA’s collection system and water reclamation facilities from the detrimental effects of FOG, through a program of sizing of grease interceptors (GI), inspection of GI installations, regulation of haulers, management of GI maintenance, and public outreach and education. For more information on the FOG program, CLICK HERE.

The Environmental Affairs Department (EA) supports LRWRA’s compliance with state and federal environmental regulations through quality-assured environmental sampling and testing services and the management of industrial discharges to the wastewater collection and treatment system. EA performs regularly scheduled compliance support activities and assists other LRWRA departments with special projects. EA includes the Sampling Collection, Compliance Laboratory, Quality Assurance, and Industrial Pretreatment Sections.

• Sample Collection: The sample collection team schedules and coordinates all aspects of industrial and LRWRA facility sample collection, preservation, and delivery. The sampling team performs compliance and process control sampling at LRWRA’s reclamation facilities and all industrial facilities permitted through the Industrial Pretreatment Program.
• Compliance Laboratory: EA’s laboratory staff confirm daily compliance with effluent limitations found in LRWRA’s three National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The lab also provides process control testing of LRWRA facility treatment processes and by-products to support utility operations. Additionally, laboratory staff provides compliance testing for industrial wastewater sources permitted under LRWRA’s Industrial Pretreatment Program.
• Quality Assurance: EA’s sampling and laboratory analysis meets or exceeds required quality control and assurance methods. Quality Assurance staff ensure that accurate and reliable data is provided to state and federal regulators and to other departments within the utility.
• Industrial Pretreatment Program: LRWRA administers the industrial pretreatment program, which is a cooperative effort of federal, state, and local environmental regulatory agencies established to protect water quality. DEQ approves the LRWRA industrial pretreatment program to perform permitting, administrative, and enforcement tasks for discharges into the municipalities’ publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). The national pretreatment program is designed to protect POTW infrastructure and reduce the levels of conventional and toxic pollutants discharged by industries and other nondomestic wastewater sources into municipal sewer systems and the environment. For more information about industrial wastewater discharges to LRWRA, see the Industrial Pretreatment Program.

The Finance Department is responsible for all financial information and reporting, purchasing of and payment for all LRWRA equipment and supplies, and customer service support. Specifically, the Accounting and Procurement Departments make up the Division of Finance. These two departments complement each other in accomplishing internal and external customer satisfaction. Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), Information Services, and Security are also functions of Finance.

• Accounting: Provides monthly and annual financial statements, collects data and prepares the annual budget, verifies invoicing and payments for both accounts receivable and accounts payable, operating and capital improvement expenditures, processes all aspects of bi-weekly payroll, and offers customer service to residents of Little Rock for sanitary sewer service.
• Procurement: Provides support by coordinating the purchase of all wastewater equipment and supplies in accordance with all state and city regulations.
• Environmental Health and Safety (EHS): Supports the personnel and operations of LRWRA by providing education, support, and expertise in matters of worker and workplace safety, worker health and compensation, environmental compliance, and material storage and handling. EHS also serves Little Rock’s residents by administering property damage reimbursement programs.

Facilities Asset Management maintains over 8,000 critical assets across the utility through a proactive approach that combines preventive, predictive, and hands-on maintenance. Our priority is making sure equipment is ready when it matters — supporting reliable operations and meeting all discharge permit requirements.

We take a field-driven, accountable approach, using the right tools, technologies, and real-time data to improve reliability, performance, and the long-term health of our systems.

Our team includes Mechanical/Generation, Electrical, HVAC, Buildings & Grounds, Automation, Asset Reliability, and Asset Management. Together, these groups support and continuously evaluate operations across all facilities, including the Administrative and Maintenance Complex, our three water reclamation facilities — Adams Field (the largest in Arkansas), Fourche Creek, and Little Maumelle — as well as 34 pump stations and peak flow attenuation systems.

• Mechanical & Generation: The Mechanical and Generation team operates as one integrated group, responsible for maintaining the reliability and performance of critical mechanical and power-related assets across the utility. Our approach is proactive and field-driven, focused on keeping equipment ready when it matters most. Our technicians are highly skilled craftsmen who diagnose, repair, and rebuild pumps, motors, blowers, and other essential wastewater process equipment. From small to large systems, the team brings hands-on expertise across a wide range of equipment, including pumps ranging from 2 to 350 horsepower. Working closely with Operations, the team supports both mechanical systems and plant process needs, including power and heating systems essential to treatment. Their ability to troubleshoot, adapt, and respond in real time helps maintain stable processes and continuous, reliable performance across all facilities.
• Electrical: The Electrical team is responsible for maintaining the reliability and performance of critical electrical systems across the utility. Their work supports safe, continuous operations by ensuring that power distribution and control systems are working properly. Electricians maintain and troubleshoot motors, variable frequency drives (VFDs), transformers, transfer switches, switchgear, control panels, disconnects, and soft start systems, as well as chemical systems such as chlorination and sulfonation equipment. They also support facility upgrades and improvements, helping ensure systems are efficient, reliable, and aligned with operational needs.
• HVAC & Buildings and Grounds: The HVAC and Buildings & Grounds team supports facility reliability by maintaining the systems and infrastructure that keep our sites operational, safe, and functional.HVAC responsibilities include maintaining heating, cooling, and ventilation systems — ensuring proper environmental conditions for both equipment and staff. Buildings & Grounds handles a wide range of facility maintenance and improvement work, including flooring, roofing, fencing, painting, coatings, landscaping, irrigation, plumbing, and small construction projects. Their work helps maintain the integrity, safety, and appearance of our facilities across the system.
• Automation: The Automation team leads the utility’s efforts in connectivity, real-time data, and system-wide automation. This group plays a key role in advancing how we monitor, control, and improve operations across all facilities.The team develops and maintains our SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system and in-house HMI (Human-Machine Interface), giving operators real-time visibility and control of plant processes. They also design and program PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) systems — the control logic that drives automated operation of pumps, valves, blowers, mixers, and other critical equipment.Working closely with Operations and Engineering, the Automation team integrates new technologies and continuously improves system performance through smarter controls and data-driven solutions. They also manage communications infrastructure and support critical systems, including network connectivity, remote monitoring, and facility safety and security systems such as alarms, access control, and gas detection.
• Asset Management: The Asset Management team provides the strategy, data, and oversight that drive reliability across the utility. Rather than performing maintenance work directly, this group focuses on improving how we plan, prioritize, and execute maintenance through data, systems, and long-term asset planning. The team monitors asset performance, analyzes historical trends, and tracks key performance indicators to identify risks early and support better decision-making. They also oversee the full lifecycle of assets across the utility – including setup, tracking, upgrades, and replacement planning. By leveraging real-time data and system-wide visibility, Asset Management helps guide where and how resources are applied to improve reliability, reduce downtime, and extend the life of critical equipment. Asset Management also oversees the lifecycle of assets across the utility, including asset setup, tracking, upgrades, and replacement planning. This ensures that accurate data is captured and used to support both day-to-day operations and long-term capital planning. In addition, the team manages the utility’s storeroom, keeping critical spare parts and materials available when needed to support faster response times and consistent, reliable operations.