PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Liberty Utilities, Pine Bluff’s top water provider has asked people to voluntarily conserve water during these cold temps.

If you remember back in 2021, a similar snowstorm led to problems for many businesses, including Jefferson Regional Medical Hospital.

The water pressure was so low that the Jefferson Regional Medical Hospital was forced to stop all non-emergency surgeries.

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Liberty Utilities faced major criticism, forcing the Attorney general’s office to open an investigation to determine whether the company should have done more to prepare for the storm.

Preparation and actions by Liberty Utilities during the snowstorm in 2021 was called a “catastrophic failure” by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, former Governor Asa Hutchinson and Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington.

Currently, during this span of below freezing temps in 2024, Liberty Utilities said it’s far from catastrophic on how they’ve prepared.

In Pine Bluff, because of the frosty temps, Charro’s Mexican Food is dealing with low water pressure, an issue that’s all too familiar for owner Karla Duley.

“Here we are again. It’s not as bad as it was,” Duley said.

Charro’s closed for a couple of days because of the weather, but were back in business on Thursday, but didn’t have any water pressure at all when they opened, according to Duley.

Later throughout the day, Duley said the pressure grew stronger, but nowhere near full strength.

“No water operator wants to serve low pressure water,” Tony Penna, the Vice President of Liberty Utilities said.

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Following the Attorney General’s office investigation, Penna said in the last few years, they’ve invested several million dollars into hardening the system.

Penna said the AG’s office has some great finding in their investigation and Liberty Utilities took full advantage in the work that they did in addition to the analysis that they were doing.

Penna says he wasn’t with the company in 2021, but when he got there, he knew immediate changes were needed to the equipment.

According to Penna, Liberty has added a SCADA system, a control system designed to collect data from industrial equipment.

“So, an operator can sit at one plant and identify all of the plants to see how they are working together,” Penna explained.

He said Liberty has also added new control valves to give them better control, plus bought more air dryers so the valves could last longer.

Also, if the power goes out at a plant, Liberty has purchased new backup generators.

“We’re going to continue that trend to make us more reliable,” Penna said.

Over the next 5 years, Penna said Liberty has bought property to put in a new well, improve some of their filtration and aeration system by putting in new tankage.

But still with trickling water, it’s frustrating for businesses.

“I thought it should’ve been taken care of. I don’t know what the reason is or what the problem is,” Duley said.

Penna said with an old water system like the one they have, it takes time for fix all issues, but in the last two years major changes have been made.

“We’re making it less susceptible to situation like this.”

To read Liberty Utilities full press release on ways to help conserve water, visit them online at LibertyUtilities.com.

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