Wisner Seeks Grants for Water System Upgrades

Town leaders say inconsistent water quality requires infrastructure improvements.

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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The town of Wisner, Louisiana is applying for grants to upgrade its water treatment system and address issues with inconsistent water clarity. Mayor Marc McCarty and engineer Cinnamon Gooding say securing funding is highly competitive for small towns like Wisner, which lacks the resources to cover the local matching requirements for federal grants.

Why it matters

Reliable access to clean, clear water is a critical public health and quality of life issue for any community. Wisner's water system challenges highlight the ongoing infrastructure needs facing many small towns, especially those with limited budgets to fund major upgrades on their own.

The details

Wisner's water has been inconsistently clear, prompting the town to seek funding for improvements to its water treatment plant. Engineer Cinnamon Gooding said they have applied for various grants, but the process is highly competitive. Mayor Marc McCarty noted that small towns like Wisner lack the financial resources to cover the local matching requirements for federal grants, making it difficult to secure the necessary funding.

  • Wisner has been applying for grants to fund the water system upgrades.

The players

Marc McCarty

The mayor of Wisner, Louisiana.

Cinnamon Gooding

An engineer with McManus Consulting Engineers, who is working with the town of Wisner on its water system improvement efforts.

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What they’re saying

“We have been applying to different types of funding. All those applications for funding are competitive. They have not received any funding to date for it. We are also working on another application for them. That'll provide water system improvements to their water treatment plant.”

— Cinnamon Gooding, Engineer (KNOE)

“Little towns, we can't afford that. So we have to go a different, a backdoor way and go through our engineers. We don't have the money. You know, we have to pay 10% or 20% or especially federal grants and we don't have that kind of money.”

— Marc McCarty, Mayor (KNOE)

What’s next

Once Wisner secures the necessary grant funding, it will be able to move forward with the planned upgrades to its water treatment plant.

The takeaway

The challenges facing Wisner in upgrading its water infrastructure highlight the ongoing struggles of small towns across the country to maintain and improve critical public services with limited budgets. Securing grant funding is highly competitive, putting additional pressure on local leaders to find creative solutions to address their communities' needs.