Centerton Sewer Plans: What a $100 Million Floor Means for Land
Four options, two priced. Until the city picks one, sewer capacity caps how many homes Centerton can connect.
Centerton cannot connect homes faster than it can treat wastewater. The city has four ways to fix that, and the two it has priced run about $100 million and more than $200 million.
Sewer connections have already slowed, and water got tight this summer too. Here is where the decision stands and what it means for a tract in or near the city.
Centerton is comparing four ways to treat its wastewater, according to a Citizen Portal report dated September 22, 2026. A study put the options on a present-worth basis. Partnering with Decatur came out lowest at about $100 million. A new Centerton treatment plant came out highest at more than $200 million.
The city's 2026 State of the City address says sewer connections have slowed because regional treatment capacity dropped. The city says it is working with regional partners on expansion and expects relief soon.
Water supply tightened this summer too. Centerton Utilities posted a new mandatory conservation order on August 14, 2026, after the water provider reported Decatur storage tanks at 35 feet at the start of the day.
What are the facts?
| Item | Detail | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Options studied | Regional partnership with Decatur; a new Centerton treatment plant; sending all wastewater to NACA; a hybrid that diverts some flow | Citizen Portal, Sept. 22, 2026 |
| Lowest cost | Decatur partnership, about $100 million (present worth) | Citizen Portal, Sept. 22, 2026 |
| Highest cost | New Centerton plant, more than $200 million (present worth) | Citizen Portal, Sept. 22, 2026 |
| Sewer connections | Slowed because regional treatment capacity dropped; the city is working with regional partners on expansion | City of Centerton, 2026 State of the City |
| Conservation order | New mandatory order Aug. 14; the supplier BWRPWA asked on Aug. 18 that it continue until further notice | Centerton Utilities news page |
| Irrigation | Lawn irrigation moratorium lifted Sept. 14, with an odd/even watering schedule requested | Centerton Utilities news page |
| Wholesale line repair | As of July 19, one side of a leak was repaired and the other side was being worked on (the notice cites about 40 percent; the excerpt is cut off) | Centerton Utilities news page |
The utility's own page says that as of July 24, 2026, demand still exceeded what the local system and the wholesale supplier could deliver.
What is still unknown?
The Citizen Portal summary is partial. It gives no figures for the NACA and hybrid options, no decision date and no list of votes the city council still has to take. The utility news page is truncated in places and lists no plant expansion news. None of the notices retrieved states whether the August conservation order is still in force. Confirm that with Centerton Utilities.
What does it mean for land?
Present-worth estimates fold construction and operating cost into one number, so the two quoted figures compare like with like. The highest option is more than twice the lowest (computed: more than $200 million against about $100 million).
Sewer capacity and water supply both cap how many new homes the city can connect. That lines up with the pattern in our sewer and land price article, where three sources name sewer access as a driver of land value. The Centerton sources put no dollar figure on that effect.
Watch three things: a council vote on a wastewater option, any capacity date announced by the regional partners, and the status of the conservation order.
What should landowners do now?
Ask Centerton Utilities and the city planning office three questions in writing. Is the tract inside the sewer service area? Which treatment provider would serve it? Is there a connection queue or moratorium? A written answer is a document a lender and an engineer can use.
Frequently asked questions
Which Centerton sewer option costs the least? Partnering with Decatur, at about $100 million in present worth, per the September 22, 2026 report.
Why have sewer connections slowed? The city says regional treatment capacity dropped.
Is Centerton under a water conservation order? A mandatory order was issued August 14 and continued August 18. Check with the utility for current status.
The bottom line
Centerton's growth limit is treatment capacity, and the city has priced two of four fixes at about $100 million and more than $200 million.
A council vote on a wastewater option is the next date to watch.
Looking for land in Northwest Arkansas? Browse land and acreage listings.
References
- Citizen Portal, "Study compares four wastewater options for Centerton; keeping with Decatur is cheapest on paper," Sept. 22, 2026
Cited for: the four options, the present-worth comparison and the two priced figures - City of Centerton, "2026 State of the City Address"
Cited for: the slowdown in sewer connections and the city's work on regional expansion - Centerton Utilities, Recent News (July to Oct. 2026 notices)
Cited for: the conservation order, irrigation moratorium, demand statement and wholesale line repair
