Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/25/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I disputed a debt with Central Arkansas Water; I sent a request for Central Arkansas Water to validate the debt balance due. Central Arkansas Water failed to respond or validate the debt. Central Arkansas Water gave no consideration to the alleged utility service agreement rendering the agreement voidable. Therefore, the debt or billing is erroneous in nature and I am demanding cancelation and recoupment of all charges due to the reversionary interest I possess in the original service application.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/26/2025

  Central Arkansas Water's Terms and Conditions of Water Service states "Customer agrees to pay any bill on or before the due date." By accepting our services, the customer is responsible to settle any and all debts for services rendered. Our acceptable payment methods are as follows: Cash, Money Order, Cashier's Check, Credit or Debit Card, Check, or Electronic Check. If proper payment is not received on or before the due date, service may be interrupted at any time. The information attached does not negate our terms, conditions, or policies. Also, the invoice attached is a ******* bill. Even if the proper UBS bill was attached, we would still request that the debt be settled in order to maintain water, sewer, and sanitation services. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/01/2025

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Considering water as a basic necessity, my needs transcend the rights of the utility secured by its alleged form contract. Likewise, CAWs failure to answer or perform as obligated deems the utility to be held liable in bad faith, in violation of public trust, and bond to discharge of its official and fiduciary duties.  
  

  I presented offenses, and they are to be heard by an employee of CAW with a office manager. The employee is required to inquire into the factual dispute and make a direct individual response to the subscriber explaining and disclosing the utility’s position.
  If this action does not resolve the dispute I have the right to stay termination or discontinuance of service by posting a bond of the amount in dispute.

  Final resolution is to be made by a higher company official or by litigation commenced by the utility to collect the disputed amount.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ***

  Business Response

  Date: 04/02/2025

  We appreciate your concerns and would like to clarify our position regarding your dispute. Central Arkansas Water (CAW) operates in accordance with all applicable regulations, policies, and service agreements, which ensure fair and consistent treatment of all customers.
  While we recognize that water is a basic necessity, the treatment and infrastructure to deliver our treated water comes at a cost. The provision of utility services is governed by established policies and legal agreements, which outline both the rights and responsibilities of the utility and its customers. Your account is subject to these terms, which were agreed upon at the initiation of service. 

  Regarding your concerns about our response, CAW has thoroughly reviewed the facts of your case and has provided a formal response in accordance with our policies. Our representatives, including management, are available to address your concerns further if necessary. However, our position remains aligned with the obligations outlined in our service agreement. If the disputed amount remains unpaid, we will have no other alternative but to suspend services until proper payment or payment arrangements have been made that align with CAW's acceptable payment methods.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/31/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We have been living at this address for over 2 years, with zero late payments or requested extensions during that time. I have autopay taken directly from my bank account, so I have never had reason to question that payments were being processed successfully. Today, I arrived home to discover that we had no water. When I contacted Central Arkansas Water, they claim that I somehow (absent mine or my husband's knowledge) requested an extension on my payment in September for unknown reasons. I have paperless billing; however, no documentation of this request was ever sent to my email to notify me that this had somehow happened. Because of the extension, the next month's payment was not auto-debited in September or October; once again, no notice of this fact, the expiring extension, or the plan to turn off service were ever sent to my email and I am unable to find any documentation of any of this anywhere in their maze of an online portal. Now I am being charged additional fees for the late payment and the turn off/turn on when I truly believed that the payments were still being made faithfully each month. Customer service was of no help in figuring out how this happened or how to prevent it happening again in the future.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/02/2024

  We have attached log in information that shows that the customer or someone with the login information created the payment arrangement on 9/22/24. This is a non-business day and our offices were closed. After speaking with the customer, we have blocked the feature to add a payment arrangement from our web or phone IVR, so this should not happen going forward. As a courtesy, we have removed the $80 restoral fee since the customer was set up for Auto-pay and the draft did not occur as expected. We apologize for any inconvenience that this has caused. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/05/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/25/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Water service disconnected March 22 ,2024. Water bill paid in full April 24, 2024. APRIL 25 , 2024 Water still not restore call 2x Water customers service no results yet . I'm 62 disabled can't cook food , wash bathe , flush toilet . It an emergency to have service turn on immediately.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/29/2024

