Howard County, Arkansas — public water systems
At a glance
7 active public water systems are filed under Howard County, Arkansas in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 15,243 people served. The largest is Nashville Rural Water Authority, which reports serving 7,291 people. All 7 are community water systems serving people where they live.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
7
Population served
15.2K
Community systems
7
Groundwater share
42.9%
How does Howard County compare with other Arkansas counties?
Howard County has the 57th-most active public water systems among the 83 counties listed for active Arkansas systems in EPA records; among the 72 with 3 or more systems, the median has 10. Its systems report 15,243 people served in total, the 42nd-largest county figure in the state and 0.5% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 2,178 people, about 39% below the Arkansas average of 3,592. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Howard County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Howard County's active systems draw on groundwater (3, 43%), surface water (2, 29%) and purchased surface water (2, 29%). Overall, 43% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 57% on surface water, compared with 63% and 37% across Arkansas. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. The county's largest system, Nashville Rural Water Authority, draws primarily on purchased surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Howard County?
Howard County's active systems break down as 7 community systems (100%). A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. EPA lists their owner types as local government (71%) and private (29%).
Water systems in Howard County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville Rural Water Authority | Howard | 7,291 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 2 | Nashville Waterworks | Howard | 4,153 | Community | Surface water |
| 3 | Mineral Springs Waterworks | Howard | 1,364 | Community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Dierks Water Works | Howard | 1,317 | Community | Surface water |
| 5 | North Howard Rural Water Association | Howard | 710 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 6 | Tollette Water | Howard | 346 | Community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Cottonshed Waterworks | Howard | 62 | Community | Groundwater |
Howard County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Howard County, Arkansas?
EPA's SDWIS records file 7 active public water systems under Howard County, Arkansas: 7 community systems (100%).
Who supplies drinking water in Howard County, AR?
The largest community water systems filed under Howard County are Nashville Rural Water Authority (7,291 people served), Nashville Waterworks (4,153 people served) and Mineral Springs Waterworks (1,364 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Howard County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 7 active public water systems in Howard County, 43% draw mainly on groundwater and 57% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Nashville Rural Water Authority, uses purchased surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Howard County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 7 community systems are filed under Howard County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Howard County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More Arkansas water systems
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Public water systems in Howard County, Arkansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/arkansas/howard (data as of October 1, 2026).