Cheaper, faster

Annexation really was Bethel Heights’ best answer

Something’s backward in Bethel Heights. Or should we say the Bethel Heights area of Springdale, after voters of both communities decided the smaller town should become a part of the bigger one?

In any case, it seems a little backward for a utility system to be giving money back, but that’s what Springdale Water Utilities plans for former customers of Bethel Heights’ insufficient sewer system. Springdale will return to every property owner a

$250 deposit they paid for the smaller town’s sewer service.

It was that inadequate small sewer system that was at the heart of the former city’s residents’ move to force an annexation election. The 2.7-squaremile, 3,000-resident Bethel Heights was dissolved in August. By mid-September, Springdale’s utility crews had decommissioned the smaller town’s sewer system, which for more than a year had been struggling to get its system into compliance with state environmental permits, but the problems precede that time. All of the sewage now flows into Springdale’s treatment system, which immediately offers protections from overflowing sewage and other problems that plagued Bethel Heights’ system.

What’s amazing is how Springdale resolved the lingering sewer issues within three weeks by laying above-ground, 8-inch pipes to its treatment system at a cost of about $120,000.

What’s so amazing about that? Prior to the citizen-initiated annexation, Bethel Heights’ elected leaders were fixated on preserving the town as an independent municipality, but had not done what was necessary to create enough capacity to treat the sewage its growing number of residents and businesses generated.

Everyone agreed the least expensive solution to Bethel Heights’ woes was to tie into Springdale’s system, but that wasn’t an option. As a matter of policy, Springdale officials limit service from their system to Springdale residents and businesses and customers already served in other areas. The city wasn’t looking to take on Bethel Heights’ burden without the benefit of those customers and that land becoming part of Springdale.

Bethel Heights officials understandably didn’t like that line in the sand, but cities get to set their own policies — at least until they don’t take care of business.

So Bethel Heights’ leaders faced a choice — agree to back annexation into Springdale or find a new way to adequately treat the town’s sewage.

The new way was a connection to the Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority system in Bentonville. The pump station and pipeline to do that would have required taking an $11.6 million loan from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission that would have required a 66% increase in sewer rates for customers in Bethel Heights.

Hmm, $11.6 million vs. $120,000? That’s a no-brainer.

The reality is $120,000 only gets a temporary, but immediate, fix. Springdale will need to bury permanent lines for the long haul. But even that solution will cost a fraction of the Bethel HeightsNACA connection.

Annexation voters in Bethel Heights did what voters often do — they voted with their pocketbooks. That resulted in a cleaner environment and an affordable long-term plan for the people who live in the now-former Bethel Heights.

We’d call that a win-win, unless you were an elected official in Bethel Heights.