Cabin Business

VILONIA - A new facility will "take the Vilonia Waterworks Association many years down the road," officials say.

Completed in the fall, the association moved from the old facility on U.S. Highway 64 in Vilonia into a new facility at Industrial Park Drive Dec. 8.

The new facility, according to Cecil McMurtry, general manager, is double the size of the old facility as well as has "a lot better parking." Plus, a drive-thru window was installed to better serve customers, he interjected.

It was said about 60 percent of those paying their bills utilize that drive thru window.

About 20 employees including 14 full-time employees work in and from the building serving the needs of the public. Seven of which have water licenses.

The Vilonia Area Chamber held a ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon. Howard Williams, vice-chairman of the waterworks association, welcomed the 30 or so in attendance and escorted a tour.
"This facility will take the Vilonia Water Works many years down the road," Williams said.

He talked about the service area and shared that the customer base growth has increased 700 customers in the past three years.

One of the things that some fail to realize, he said, is "those in Vilonia aren't the only ones that use Vilonia water."

The water association, operated under a public facilities board, has about 8,000 customers spread out from just outside the city limits of Conway, to El Paso, to Mount Vernon-Enola, Holland, to Barney. As well, 10 fire departments utilize the system.