Page 28 - CityofArlingtonFY26AdoptedBudget

Business Plan

Arlington Water provides safe, high-quality drinking water to Arlington’s nearly 400,000 residents, more than 14 million
yearly visitors, and thousands of people served by the department’s wholesale water customers in Tarrant County. Arlington
operates two water treatment plants with a combined daily production capacity of 172.5 million gallons per-day. The department
is responsible for the maintenance and operation of more than 1,261 miles of sanitary sewer main and more than 1,470 miles
of water main.
Arlington Water is made up of seven divisions – Customer Care and Business
Services, Operations, Treatment, Engineering and Support Services,
Administration, Financial Services, and Communications. Some key tasks for
the department include forecasting financial needs for rate setting, water
treatment, water and sewer line construction and maintenance, and water
conservation initiatives.

In March 2025, Arlington Water welcomed the inaugural class of 18 students
into its Arlington Water Utilities University. This is a five-week citizens' academy
designed to give residents an inside look at how water reaches their homes and
the opportunity to meet the individuals involved in this process. The program
concept was introduced by Alex Whiteway, Arlington Water Utilities Director, shortly after he began his role in June 2024. It was
quickly brought to life, with applications opening in November 2024. The response from the community was strong, with more
than 80 applications received for the first class. Participants were carefully selected to represent every ZIP code across Arlington,
ensuring a diverse cross-section of the city. The program featured five informative sessions held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on
alternating Wednesdays at various locations. The sessions
ranged from learning about the water treatment process, tours
of the treatment plants and Lake Arlington Dam, hands on
demonstrations with meter reading and leak detection, and
interactive sessions on learning how to calculate their water
bill. The program concluded on May 14, 2025, with a
celebratory reception, where participants were recognized
with graduation certificates and received congratulations from
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and Director Whiteway.

FY 2026 Proposed Budget and Business Plan 22 City of Arlington, Texas