Fort Smith continues to make progress reducing water leaks

Active Fort Smith water system leaks totaled 611 in the city’s April report, down from 625 at the end of March. One factor behind the lower number is fewer leaks being reported, according to Utilities Director Lance McAvoy.

City officials began to more aggressively tackle the leak issue during and after 2022 when the number of leaks totaled 2,575, which was 43.4% more than in 2021. The city reported 1,135 confirmed leaks in January 2024, with that number falling to 739 in December 2024.

Following are the stats from the city’s April leak report.
Leaks repaired this month: 123
Leaks repaired this year: 468
New leaks reported: 149
New leaks confirmed: 109
Active leaks: 611

“During this time of year, fewer leaks are called in and actually occur, except when we experience a deep freeze,” McAvoy noted. “Because we have fewer new leaks reported, the number of outstanding leaks on the list decreases.”

He also said progress on leaks has happened even with fewer days working on leaks because of equipment issues. Equipment purchases recently approved by the Fort Smith Board of Directors should soon help reduce the number of lost work days. McAvoy has said he wants to get the average number of leaks repaired up to 150.

“I will add, based on conversations at study sessions and regular meetings, that water utilities has also empowered operators to assess whether a point repair or full line replacement is more appropriate in each situation,” said Josh Buchfink, public relations manager with the City of Fort Smith. “This approach has allowed us to expedite repairs and improve efficiency.”