In the two weeks since a program was kicked off to help residents with broken water lines, only two plumbing problems have been repaired, according to officials working on the project.
In the wake of a catastrophic failure of the city's water system, Liberty Utilities, which operates the system, gave the United Way of Southeast Arkansas a check for $250,000 to help as many as 360 residents with plumbing problems caused by the record-breaking low temperatures in mid-February.
At a second and final planning meeting held March 3, Liberty officials, as well as those from the city's Economic and Community Development office and the United Way, firmed up the details for helping those who were still without water get their lines reconnected. Mayor Shirley Washington said at the meeting that residents were suffering and that time was of the essence.
But the going has been slow, with city and Liberty officials saying the problem has been in locating qualified plumbers who are willing to take on the extra work.
Larry Matthews, director of the economic office, said he has had no success in getting any of the seven to 10 local plumbers to participate.
"Plumbers are the hardest people to reach," he said. "Most are probably booked up with residential calls of their own and out making repairs."
Matthews said he had placed several ads in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, hoping to reach a wider audience, but to no avail.
"I don't think we've had anyone call in to respond to those," he said.
Matthews got involved in the effort to repair broken water lines because some of the residents may be of limited means and qualify for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds that his office distributes. Liberty said it would approve paying as much as $500 per repair, and Matthews said his office could pick up the amount above that if the resident qualified.
United Way's role is to receive the approved invoices for the repairs and to write the checks for the work. The agency agreed to help out because it is a nonprofit and has the resources to process the paperwork.
Residents, however, do not have to be low-income to qualify to get their damaged plumbing fixed with the Liberty money, said Lamont Davis, a Liberty representative. The total number of residents that had to have their water turned off because of burst pipes and leaks was listed by Liberty as 360 in a disaster declaration that Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson put into place.
Out of those customers, Davis said Liberty has "no clue" how many have gotten their plumbing problems fixed, either by hiring a plumber or handy person or by fixing the leak themselves. He said, however, that he has "100-plus" customers that Liberty and an outside firm determined are eligible to have their plumbing problems fixed with the Liberty money.
And yet, "It's going so slowly," Davis said. "We had not counted on a cumbersome lack of plumbers."
He said Liberty wanted only licensed plumbers making the repairs, but said those working for such plumbers would also qualify, adding that residents can't pay for someone to do the work and then get reimbursed because of the risk of having the problem recur and Liberty getting blamed.
"There is no reimbursement," Davis said, adding that the check for the repairs is made out to the plumber, not the resident.
Asked how many customers had had their plumbing fixed, Davis said he didn't know but that the number was "low."
"I haven't been given a number," he said. "It's not a lot. There just aren't enough certified plumbers to do the work."
Jason Duren, an executive with the United Way, said earlier in the week that his office had not received any invoices and had not written any checks. On Thursday, that number had climbed to one plumber who had made two repairs.
Even if all 100 residents had plumbing problems that maxed out the $500 that Liberty is willing to pay for each one, there would be much of the $250,000 donation that unspent. Asked what Liberty would do with the rest of the money, Davis said the utility would find ways to continue to assist customers.
"We'll tap into that money in different ways to help customers for the greater good of Pine Bluff and the Pine Bluff area," he said, "with some of that assistance perhaps helping people with their bills."
Matthews said Thursday that he was going to meet with Davis in the hopes of streamlining the process and attracting more plumbers.