Benton Washington Regional Public Water Authority

04/20/2026

As a reminder, the May 1, 2026 Application Deadline is approaching for the 2026 BWRPWA Graduating High School Senior Internship Program. If interested please see below.

GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR INTERNSHIP
The Benton Washington Regional Public Water Authority (BWRPWA) is a regional wholesale potable water provider to 17 different Public Water Systems located in Northwest Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. The service area covers almost 1500 square miles and serves a population of approximately 165,000 consumers. We also provide water to major industrial customers such as the Simmons Foods poultry processing plant near Gentry, McKee Bakeries in Gentry, and the NW Arkansas National Airport which served 1.1 million transient customers in 2025.
We are starting our second year of our Graduating Senior Internship Program and below is more information about the Internship Program. This Program is open to all graduating seniors that meet the minimum requirements and who are looking to enter the workforce instead of going to college
Minimum Requirements:
1.Graduate from High School with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. It is preferable that the applicant has completed some coursework in High School with Biology, Chemistry, and Algebra or Geometry as this will help with State licensing but is not required.
2. Applicants must have reliable transportation to and from the work site which is located outside of Avoca. Arkansas.
3.All applicants will be required to take a Department of Transportation Drug Test and will need to submit necessary information for a criminal background check. All positions at BWRPWA, including intern positions, are classified as Safety Sensitive positions.
4. Complete the Application listed on our website at www.bwrpwa.com. Only applications completed and submitted through the website will be considered and the deadline to apply is May 1, 2026.
This is a paid Internship. The pay Rate is $20.00 per hour ($30.00 per Hour for Overtime when applicable) and paid weekly. All payments are issued through electronic ACH payments, so the intern must have a checking, savings, or other bank account to deposit the funds into. The Internship involves a 4-month rotation in each Department. When the Intern is on the Maintenance and IT/OT-SCADA / Electrical rotation, the work hours will be Monday through Friday 7 AM to 3:30 PM. When the Intern is on the Operations Rotation, they will work alternating 36 hour and 48 hour weeks that consist of either 3 or 4 consecutive 12-hour shifts, 7AM to 7 PM and 7PM to 7 AM. Each Intern will work one 2-week period of Night Shifts; the remainder will be day shifts and will include some weekend shifts. The 48 hour weeks do include 8 hours of Overtime.
Interns will be paid for Contract Labor and will not receive any benefits associated with the position except for training for State Licensing. BWRPWA will pay all training and testing costs for Interns, and this does include being paid for classroom time. All Interns will have the opportunity to obtain up to their Arkansas Department of Health Grade 3 Water Treatment and Water Distribution licenses.

