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

The small Jefferson County community in Southeast Arkansas — with just 180 customers — had spent years struggling under the weight of an aging water system installed in 1964. Decades of minimal upgrades had left the system visibly deteriorating: corroded tanks, failing storage and treatment infrastructure, and even structural issues like roof damage. Safety concerns, including exposed wiring and gaps in fencing, only added to the urgency.

Town leaders were exploring regionalization options, but progress was uncertain. An early plan involving multiple communities ultimately fell apart, leaving Wabbaseka on its own and raising questions about whether a sustainable solution was even possible.

Today, the outlook is different.

Wabbaseka secured nearly $12 million in total funding 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), along with an additional $2 million in congressional directed spending secured in 2025 through the office of Senator John Boozman. Altogether, the roughly $11.9 million investment allows the town to fully fund construction, eliminate debt burden, and stabilize long-term costs for residents.

The project will regionalize Wabbaseka’s system with the Grand Prairie Regional Water Distribution District — a move expected to bring reliable, affordable drinking water while replacing aging pipes, meters, and core system components.

Mayor Andrew Goodloe said hearing the news was a moment he had been working toward since taking office in 2022.

“I was excited. This was something that was much, much needed,” Mayor Goodloe said. “It’s been a long time coming — a struggle the town has faced for years.”

The project builds on the groundwork described in CU’s earlier story, Water Revival, when 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 CU Arkansas State Coordinator Tonya Kendrix working alongside Mayor Goodloe, Wabbaseka successfully applied to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) for the regionalization project. Improvements will include replacing outdated meters, upgrading undersized two-inch lines to four- and six-inch pipes, and modernizing treatment and storage infrastructure.

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

“It’ll mean lower prices,” Mayor Goodloe said. “It’ll also mean clean, reliable drinking water. Everything will be new.”

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 piece of the funding package was the additional $2 million secured through Senator Boozman’s office, which removed what would have been roughly $1.9 million in repayable debt — a burden that otherwise would have fallen on residents through higher rates.

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

Throughout the process, Goodloe said CU played a key role in helping the town navigate complex funding and regulatory hurdles — from initial applications to securing the final piece of funding.

“They helped from day one — getting the initial application together and making sure we had all the documentation to submit to ANRC,” Mayor 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, Mayor Goodloe believes the project could open the door to broader community development — including housing, small business, and local food initiatives. For now, the focus is on completing the water project that residents have waited years to see become reality.