Conway
Conway, AR water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
conway water system
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID AR0000189
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Conway is a small but growing city and the 7th-largest in Arkansas, home to roughly 64,980 residents. Conway's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Arkansas: Arkansas River, Mississippi alluvial aquifer, and Ozark aquifer.
As elsewhere in Arkansas, the central challenge is groundwater depletion. Heavy agricultural pumping from the alluvial aquifer for rice and row crops is the dominant long-term concern.
Arkansas reuses an estimated 5% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Conway tracks exceptional drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Arkansas profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Conway below.
Faulkner County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~64,980 (7th-largest in Arkansas)
- Primary sources: Arkansas River, Mississippi alluvial aquifer, and Ozark aquifer
- Drought: exceptional conditions
- State reuse rate: ~5% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Arkansas in severe+ drought (Exceptional (D4) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Conway?
Conway's largest water system, CONWAY WATER SYSTEM, serves about 64,008 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 1 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Conway get its water?
CONWAY WATER SYSTEM draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Arkansas's supply from Arkansas River, Mississippi alluvial aquifer, Ozark aquifer.
Related water issues
Groundwater Depletion
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
ExploreAgricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
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