Tyler is in Northeast, Texas and is the largest city in Smith County. The city has a population of around 106,000 people (about the seating capacity of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum). Tyler gets its name from John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States. It is home to the largest rose garden in the United States and is nicknamed, the Rose Capital of America, from a long history of rose production, cultivation, and processing.
The residents of Tyler rely on East Texas Municipal Utility District (MUD) for their clean and fresh drinking water. East Texas MUD is committed to providing safe, high-quality water services to the community while maintaining a standard of excellence in customer service and environmental conservation. The Utility District has a little history of its own. During World War II, the US Army constructed an infantry-replacement training center in Smith County, known as Camp Fannin. After the war ended in 1945, the infrastructure was constructed. In 1960, the camp went into construction again and converted into a Water, Control, and Improvement District. In the early 2000s, the building became the East Texas Municipal Utility District and has a staff of ten employees.
In early 2022, East Texas MUD reached out to Communities Unlimited (CU) for a loan to buy new meters, service vehicles, a dump truck, and a large mini excavator. The new equipment will replace old and outdated equipment so that the system can be up-to-date and perform safely.
East Texas MUD worked with CU’s Lending Team on the loan. CU will continue to assist the system by monitoring their ratio, rates, and savings for the new meters so that they can continue providing safe and healthy drinking water to their customers.