Polk County, Arkansas — public water systems
At a glance
15 active public water systems are filed under Polk County, Arkansas in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 19,109 people served. The largest is Mena Water Department, which reports serving 5,604 people. 9 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 6 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
15
Population served
19.1K
Community systems
9
Groundwater share
33.3%
How does Polk County compare with other Arkansas counties?
Polk County has the 13th-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 19,109 people served in total, the 35th-largest county figure in the state and 0.6% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 1,274 people, about 65% 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 Polk County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Polk County's active systems draw on purchased surface water (7, 47%), groundwater (5, 33%) and surface water (3, 20%). Overall, 33% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 67% on surface water, compared with 63% and 37% across Arkansas. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. The county's largest system, Mena Water Department, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Polk County?
Polk County's active systems break down as 9 community systems (60%), 1 non-transient non-community systems (6.7%) and 5 transient non-community systems (33%). 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. A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. EPA lists their owner types as local government (53%), private (27%), federal government (13%) and state government (6.7%).
Water systems in Polk County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mena Water Department | Polk | 5,604 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | Sevier Co Water Association | Polk + 1 more | 5,365 | Community | Surface water |
| 3 | Wickes Waterworks | Polk | 2,014 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 4 | Acorn Rural Water Assn | Polk | 1,975 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 5 | Freedom Public Water Authority | Polk | 1,935 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 6 | Cove Waterworks | Polk | 651 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 7 | Hatfield Waterworks | Polk | 641 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 8 | Grannis Waterworks | Polk | 548 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 9 | Ark St Park-Queen Wilhelmina | Polk | 223 | Non-transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| 10 | Usfs Shady Lake Rec Area 16666 | Polk | 50 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 11 | Big Fork Mall | Polk | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 12 | Usfs Shady Lake Rec Area 16661 | Polk | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 13 | Bogg Springs Baptist Camp | Polk | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 14 | Sugar Creek Lodge | Polk | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 15 | Gillham Regional Water Dist | Polk | 3 | Community | Surface water |
Polk County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Polk County, Arkansas?
EPA's SDWIS records file 15 active public water systems under Polk County, Arkansas: 9 community systems (60%), 1 non-transient non-community systems (6.7%) and 5 transient non-community systems (33%).
Who supplies drinking water in Polk County, AR?
The largest community water systems filed under Polk County are Mena Water Department (5,604 people served), Sevier Co Water Association (5,365 people served) and Wickes Waterworks (2,014 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 Polk County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 15 active public water systems in Polk County, 33% draw mainly on groundwater and 67% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Mena Water Department, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Polk 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. 9 community systems are filed under Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County, Arkansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/arkansas/polk (data as of October 1, 2026).