In October 2024, the Town of Wabbaseka was still searching for a way forward.

The small Jefferson County, Arkansas community — with a customer base of 180 — had spent years struggling to maintain an aging water system. Town leaders were exploring regionalization options and working with partners to determine whether a sustainable solution was even possible.

Today, the outlook is different.

Wabbaseka secured roughly $10 million to overhaul its water infrastructure — including $1,978,298 in loan funding and $7,913,193 in principal forgiveness through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) — to regionalize its system with the Grand Prairie Regional Water District, a move town leaders say will finally bring reliable, affordable drinking water to residents.

Mayor Andrew Goodloe said hearing the news was a moment he had been working toward since taking office.

“I was excited. This was something that was much, much needed,” Goodloe said. “It’s been a long time coming — a struggle the town has faced for years. I was elated to finally get the word. We had already been approved for regionalization back in November 2024, and with all the help from Communities Unlimited and Ms. Tonya (Kendrix, State Coordinator), it’s been exciting. I’m ready to get started.”

The project builds on the groundwork described in CU’s earlier story, Water Revival, which documented Wabbaseka’s efforts to stabilize a failing system while exploring regional partnerships. At the time, the town was still evaluating options and working through early funding applications with assistance from CU’s Community Infrastructure Team.

Since then, the effort has moved from planning to implementation.

With technical assistance from Kendrix, Wabbaseka successfully applied to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) for a regionalization project connecting the town to the Grand Prairie Regional Water District. The project includes replacing outdated water meters and aging pipes while upgrading treatment and storage infrastructure.

For residents, the improvements are expected to resolve long-standing issues with reliability and cost.

“It’ll mean lower prices,” Goodloe said. “If we can get the same rate their customers have, it’ll be more affordable than what we’re paying now. It’ll also mean clean, reliable drinking water. Everything will be new — outdated meters replaced, old metal and galvanized pipes upgraded from small two-inch lines to four- and six-inch pipes.”

For years, some residents have relied on bottled water because they did not trust the system.

“I’m hoping that will finally be over,” Goodloe said.

A key milestone came in February 2026 when Wabbaseka secured federal funding that eliminates the remaining loan portion tied to the project. Without that support, the town would have been required to repay roughly $1.9 million — a cost that would likely have been passed on to residents through higher water bills.

“That $1.9 million was funding we would have had to pay back,” Goodloe said. “Without that grant portion, it would have added a surcharge and increased bills for our residents. With that grant in place, it keeps things affordable for our community.”

Engineering work is now nearing completion, with construction expected to begin soon.

Throughout the process, Goodloe said CU played a critical role in helping the small town navigate the complicated funding and regulatory steps required for a project of this scale.

“They helped from day one — getting the initial application together and making sure we had all the documentation to submit to ANRC,” Goodloe said. “After approval, we still had that $1.9 million loan portion to address. Communities Unlimited helped bring the issue to Senator (John) Boozman’s attention in Washington, which helped secure the grant portion and remove that burden from our residents.”

Beyond improving water service, Goodloe believes the project could open the door to broader community development, including potentially partnering with CU again on housing, small business, and farmers market initiatives.

For now, the focus is on completing the water project that residents have waited years to see become reality.