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03/16/2026

Water Treatment Plant Operator - Night Shift
Date posted: March 16th, 2026
Pay: $20.00 - $25.00 per hour
Job description: Benton Washington Regional Public Water Authority(BWRPWA) is a water treatment facility located in Avoca, AR. We are professional, innovative, challenging, and committed to providing 17 communities in NWA with the best possible drinking water. We are staffed 24/7/365. The Night Water Treatment Plant Operator will start with 4-6 weeks of day shift training (4 - 10hour Monday through Thursday) before moving to the regular night shift operations schedule. Regular night shift operators work a 36-hour week, followed by a 48-hour week(includes 8 hours of OT). Night shift hours are 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. , and some weekends/holidays are required. Starting pay for this position ranges from $20 to $25 per hour, with the potential for higher starting wages depending on current experience and licensing. Water treatment plant operators are required to obtain(all training and licensing will be paid for by BWRPWA) a minimum of an Arkansas Department of Health D3 and T3. Experience is not required to apply; however, preference will be given to those applicants with public water treatment/utility experience and current licensure from the Arkansas Department of Health(or from states with reciprocity. Minimum Requirements:
● Minimum of 18 years of age
● Driver's License(or can obtain within 30 days of hire)
● High School Diploma or Equivalent(GED)
● Work outdoors under all conditions
● Able to climb ladders and stairs
● Able to discern different colors and color changes
● Able to pay attention to details
● Have good decision-making skills
● Able to read and comprehend English Benefits: After 30 days of employment, the employee is eligible for all insurance and is provided 100% paid by BWRPWA. Including: Medical (Choice of BCBS 1500 or BCBS High Deductible with monthly HAS contribution), Dental, and Vision, including family coverage.
Also included, company-paid:
● Life Insurance(100k)
● Accident Insurance
● Uniforms
● Vacation
● Sick Leave
● Personal Leave
● Military Leave
Recognized Holiday pay rate is double time(11 days annually).
After one year of employment, the employee is eligible to participate in the 457b retirement plan with
a 6% company match. Also, the employee will be eligible for up to $1,500 per semester in tuition assistance to pursue higher education coursework, which includes Vo-tech or technical coursework.
To download an employee benefit summary, please visit https://bwrpwa.com/careers/
Other Information:
Applicants will be required to pass a pre-employment DOT drug panel test and a criminal background
check.
Per Act 593 enacted in 2017 by the Arkansas Legislature and signed by the Governor of Arkansas,
and because the Benton/Washington Regional Public Water Authority produces potable water for
public consumption, which requires the use of hazardous chemicals and other hazardous working
conditions: all employment positions, including full-time, part-time, and seasonal/temporary jobs with
the Benton/Washington Regional Public Water Authority are deemed as "Safety Sensitive Positions".
As such, no employee can use or be under the influence of medical ma*****na or other prescribed
cannabis products while at the workplace and performing their designated job functions.
The Authority reserves the right to test any employee for operational proficiency, controlled
substances, or alcohol consumption at the sole discretion of the Authority and without prior notice to
the employee at any time.
The Benton/Washington Regional Public Water Authority is an at-will employer.
To apply, please send your resume to [email protected]

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03/08/2026

http://nwa.pressreader.com/article/281848650100918

The Benton/Wash­ing­ton Regional Pub­lic Water Author­ity is work­ing to increase how much water it can pump out to keep up with North­w­est Arkan­sas’ grow­ing pop­u­la­tion. Scott Bor­man, gen­eral man­ager for the author­ity, said it is installing...

02/24/2026

The 2026 Application period is open for three graduating High School Senior Internships at BWRPWA. Below is the information regarding the Internships. Please follow the directions to apply

2026 GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR INTERNSHIP

The Benton Washington Regional Public Water Authority (BWRPWA) is a regional wholesale potable water provider to 17 different Public Water Systems located in Northwest Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. The service area covers almost 1500 square miles and serves a population of approximately 165,000 consumers. We also provide water to major industrial customers such as the Simmons Foods poultry processing plant near Gentry, McKee Bakeries in Gentry, and the NW Arkansas National Airport which served 1.1 million transient customers in 2025.

We are starting our second year of our Graduating Senior Internship Program and below is more information about the Internship Program. This Program is open to all graduating seniors that meet the minimum requirements and who are looking to enter the workforce instead of going to college

Minimum Requirements:

1.Graduate from High School with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. It is preferable that the applicant has completed some coursework in High School with Biology, Chemistry, and Algebra or Geometry as this will help with State licensing but is not required.

2. Applicants must have reliable transportation to and from the work site which is located outside of Avoca. Arkansas.

3.All applicants will be required to take a Department of Transportation Drug Test and will need to submit necessary information for a criminal background check. All positions at BWRPWA, including intern positions, are classified as Safety Sensitive positions.

4. Complete the Application listed on our website at www.bwrpwa.com. Only applications completed and submitted through the website will be considered and the deadline to apply is May 1, 2026.

This is a paid Internship. The pay Rate is $20.00 per hour ($30.00 per Hour for Overtime when applicable) and paid weekly. All payments are issued through electronic ACH payments, so the intern must have a checking, savings, or other bank account to deposit the funds into. The Internship involves a 4-month rotation in each Department. When the Intern is on the Maintenance and IT/OT-SCADA / Electrical rotation, the work hours will be Monday through Friday 7 AM to 3:30 PM. When the Intern is on the Operations Rotation, they will work alternating 36 hour and 48 hour weeks that consist of either 3 or 4 consecutive 12-hour shifts, 7AM to 7 PM and 7PM to 7 AM. Each Intern will work one 2-week period of Night Shifts; the remainder will be day shifts and will include some weekend shifts. The 48 hour weeks do include 8 hours of Overtime.

