Will Billions To Fix Texas Water Systems Reach These Forgotten Colonias?

"An estimated 500,000 people live in thousands of colonias along the Texas-Mexico border. Largely built between the 1950s and 1980s, these communities have been promised water — but it has never come."

"Maria Martínez constantly calculates how much water is left in the 2,000-gallon tank that sits outside her home near El Paso.

When there’s less than 600 gallons, it’s time to place an order. A few loads of laundry and dirty dishes will use every last drop.

For the last 15 years — since Martínez moved to Colonia Hueco Tanks, a majority low-income Latino community outside the city limits — she has longed for running water.

“Aquí nunca habido agua,” Martínez said in Spanish. “Here there’s never been water.”

Colonia communities, like hers along the Texas-Mexico border, trace back to the 1950s and 1960s, when developers purchased less desirable tracts of land for cheap. These lands were susceptible to floods and not conducive for agriculture."

Alejandra Martinez reports for Texas Tribune May 5, 2023.

Source: Texas Tribune, 05/09/2023