A planned community in rough country
Bella Vista’s neighborhoods were laid out across some of the most broken ground in Benton County: ridges, hollows and lakes. Most developed lots are on public water. Wells show up on the larger tracts around the edges, along the hollows and on older properties that predate the lines.
Karst you can see
This is the part of the county where karst is easy to spot: sinkholes in the woods, springs at the heads of hollows, and creeks that disappear in dry weather. All of it means surface water can reach the aquifer quickly. A well here should be sited away from sinkholes and drainages, and its casing sealed carefully into rock.
Getting a rig in
On a wooded ridge the hardest part of the job can be the access. A rig needs a path and a fairly level spot. Plan the well site before the trees, the driveway and the house are set.
Rules and permits
Arkansas wells are built only by licensed water well contractors under the state’s well construction rules (Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Water Well Construction Committee). The contractor files a construction report with the well’s coordinates within 90 days. Bacteria testing for private wells goes through the Arkansas Department of Health’s lab via the local health unit, and septic systems are permitted by the Health Department. Cities may have their own rules about private wells inside city limits, so ask your city if you’re inside one.
Bed 05Questions from Bella Vista
Local answers.
There’s a sinkhole on my Bella Vista lot. Can I still have a well?
Yes, but keep the well well away from it and never let anything drain or be dumped into the sinkhole. It’s a direct path to the aquifer. Siting the well upslope and away from where storm water runs is the safest choice.
My water gets cloudy after big storms. What does that mean?
In karst that often means storm water is reaching your well quickly, either through the rock or along a poorly sealed casing. Don’t drink it until it’s tested, use bottled water, and have the wellhead and casing checked.
Are wells allowed in Bella Vista?
Ask the city about private wells on lots served by public water. On property outside the service lines, a licensed Arkansas contractor drills under the state’s well rules.