Little Rock Water & Sewer Connection Fees (2026)
At a typical Little Rock address, Central Arkansas Water (CAW) supplies the water and the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (LRWRA) runs the sewer. For a new single-family home with a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch meter, their published one-time charges come to $435, but that is not the full cost. The $435 is CAW’s $150 system development charge and the $20 activation fee CAW’s start-service page says appears on the first bill, plus LRWRA’s $105 connection fee and $160 building sewer inspection. CAW’s operating policy says you also pay a connection charge for installing the service line and meter, which varies with the width of the street. CAW does not publish that charge, so it is extra and not included in the $435 or in any total on this page. Get a written quote from CAW’s New Construction Service section before you budget.
Official Little Rock fees in one table
The table lists every Little Rock row in our database with its source. CAW’s water charges come from Section 2-09 of the CAW Code of Rules, which the CAW board adopted on June 13, 2024 (Resolution 2024-09). The amounts in that section have been in effect since September 1, 2002, and none of the 2025 or 2026 board resolutions changed them. LRWRA’s sewer charges come from its 2026 Consolidated Fee Schedule. Rows marked as not typical, such as the capital investment charges, apply only on certain mains or in certain areas.
| Service | Category | Fee | Meter | Amount | Basis | Effective | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General — Account Setup | ||||||||
| General | Account Setup | Activation fee (first bill) | — | $20 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer — Connection | ||||||||
| Sewer | Connection | Connection Fee - per building | — | $105 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer — Inspection | ||||||||
| Sewer | Inspection | Additional building sewer field inspection (each) | — | $70 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer | Inspection | Building Sewer Inspection Fee - per building (initial inspection) | — | $160 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer — Plan Review | ||||||||
| Sewer | Plan Review | Plan Review Fee (sewer construction plans) | — | $60–$840 | Percent | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Capacity | ||||||||
| Water | Capacity | Capital Investment Charge - geographic area (former acreage charge) | — | $50–$400 | per equivalent residential unit | 2002-09-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Capacity | Capital Investment Charge - metered connection to a specific water main, 1-inch | 1" | $2,800 | by meter size | 2002-09-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Capacity | Capital Investment Charge - metered connection to a specific water main, 3/4-inch | 3/4" | $2,400 | by meter size | 2002-09-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Capacity | Capital Investment Charge - metered connection to a specific water main, 5/8-inch | 5/8" | $2,000 | by meter size | 2002-09-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Impact | ||||||||
| Water | Impact | System Development Charge, 1-inch meter (1.5 service units) 1-inch meter | 1" | $225 | by meter size | 2002-09-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Impact | System Development Charge, 5/8- or 3/4-inch meter (1 service unit) 5/8- or 3/4-inch meter | 5/8" | $150 | by meter size | 2002-09-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
What a new Little Rock house pays: worked example
Assume one detached house inside Little Rock, served by CAW water and LRWRA sewer. It uses the standard 5/8-inch meter, the main in front of the lot carries no capital investment charge, and the household doesn’t qualify for the low-income reduction. CAW’s rule defines one service unit as the capacity of a 3/4-inch meter and charges $150 for a 5/8- or 3/4-inch meter and $225 for a 1-inch meter. LRWRA charges $105 per building to connect a building sewer and $160 for the first inspection of it.
Published CAW and LRWRA charges for one new single-family home. CAW’s own connection charge for the service line and meter isn’t included because it isn’t published.
| Case | CAW system development charge | CAW capital investment charge | CAW activation fee | LRWRA connection + inspection | Published total (before CAW’s connection charge) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/8- or 3/4-inch meter, main without a CIC | $150 | $0 | $20 | $105 + $160 | $435 |
| 1-inch meter, main without a CIC | $225 | $0 | $20 | $105 + $160 | $510 |
| 5/8-inch meter on a main that carries a CIC | $150 | $2,000 | $20 | $105 + $160 | $2,435 |
The capital investment charge (CIC) is the charge most likely to surprise a lot buyer. Under Section 2-09, CAW can attach it to a specific main, often one a developer paid to build, and CAW can use the charge to reimburse that developer under a ten-year CIC addendum contract. Connecting to such a main costs $2,000 for a 5/8-inch meter, $2,400 for a 3/4-inch and $2,800 for a 1-inch. Separately, some areas carry a CIC of $50 to $400 per service unit that replaced the old acreage charges. The rules don’t list which mains or areas are affected, so ask CAW about your address.
What is not included in Little Rock fees
- CAW’s connection charge for the service line and meter. CAW’s Operating Policy says the applicant pays a connection charge covering installation of the service line to the property. It’s paid once per meter, isn’t refundable after the meter is set, and depends on the width of the street. The amounts sit in a “Schedule B” that isn’t posted on CAW’s website, so we couldn’t record a figure. Call New Construction Service at 501-210-4910.
- Your house line and sewer lateral. Your plumber builds the pipe from the meter to the house and the building sewer to LRWRA’s main. National estimates are $30–$150 per foot for a water service line (typically about $50) and $50–$250 per foot for a sewer lateral (typically about $100), with trenching in normal soil included. See water service line cost, sewer lateral cost and utility trenching cost.
- Deposits. CAW asks for a security deposit of about two months’ average bill, which is usually added to the first bill and refunded after 12 on-time payments. It doesn’t publish a fixed amount.
