Photo: gregwest98 · CC BY-SA 2.0Living in Reader, AR: what to set up and who to call
Hwy 4 24 Water Association reported 9 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: a disinfection byproducts requirement (Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule) ×7, disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×2. 78% of systems its size reported none. Reader has no town government of its own, so Nevada County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Camden Fairview School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Reader, 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 Reader.
Power comes from Entergy Arkansas
Entergy Arkansas (Entergy Arkansas LLC), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Reader. Its homes paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025, about $145 a month (its average across Arkansas).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Hwy 4 24 Water Association
Hwy 4 24 Water Association supplies almost all of Reader. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Camden Waterworks as seller) and serves 2,135 people in all.
9 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a disinfection byproducts requirement (Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule) ×7, disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×2, the latest beginning Jan 2026. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2001–Dec 2003, was 2.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. It’s from 2003: 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. AR0000765.
Which providers serve Reader
This card will list the home internet providers the FCC’s National Broadband Map shows in Reader, the share of addresses that can get 100/20 Mbps and the share with fiber, with the map’s “as of” date.
Source to come: FCC Broadband Data Collection.
We don’t have Reader’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Reader.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Reader (73%) is in Camden Fairview School District; parts are in Prescott School District (27%).
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
Reader is unincorporated, so Nevada 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.
Reader spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Reader residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Reader | ZIP’s residents in Reader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71857 | Prescott, AR | 65% | 0% |
| 71726 | Chidester, AR | 35% | 1% |
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 Reader
Who supplies Reader’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Hwy 4 24 Water Association (EPA ID AR0000765). It reported 9 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a disinfection byproducts requirement (Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule) ×7, disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×2. 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.0 ppb (Jan 2001–Dec 2003), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Reader?
Entergy Arkansas (Entergy Arkansas LLC), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What ZIP codes are in Reader?
71857 (65%), 71726 (35%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Reader in?
Camden Fairview School District. Parts of the city are in Prescott School District.
How do I register to vote in Reader?
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 Ouachita 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): pending.