Benton, Arkansas – Benton Utilities officials are urging residents of the Lynwood community to be cautious after several households reported receiving water testing kits that were not associated with the utility company. The kits, which appeared on doorsteps last week, prompted concern among locals who initially wondered if they were part of an official program.
“When I got it off the door, I just kind of looked at it and read over it, and my first thought was, maybe this is from the utility company, you know,” said Lindsey Nistric, a Lynwood community member. For Nistric, the surprise of finding the kit was initially coupled with a sense of curiosity, but that quickly changed after she saw a post from Benton Utilities on social media clarifying the situation.
The post from the utility company made it clear that the kits were not distributed by Benton Utilities or the city of Benton. “We thought it would be best to go ahead and reach out and do a social media post letting our customers know that this is not something that is being administered by the city of Benton or Benton Utilities,” said Tod Pedersen, general manager of Benton Utilities.
Pedersen explained that the company was alerted to the situation after a customer reported receiving a kit. Following that report, other residents came forward with similar experiences, sharing their concerns about the kits on social media. Some community members noted that the person distributing the kits was reportedly wearing a yellow safety vest and had no visible identification, heightening worries about the intent behind the distribution.
“The concern [is] that somebody is trying to take advantage of our citizens and not knowing what they’re trying to do. If they’re trying to sell insurance, or if they’re just trying to get into their home or whatever,” Pedersen said. “Kind of makes me feel that it’s probably a scam.”
Nistric also noted that the questions included on the yellow card accompanying the kit seemed intrusive. “They were asking for, like, how many people lived in your house? How many adults, how many children, if we worked from home, if we were retired?” she said. “And then they asked about, like, your water usage, do you filter your water, do you buy water bottles, and then ask for your address and your phone number.”
The utility company emphasized that residents should be vigilant and verify the source of any unsolicited materials related to water testing. Pedersen clarified that the only time Benton Utilities conducts water testing for households is once every three years as part of a scheduled program. “We will not be doing anything of that from the city of Benton or Benton Utilities for probably another three years, because we’re on an extended sample period,” he said.
In addition to the triennial testing, Benton Utilities pulls water samples from residential and commercial customers once a month through pre-scheduled appointments conducted by employees from the water filtration plant. These appointments are carefully scheduled and do not involve leaving kits on doorsteps or soliciting personal information from residents.
Pedersen’s message to the community was clear: verify the legitimacy of any water testing requests before responding. “If residents receive something like this, they should be mindful and ensure it is not from Benton Utilities,” he said. The utility encourages anyone who encounters suspicious materials to report the incident immediately so that authorities can investigate and ensure community safety.
For residents like Nistric, the experience has been a reminder to stay alert. “It just seemed off from the start, and now that I know it’s not from the utility company, I feel better knowing we can be cautious,” she said. With Benton Utilities actively addressing the situation and reminding residents of their official testing schedules, community members can remain informed and protected against potential scams.