  The water was restored April 25, 2024 at 2:15pm. The payment was made after-hours on April 24, and had the customer reached out to our after-hours dispatcher, we could've restored the service that evening for an additional fee. However, we do not dispatch any orders after 7pm without customer request and the payment posted after 7pm.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/18/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company had shut off my water earlier this week and then required me to pay an $80 fee to get it turned back on. But the issue is that they never gave me any sort of required notice or warning that I was in danger of my water getting shut off like they did before. And the times that they did do so, I always managed to pay them their money. But I'm struggling enough as it is, especially just after the holidays and a recent death in the family, and this $80 fee had really put me in the hole. So given those circumstances and that it's the first time my water had ever been shut off for non-payment, especially the fact that they didn't even warn me that I was at risk of my water getting shut off, I would like to respectfully request at least a one-time fee waiver for that $80 fee.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/22/2024

  Central Arkansas Water notifies customers multiple times prior to disconnecting service for non-payment. For the account in question, there was a payment made in October 2023 and the next payment received was when service was disconnected January 8, 2024. Each month, we send two reminder notices and the monthly bill also includes the statement "previous balance must be paid immediately to avoid shutoff." Since your account is on paperless billing, you would need to check your email for correspondence (email [email protected]). Even if no notices were sent or received, customers are still expected to make payments each month for the service provided to avoid disconnect. Unfortunately, we are unable to waive any fees as they were not in charged in error or without prior notice. 

  Business Response

  Date: 01/29/2024

  We apologize that the customer feels that Central Arkansas Water is a monopoly that does not care about its customers because that is completely untrue. We value each customer and we value the affordable and safe drinking water that is provided by our staff. In order to keep our water affordable, we must ensure that payments are received, and with this account, there were many consecutive months of missed payments. If services are rendered and payment is not received, the Utility has an obligation to all of its stakeholders to discontinue service until adequate payment is received. Otherwise, we are at risk to raise rates on those who are paying consistently to subsidize those who are not. I apologize if the invoices and notices were not received, but they were generated and sent via the customer's preferred method of contact. Again, not receiving a notice is not sufficient reason for waiving a fee when the customer is aware that payments are due each month for a service that is used each day. The fee is to cover the cost of rolling our truck and employee to the property for the disconnect and for the return trip of reconnection. The disconnect did not occur in error, and the fee is valid, thus we are unable to waive it. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/01/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I took their response *********************************
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/23/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had water services turned on at this location in August on 2022. I am working on the house and no one lives there. There is no plumbing fixtures installed, Every month the bill goes up. they sent someone out to check for leaks and there are no leaks. So I had the water disconnected, and hauled in water. after a few months I get a letter that there is illegal water consumption and to restore the service I would need to pay for the illegal water usage. Still no one lives in the house. We recently started working on the plumbing and need the water turned on. paid the deposit and the illegal water usage bill. The brought out a new meter there are still no plumbing fixtures installed and no shutoff valves on the pipes so we have never turned the water on at the meter my first bill is over $400 even no water has gone through the meter and no sewage through the sewer. I am convinced there is a glitch in the billing system. the current bill has 2 different meter numbers on it. when I called they tried to tell me it was the previous meter, but the previous meter had a different number. They want to send someone out, but we have done that before and to no avail. I just need for someone competent to LOOK AT THE ACCOUNT AND BILLING AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. I have asked for a supervisor to call, but no one has called me back.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/06/2023

  The customer has contacted our office and resolved the issue. No further action needed. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/24/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I'm moving to a new home address @ *** *. ******* St., ***, ** *****. I've attempted to get my C**KW water services transferred to my new location @ *** *. ******* St., ***, **, on 7/01/22, and shut off @ my current home address @ **** E. *** St., ***, **, on 7/05/22. C**KW's transfer/shut off services web page is faulty, and it didn't recognize my new home address @ *** *. ******* St., ***. I attempted 3-times on the C**W website, but it was to no avail. I telephone C**W Customer Services Office @ (501) 372-5161, but no one in C**KW Customer Services would answer the telephone. I have called several times, and no one has returned my call. As I was attempted to complete the transfer/shut-off form, C**KW didn't recognize my email address: mc********@ualr.edu. C**KW notify me monthly about my water bill at this same email address. C**KW's Customer Service Director, ***** *******, doesn't have a contact telephone # listed, or an email address. It's pointless to continue calling the telephone # and sending emails when C**KW won't call or email me back.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/30/2022

  Ms. ********,

  We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that you have experienced in an attempt to transfer your utility services. One of our members of our Customer Service management staff has successfully reached you and taken care of the transfer, and it is my hope that you were satisfied with their resolution. Although we offer the ability to transfer services on our web accounts, the service address is to be entered exactly as it is in our database, and that may have been the issue. Our website does offer our phone number and email address for the Department, and I do show that there was also email correspondence sent to your email address. However, I do apologize that your resolution was not as timely as we would desire it to be and we will work towards making process improvements that will better serve our customers.

  If there is any further assistance needed, please do not hesitate to ask.

  Sincerely,

  ***** *******, Director of Customer Service