Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Oark, AR: what to set up and who to call
Nail-Swain Water Association reported 3 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: a disinfection byproducts requirement (Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule) ×3. 78% of systems its size reported none. Oark has no town government of its own, so Johnson County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Jasper School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Oark, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Oark.
Power comes from Arkansas Valley Elec Coop
Arkansas Valley Elec Coop (Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp), a cooperative utility, serves all of Oark. Its homes paid an average of 14.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $156 a month (its average across Arkansas).
Start or move service: avecc.com · (479) 667-2176
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Nail-Swain Water Association
Nail-Swain Water Association supplies almost all of Oark. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Ozark Mtn Regional Pwa as seller) and serves 970 people in all.
3 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a disinfection byproducts requirement (Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule) ×3, the latest beginning Dec 2023. 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2009, was 16.0 ppb, above the 15 ppb action level that applied. It’s from 2009: EPA has no newer result for this system.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. AR0000856.
1 home internet providers serve Oark
91% of 36 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 91% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Rural Connect | Fiber | 89% | 1,000/1,000 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Oark’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Oark.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Oark is in Jasper School District.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Oark is unincorporated, so Johnson County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Oark is in ZIP code 72852
ZIP codes where Oark residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Oark | ZIP’s residents in Oark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72852 | Oark, AR | 100% | 13% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Oark
Who supplies Oark’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Nail-Swain Water Association (EPA ID AR0000856). It reported 3 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a disinfection byproducts requirement (Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule) ×3. 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 16.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2009), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Oark?
Arkansas Valley Elec Coop (Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 14.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Oark?
Wave Rural Connect (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Oark?
72852. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Oark in?
Jasper School District.
How do I register to vote in Oark?
Arkansas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Johnson County Clerk. Check your registration at voterview.ar-nova.org.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.