Boasting close to two decades of experience with water and wastewater utilities, Tad Bohannon was appointed CEO of Central Arkansas Water by its board of commissioners in 2016. In this role, Bohannon leads the largest public drinking-water system in the state with an operating and capital improvement budget of nearly $56 million and serving more than 400,000 consumers in 18 communities.
Responsible for the overall administration and operation of CAW’s assets, Bohannon has worked to complete consolidation of Maumelle Water System, preserve CAW’s water quality and improve customer service. He’s also implementing an ambitious multi-year program to improve aging infrastructure.
Recently, he brought to fruition a unique method of detecting leaks in the distribution system. The company introduced the nation’s first water-leak detection dog, Vessel. CAW’s unaccounted water rates are between 11 and 12 percent, but Bohannon predicts Vessel can bring that down substantially, setting a goal to reduce that to 5 percent.
Bohannon holds degrees from Hendrix College, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Oxford and the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law where he has also served as an adjunct professor. He is a member of the American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and Water Environment Federation.
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