Residents of the English Acres community in Jim Wells County have been waiting for years for clean drinking water, but relief may finally be on the way.
The county recently received a $914,000 grant from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to improve the water system for English Acres. The funds will cover water distribution lines, water meters, and sealing the existing water well.
Amanda Vidal has lived in the English Acres community since 1999 to be closer to family, but accessing clean water has been a constant struggle.
"Since I've been here, I've been through, with this ugly water that comes out," Vidal said. "Water is the main thing in our lives. It's like the oxygen. Water and oxygen - as long as we have that and I don't have only papas and frijoles to eat. That's fine. But water is very important."
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, neighbors including Vidal attended Jim Wells County's Fresh Water District meeting. They learned their water system is not compliant with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Octavio Flores, Jim Wells County Fresh Water District's general manager, explained the current situation.
"In English Acres, right now, we have water from a water well. We have a do not consume notice and a water boil notice because we don't have a chlorination system," Flores said.
Flores said this has been a problem for more than 15 years.
"This is the problem we've been having since 99. And I'm glad que se va mover. Que se va ser algo," Vidal said.
In about two years, the current well will be closed and residents expect to have clean drinking water. Residents can get connected to Alice's water system in the meantime. So far, 27 of them have applied.
The next step for the county's Fresh Water District is to complete environmental impact studies before getting final approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
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