More than 70 years ago, visionary community leaders got together to discuss the need for a long-term supply of clean, safe water for Northwest Arkansas. With an eye to the future and knowledge that a large lake was the best source of water, these citizens worked to establish Beaver Lake Reservoir. The dam that created Beaver Reservoir and the first water treatment plant (constructed by the City of Springdale) were completed in the mid-1960s. Since that time, Beaver Water District (BWD) has expanded facilities and improved to keep up with increased water demand and stricter drinking water standards. BWD is a Regional Water Distribution District enabled by Arkansas Act 114 of 1957. BWD’s mission is to sustainably provide our customers with safe, economical drinking water. BWD supplies clean, safe drinking water, sourced from Beaver Lake, at the wholesale price of $1.38 per thousand gallons to four customers -- Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville. These cities in Northwest Arkansas then pump, store, distribute and resell the water to more than 350,000 people and industries in their cities and surrounding areas. For more information, visit our Service Area page.