Interns will be paid for Contract Labor and will not receive any benefits associated with the position except for training for State Licensing. BWRPWA will pay all training and testing costs for Interns, and this does include being paid for classroom time. All Interns will have the opportunity to obtain up to their Arkansas Department of Health Grade 3 Water Treatment and Water Distribution licenses.

BWRPWA also offers an Electrical Apprenticeship program which is a 4-year program to allow Electrical Apprentices to work under a Master Electrician and earn the opportunity to test for their Journeyman Electrical License. For Interns that show an interest in this aspect of our operations, our current apprentices will be testing for their Journeyman License at or near the end of the internship in 2027, thereby providing additional opportunities at the end of the internship. The Electrical Apprentice program is a paid full-time position with full benefits at BWRPWA.

Interns that successfully complete the internship program and are interested in other areas such as Operations, Maintenance, or IT/OT/SCADA work will have the opportunity to obtain a full-time position here at BWRPWA or with one of the many other water utilities located within the area. This is especially true, if the Intern can successfully obtain their Grade 3 licenses that were discussed earlier.

An Internship in the Drinking Water Utility Sector offers quite a bit to graduating seniors looking to start building a career or just wanting to go ahead and enter the workforce. This job sector is always going to be needed, is fairly recession proof, and offers career advancement opportunities with good pay and benefits for those willing to put in the time and effort to build a career. At BWRPWA we offer competitive pay with annual increases, and our employee benefits include full medical, dental, vision, accident, and life insurance all company paid, vacation and sick time, paid training and testing, paid uniforms, matching retirement contributions, networking opportunities with other utilities, and tuition assistance of up to $1,500 per semester for employees that want to return to school to help their career or learn a new trade. Most of the area utilities also offer similar benefits and it is important to note that the skills you will learn in your internship are portable as is your licensing. Should you decide to move to a different area or state, then you should be able to find employment within the Utility Sector in that area. Most states offer reciprocity with Arkansas water licensing, and the aging workforce problem in the Water Utility Sector is not just applicable to this area. This issue is nationwide and for a young person entering industry now, there are countless opportunities across the entire country for career advancement.

So, if this Internship is something that interests you, please go to www.bwrpwa.com and complete the application process. Remember May 1, 2026, is the deadline for all applications. We expect to begin contacting applicants the week of May 18, 2026 for the selection process, and the Internship starting on June 1, 2026, and running through May 31, 2027.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Scott Borman, BWRPWA G.M. or Nathan Hooper BWRPWA Asst. GM at 479-925-7655 or email at [email protected] or [email protected]

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12/18/2025

FYI for those of you on Garfield, BCWD #1, or Lost Bridge Water Systems

10/07/2025

Must be October at the Water Plant!

10/03/2025

BENTON WASHINGTON REGIONAL PUBLIC WATER AUTHORITY JOB ANNOUNCEMENT 10/03/2025
If you are currently looking for a career opportunity that offers paid training and licensure and advancement opportunities in a field that will always be in place and is recession-proof without layoffs, then here is your Opportunity! The Benton Washington Regional Public Water Authority is currently seeking one individual for a Water Treatment Plant Maintenance Position. All of the BWRPWA positions offer full-time employment with competitive pay, weekly pay, double time for work on recognized holidays, advancement opportunities, company-paid training, company-paid Medical,
Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, and paid Vacation, Sick, and Personal Leave Time, as well as uniforms and work clothing. After one year of employment, employees are eligible to participate in
a 457 matching retirement program and a tuition assistance program to further secondary and/or vocational-technical education.

WATER TREATMENT PLANT MAINTENANCE ASSISTANT - BWRPWA currently has one open position for a Maintenance Assistant or Maintenance Specialist. This position involves doing maintenance activities within the Water Treatment Facility, including but not limited to grounds maintenance, pump and motor maintenance, water transmission line installation or repair/replacement, system appurtenances repair and replacement, plumbing and equipment repairs or replacement, instrument calibrations, and other activities required to keep the treatment facility up and running. The Maintenance Department normal working hours are Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM.

