Water experts urgently call for funding to address threats to Texas infrastructure
Experts talked about how and where the state can best invest money to keep Texas water safely flowing to the public. Full Story
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Texas’ water infrastructure is broken, jeopardizing quality and supply for a growing state
On a daily basis, water managers in cities across the state move from crisis to crisis hoping to keep the water flowing to residents. Full Story
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![Tom Bailey flushes out a water line in Zavalla on April 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Mark Felix/The Texas Tribune -
Everything you need to know about Texas’ beleaguered water systems
Texas has more than 7,000 water systems. A fraction of them self-reported that they lost 30 billion gallons of water due to broken pipes and leaks in 2021. Full Story
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![Water spews out of a fire hydrant as a San Antonio Water System crew works to fix a water main break near Hunt Ln. and Adams Hill in San Antonio, TX on August 18, 2022.]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune
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Texas towns need money, technical help and compromise to save their water systems
Water agencies have long resisted working together out of fear of losing their local powers. But an example from Florida could help save the Lone Star State’s water and infrastructure. Full Story
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![One of Wolfforth’s water towers on Wednesday, April. 26, 2023.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Texas likely will spend billions fixing its water systems. Will it 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. Full Story
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![Maria Martínez’s son Jose Martínez removes a makeshift cover for plumbing near a water tank on April 21, 2023. Without the insulation during the winter, the pipes are prone to burst in the colder temperatures.]()
Credit: Jorge Salgado for Texas Tribune -
Their water is undrinkable. So these West Texas residents have taken matters into their own hands.
The water in these four unincorporated communities near Lubbock has been undrinkable for years, residents say. They hope to win $3 million in state grants to improve their systems. Full Story
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![Signs advertise a future neighborhood near Wolfforth on Wednesday, April. 26, 2023, in Lubbock County.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
After three citywide water outages, Odessa will invest $25 million to fix infrastructure
The Odessa City Council approved the budget to replace nearly 200 water valves and 17,000 feet of pipe. Full Story
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![City of Odessa Water Distribution employees work through the night as they attempt to repair a broken water main Tuesday, June 14, 2022 in Odessa. According to Mayor of Odessa Javier Joven, repairs were completed around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday.]()
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Texas Water Board details how it will spend $1 billion for water infrastructure projects
About $45 million will go to Texas towns with fewer than 1,000 residents — a boon for municipalities without a viable tax base. Full Story
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![Director of the Program Administration and Reporting division of the Texas Water Development Board’s Water Supply and Infrastructure Department Marvin Cole-Chaney speaks to the water development board Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Austin.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
After six years, a Texas town’s boil-water notice has been lifted, but residents are still concerned
The town’s troubles started in 2018, when its water tested positive for the dangerous E.coli bacteria. Full Story
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![Toyah's water treatment facility appears cleaner than it has in the past.]()
Credit: Mitch Borden/Marfa Public Radio -
Laredo enters its sixth day of a boil-water notice after E. coli is discovered in water system
The South Texas city is the latest to grapple with aging water infrastructure, which officials suggested could have been the cause for the E. coli outbreak. Full Story
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![An empty street in historic downtown Laredo, TX on Nov. 7, 2021. Businesses along the border crossing are hoping to see a return in Mexican clientele after the U.S. land borders reopen to vaccinated travelers.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang -
Laredo ends boil-water notice after 11 days, turns attention to illegal connections and old pipes
The South Texas city has hired a consulting firm for $200,000 to provide an interim director for the utility amid a restructuring of the department. Full Story
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![A water faucet drips on Feb. 5, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune