JIM WELLS COUNTY, Texas — There’s an area of Jim Wells County with no running water, but that’s about to change. A new agreement with the Nueces County River Authority (NRA) means for the neighbors in the community.
Neighbors in the Tecolote area, which is north of Alice with about 200 residents, doesn't have running water.
On Friday, Nov. 15, the NRA board voted to become the owner and operator for a water plant that JWC has been working on for several years, and when built, will finally put water into their homes.
“It would help if they put the city water out here,” Tecolote resident George Canales said.
Canales has lived in the Colonia for two decades. He and his neighbors have no access to city water, like most people. But, approval of two grants from the Texas Department of Agriculture could change that.
The grants received for JWC, totaled over $2,000,000, which would provide clean drinking water to the Canales family and their neighbors.
But, they need an entity to own and maintain the water plant project to move forward.
“Overall I think this is a great project for a small community who needs - they need the water. The community there desperately needs fresh drinking water,” NRA's Chief Operating Officer Travis Pruski said.
The NRA approved the acquisition of the Colonia’s water plant after Pruski described the reality the neighbors in the Tecolote Colonia area face.
Canales said he’s provided water from his well to his neighbors, who don’t have the financial means.
“If people can’t afford a water well - they got to truck it or buy it from the neighbor. It would benefit some of the disabled vets who are here in the area. Some of these people’s wells are contaminated. They use it to shower and all that but they have to haul in drinking water,” Canales said.
He said without running water in the rural community, the elderly and disabled people will continue to struggle.
The NRA will have conditions for the county as they maintain the water project. Pruski said, the county will need to find future grants to expand the project.
Pruski also said the drinking water project for Tecolote is still a way off, but this NRA agreement will get the community closer to the much-needed resource.
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