Online Water Bill – not what you may think
Published 5:00 am Wednesday, September 23, 2026
This is not a promotion of, or recommendation for, the software. Having heard many comments about the water districts in Newton County, this reporter attended the meeting to get more details, and is writing this article to inform the general public of a local option that could benefit local water boards.
At a public presentation hosted by the Newton County Chamber of Commerce at the Carroll Electric building in Jasper on Thursday, September 17, Brie Campbell, of Online Water Bill, dispelled a popular misconception – that it can be used only for paying your water bill online.
While paying a water bill online is obviously an option, the software they developed still provides a robust infrastructure to support handling cash, checks, and print invoices. Additionally, it uses technology to improve all processes from meter-reading, to invoicing, and bill payment.
Born in Deer from a selfish desire to not have to write a check to pay their water bill, developer Zack Andrews, a software and cybersecurity developer, decided to develop something that resolved that petty annoyance for him. And, Online Water Bill was born.
The platform is cloud-based, meaning there is no software to install or maintain. All data is stored securely either on Amazon Web Services infrastructure or Stripe Network, and remains the property of the water association if they chose to discontinue using the software.
The three primary functional areas are — meter reading and reporting; bookkeeping, invoicing, and payment receipt; and a customer portal.
For meter-reading, it not only allows for the entering of the meter count directly into the software, but it also allows for the creation of GPS coordinates for each meter, which, in turn, can provide turn-by-turn directions to each meter. The function is designed to work in rural places like Newton County, so it works offline, with the data being uploaded when service is available.
On the bookkeeping side, once the meter readings are uploaded into the system, the bookkeeper can review them for discrepancies, then process all accounts for invoicing. The print invoices are prepared and mailed by a partner company out of Fayetteville as part of the contract price. The software allows for analysis and management of individual and all accounts. Bills can be mailed or emailed.
For the customer, they developed a portal that allows for ACH or card payment, manual or automatic, but does not require either. A customer can log into their portal to check their account balance, and payment and usage history.
Currently in use by six, soon to be seven, water associations across the U.S., including Deer and another association in Arkansas, with the largest meter count being less than 700, the company touts their product as being designed “for the little guys.”
Though pricing will be discussed with interested association boards, Campbell, who said her family goes back about 150 years in Newton County, did mention that the set-up fee would be waived for all water associations in Newton County.
A recording of the presentation is available from the Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page. More information is available at https://onlinewaterbill.com/