The minimum requirements to apply for the position are the applicant must be as follows:
1. Minimum of 18 years of age.
2. Have a current, valid driver's license and good driving record.
3. Have graduated from High School, or completed their GED or equivalent.
4. Be able to climb stairs and ladders and utilize proper safety equipment with full use of hands, legs, and feet,
5. Work outside under ALL weather conditions
6. Be able to differentiate colors.
7. Have reliable transportation to and from the worksite.
8. Must be proficient in the English language.
9. Must be able to swim.

The pay ranges for Maintenance Staff are dependent on experience and licensure with the Arkansas Department of Health and are listed below.

Maintenance Assistant - Entry level, no applicable experience, Starting wages range from $19.00 per hour ($39,520 annually) up to $24.00 per hour ($49,920 annually). Increases are given for passing
specific testing levels.
Maintenance Specialist I - Requires 1 year applicable Water Distribution experience and a minimum of an ADOH Grade 3 Water Distribution License - Starting wages range from $24.00 per Hour ($49,920) annually to $29.00 per Hour ($60,320.00 annually), depending on qualifications and licensure.
Maintenance Specialist II - 5 years of Water Distribution Experience and an ADOH Grade 4 Water Distribution License and an ADOH Grade 4 Water Operator License - starting range begins at
$28.00 per hour ($58,240 annually) to $33.00 per hour ($68,640 annually). The MS II position currently tops out at $40.50 per hour, or $ 84,240 annually.

Under Arkansas Act 593, all the positions listed above are deemed safety-sensitive positions. All
applicants for the positions described above will be subject to a DOT drug screen test and a
criminal background check before any offer of employment is made.

To apply, please visit bwrpwa.com and complete an application that includes a full work history and education, along with three personal or business references that provide your current contact
information. This position will remain open until filled. BWRPWA is an equal opportunity employer and DO NOT apply through Facebook. Please go to www.bwrpwa.com for more information

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08/19/2025

Our new Water Operator Training Facility is up and running as of this week with its first class. Intermediate Water Treatment, being held. The new Facility will also serve as a meeting space for the BWRPWA Board of Directors as meeting attendance had outgrown the old meeting space. We hope this facility makes a key contribution in training both Treatment and Distribution Water Operators here in NW Arkansas for not only for us, but along with the 17 NWA and Eastern Oklahoma Public Water Supplies that we provide potable water to.

08/15/2025

For the Customers of Benton County Water District 1, Bella Vista POA (Western Side of Bella Vista), Centerton Water, Decatur Water, Gateway Public Water Authority, Garfield Water, Gentry Water, Gravette Water, Highfill Water, Lincoln Water, Lost Bridge Water, Pea Ridge Water, Prairie Grove Water, Washington Water Authority, Tontitown Water, and Westville Utility Authority - Westville OK

Due to increasing demands due to the currant and continuing hot dry conditions, The Benton Washington Regional Public Water Authority is requesting that all customers of the systems above initiate a voluntary conservation effort to help reduce the amount of surplus water currently being used to meet individual customer irrigation needs

To assist, we are asking all customers to voluntarily follow an odd/even watering schedule for lawn and landscape irrigation:
· Odd-numbered addresses (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) – Water on odd-numbered days
· Even-numbered addresses (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 😎 – Water on even-numbered days

This simple schedule greatly reduces the strain of peak demand when everyone waters at the same time. By spreading irrigation more evenly, we help maintain system pressure and ensure enough water is available for essential needs such as fire protection. for each of our customers.

Please note — daily household use (drinking, cooking, bathing, etc.) can continue as normal. We are simply asking everyone to be more mindful with lawn and plant watering during this period of dry weather.

Your cooperation will help ensure reliable water service for al of the customers of our customer systems. Thank you for doing your part to protect your community’s water supply.

Scott Borman BWRPWA GM

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