Since water rates were doubled earlier this year, crews of contractors have been working to repair the city’s many water leaks, and they’re beginning to see early signs of success.

Preston Newbill, deputy water utility director, recently said that water loss — the difference between what the city purchases from Beaver Water District and what it sells to customers — is trending down.

“We’re starting to turn the ship,” Newbill said during a presentation to the city’s finance committee on August 26.

A chart showing average daily water loss from February through June reflected that decline.

Because water loss tends to fluctuate throughout the year, the most accurate way to measure improvement is to compare each month with the same month the previous year. In July 2025, the water utility purchased 5.8% less water than in July 2024, despite a slight increase in households receiving service, according to Newbill.

The scale of Bentonville’s problem is clear on the city’s public water leak dashboard.

Most leaks come from service lines that connect homes to water mains. When water leaks before reaching the meter, the water utility doesn’t bill the customer, and it’s counted as water loss.

Replacing one leaking water line often means replacing several nearby lines. If only the faulty one is replaced, the vibrations from digging can trigger new leaks in other pipes, so nearby service lines are often replaced proactively.

The work is costly, and it’s a long-term play.

Three contractors recently reported per-line replacement costs of $4,466.78, $5,219.20, and $5,385.03.

In his presentation, Newbill highlighted several neighborhoods where repairs have been concentrated and estimated it will take about two years for the utility to recoup its costs there.

When The Bentonville Bulletin first reported on the city’s water leak dashboard in early July, it listed more than 1,200 active leaks. Today, it shows 955.