City looks to upgrade water system, other basic needs

RECTOR, Ark. (KAIT) — After being in operation for more than 100 years, town leaders say it’s time for improvement.

The city of Rector looks to improve residents’ basic needs by replacing the town’s water system.

“It’s a 1916 model, and so, as you can tell, it’s been around a long time,” said Rector Mayor Shawn Brandon.

Brandon said they constantly deal with leaks, but he plans to change that soon.

The plans, though, remain in the early stages, starting with replacement costs.

“This is something that will be done in phases,” said Brandon. “We have started the discussions with an engineering company, and so they are working on mapping and all of that.”

City leaders look to not only improve the town’s drinking water, but also with the wastewater program.

“Hopefully, by the end of the year, we will have a new sewer pond,” Brandon explained. “That has been in the works for several years, and we are coming to the end of all the paperwork and the process to getting to that point.”

Brandon said these projects can no longer be put off.

“If we don’t deal with them today and we kick the can down the road, if you want to say, even further, then it’s a huge detriment to the longevity of the city,” said Brandon. “So, when it comes to water and sewer, those are very basic needs that must be met.”

For residents like Amanda Cavaness, these improvements couldn’t come soon enough.

“That’s great to me because this is a small town and it’s needing a lot of updates, and it’s nice to hear that they are working on those things, because I have experienced problems in the past, and I would love to see the city flourish again,” said Cavaness.

Brandon said other projects are also in the works to make the town of Rector as appealing as possible for new and existing residents.

To report a typo or correction, please click here.

Copyright 2025 KAIT. All rights reserved.