Trumann, Arkansas – The city of Trumann is taking another major step toward modernizing its troubled water system, following years of leaks, patchwork repairs, and growing concerns from residents. Officials confirmed that the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission has approved a $5.3 million forgivable loan that will help fund a new filtration system connected to a clear water tank now under construction.
The new loan, which does not have to be repaid if the city meets a list of state conditions, comes as part of a broader effort to overhaul water infrastructure that has long been stretched thin. Trumann has already secured two previous grants totaling nearly $3 million, and city leaders say this latest support helps push the project from planning into real progress.
For Mayor Jay Paul Woods, the relief is both financial and emotional. He said the long-running problems with the water system have worn on residents and workers alike, especially as the city battles numerous cracks and leaks throughout its distribution lines.
“It will be a sigh of relief once we finally get it completed, plus it will make our water system better,” Woods said.
The forgivable loan works much like a grant, Woods added, as long as Trumann follows the steps laid out by state officials.
“If we do what they tell us to do and how they tell us to do it, we won’t have to pay the loan back, so it’s more like a grant,” he said.
The planned filtration system will connect directly to the clear water tank that crews are currently building. When both parts are operational, the city expects to improve overall water quality for customers across a large area, including households outside city limits that rely on Trumann’s water supply.
“It’s going to be a big plus for all Trumann works, for the citizens of Trumann, and anywhere else that has water that comes from Trumann, so our rural areas as well,” Woods said.
Many residents have been asking for upgrades for years, particularly parents who worry about what comes out of their taps. Christopher Thurman, a Trumann resident, said he sees people buying bottled water not out of preference, but out of fear.
“It can be a great improvement because when it comes to drinking water, you wouldn’t believe how many people go to Walmart and buy the 50-pack of the Ozarka water bottle because they just don’t trust their kids drinking it,” Thurman said.
Even with the coming improvements, city leaders stress that the filtration system is only one part of the solution. Much of Trumann’s water infrastructure is decades old, and the network of transfer lines is still vulnerable to sediment buildup, corrosion, and small fractures. Fixing those lines will require new funding, likely over several years.
“There are still going to be particles in the lines that have sediment and stuff like that in some of the lines. We are going to work on getting more money to replace those as we go; we are just going to have to go a little bit at a time,” Woods said.
City engineers say the clear water tank and filtration system are expected to be finished by the end of 2026 if construction stays on schedule. For a community that has spent years dealing with cloudy water, low pressure, and frequent repairs, the timeline offers a renewed sense of hope—even if the road to full modernization stretches well beyond the current project.