- Main extensions. CAW’s rules make developers and landowners pay the cost of mains needed to serve their property. In some drainage areas LRWRA also collects a reimbursement fee per acre for larger collector sewers. It adjusts that fee each year, and the fee schedule is available from LRWRA’s Engineering Department.
- Electric service. We didn’t find a published per-home connection charge from Entergy Arkansas, so none is included here. Ask your electric provider about service costs for the lot.
- Building and plumbing permits from the City of Little Rock, which are separate from these utility charges.
National figures are estimates from our benchmark set. The calculator below loads Little Rock’s official fees; add CAW’s quote and your contractors’ quotes to it:
Estimate utility connection costs
Estimates are planning figures, not quotes. Confirm fees and trench rules with your utility.
How and when Little Rock fees are paid
For water, you file a Request for Water Service Application with CAW’s New Construction Service section, which handles any address that has never had a meter. Section 2-09 says CAW won’t approve service until the system development charge and any capital investment charge are assessed, and it won’t start service until they’re paid. The Operating Policy asks for the last four feet of your house line at the meter to be copper, ending two feet deep and two feet from the meter box, so CAW can connect it. CAW’s start-service page says wait times for a new construction service vary with the time of year and the permits involved.
For sewer, the owner or agent buys a building sewer permit at the LRWRA Permits Desk (501-688-1420, permits@lrwra.com), which is when the connection and inspection fees are paid. LRWRA’s rates page says a building sewer permit is required for every residential connection and that its fees are updated each year. CAW does the billing for LRWRA, so you open one account with CAW for both.
What could change in Little Rock
- Old CAW amounts. The $150 system development charge and the capital investment charges date from September 2002. CAW re-adopted them in its Code of Rules in June 2024, but they could be revised at any board meeting. Resolution 2026-05 (September 10, 2026) lets the chief executive officer make limited revisions to the Code of Rules without a board vote.
- LRWRA’s yearly fee schedule. The $105 and $160 figures are from the 2026 schedule, published with LRWRA’s 2026 budget. Expect a new schedule for 2027.
- Sewer rates. Little Rock Ordinance 22,679 set new monthly sewer rates from January 1, 2026. It changes monthly bills, not the one-time connection fees.
How Little Rock compares
Little Rock’s $435 looks lower than its regional neighbors, but it isn’t a like-for-like comparison, because it leaves out CAW’s unpublished charge for the service line and meter. Tulsa comes to $703.64 in city permit and meter charges for a 5/8 x 3/4-inch meter, and that figure includes the meter. Oklahoma City comes to $1,283.28 for a two-bath home. In Bentonville, a lot platted by January 22, 2026 pays $1,125, and a newer lot pays $8,992 because of its wastewater development fee. Bentonville’s totals include $1,100 for the city to install the water service, which is the kind of charge missing from Little Rock’s $435. On a main with a $2,000 capital investment charge, Little Rock’s published charges reach $2,435 before CAW’s connection charge, which is already above both Oklahoma cities.
Little Rock tap fee FAQ
How much does it cost to connect a new Little Rock house to water and sewer?
The published one-time charges for a 5/8-inch meter total $435: $150 CAW system development charge, the $20 activation fee CAW says appears on the first bill, $105 LRWRA connection fee and $160 LRWRA inspection. That is not the full cost. CAW’s connection charge for the service line and meter comes on top; it varies with street width and isn’t published, so ask CAW for a quote. Your plumber’s work is extra too.
Who provides water and sewer in Little Rock?
Central Arkansas Water provides the water and does the billing. The Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority runs the sewer system and issues building sewer permits. You start service by calling CAW, which bills sewer for LRWRA.
What is CAW’s capital investment charge?
It’s an extra charge attached to specific mains or areas, often to pay back a developer who built the main. On such a main, a metered connection costs $2,000 for a 5/8-inch meter, $2,400 for a 3/4-inch and $2,800 for a 1-inch. Area charges run $50 to $400 per service unit. Most lots don’t pay it, but ask CAW about your address.
Is there a discount for low-income households?
Yes, for 5/8-inch meters. CAW’s rules reduce both the system development charge and the capital investment charge based on household size and income, using HUD Community Development Block Grant guidelines.
Does LRWRA charge a sewer impact or capacity fee for a new house?
Not as a flat fee. LRWRA’s capacity contribution fee applies to new commercial or industrial users whose flow exceeds a per-acre allowance, and it’s calculated project by project. In some drainage areas, developers also pay a per-acre reimbursement fee for larger collector lines.
Related: water tap fees · sewer tap fees · tap fee vs. impact fee · Bentonville fees · Tulsa fees · Oklahoma City fees · utility connection cost calculator · cost to tap into city sewer
Little Rock fee sources
- 2024 Resolutions, including Resolution 2024-09 adopting the Central Arkansas Water Code of Rules (Sections 2-08 and 2-09), Central Arkansas Water (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Water Commission Resolutions (2025 and 2026 compilations), Central Arkansas Water (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Operating Policy (April 2010), Sections 7 and 8, Central Arkansas Water (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Start or Stop Service and Water Rates (effective January 1, 2026), Central Arkansas Water (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- New Construction Service, Central Arkansas Water (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- 2026 Consolidated Fee Schedule, Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Rates, including Building Sewer Permits and Fees, Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Ordinance No. 22,679, schedule of sewer rates (effective January 1, 2026), City of Little Rock (checked Sep 24, 2026)