Helena-West Helena gets $4.5 million grant to upgrade water system
A new $4.5 million federal grant will help Helena-West Helena tackle water losses, leaks and pressure failures, but officials say the system still faces a repair bill that tops $100 million.
Helena-West Helena will receive a $4.5 million grant to improve its water system. The Helena Harbor Planning Commission submitted the request, the Environmental Protection Agency will administer the money, and Helena Harbor will help oversee the project.
John Edwards of Helena Harbor said at the Helena-West Helena City Council on Tuesday night, July 7, that the funding followed legislation passed in Congress earlier this year and support from U.S. Sen. John Boozman. Boozman later said the legislation included funding to improve drinking water quality in Helena-West Helena as part of broader Arkansas water-infrastructure spending. The council approved a waiver resolution to spare the city from having to provide local matching dollars, a move Edwards said mattered because of Helena-West Helena’s financial condition.
The city has spent years under pressure from broken pipes, low pressure and long outages. The Arkansas State Board of Health approved separate consent decrees for Helena and West Helena’s water systems on July 25, 2024, after city officials acknowledged multiple violations. The state gave the city 90 days to submit improvement plans and warned of a combined $685,000 penalty if the deadline was missed.
In September 2024, as many as 4,500 residents were without water after major leaks, and businesses and schools were affected. In February 2026, two major leaks drained the city’s main 70-foot standpipe and left large parts of the west side without running water for about 48 hours.
The full water and sewer fix could cost more than $100 million, and water and sewage rates began increasing in January 2026 to help support loans tied to infrastructure repairs. A 2024 rate-study presentation estimated a 73.5% water-loss rate and called for phased rate hikes to close an operating gap.
Edwards said the grant was another step in fixing the city’s water problems, and it comes with special audit requirements that will force close accounting of how the money is spent.
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