Earle mayor declares state of emergency over water issues

Broken main followed by flooding highlights city’s infrastructure woes

By Ralph Hardin

news@theeveningtimes.com

Since taking office in 2022, Earle Mayor Jalen Smith has had to deal with his share of issues in the city — flooding, financial distress, community blight, squabbling with other city officials — and now Mayor Smith has another crisis on his hands.

On Friday, Smith issued a declaration of emergency over a “major” water pipe collapse. “We will be turning off all water across the city at 10:30 a.m. to fix our major water leak we have experienced,” Smith announced early Friday morning. “Citizens please be patient with us as we work to get this issue resolved.”

Smith said one of the city’s major eight-inch water pipes collapsed Thursday night, causing a significant leak.”

That afternoon, the Arkansas Department of Health issued a “boil water notice” for everyone under the Earle waterworks system.

Crews worked through the weekend to repair the broken line, with efforts being hampered by severe weather that resulted in flooding in some areas of the city.

On Monday, Smith said, “Please be advised that the boil order remains in effect until further notice” pending quality testing by the Health Department.

“The results have not been released to me at this time,” he said. “We anticipate receiving the results tomorrow. Once we receive the results and they meet the necessary standards, the boil order will be lifted. Contact the mayor’s office is you are impacted and in need of assistance.”

The number is 870-792-7300.

SMITH