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Wednesday Sunrise Weather 5/22/13
Midlanders Face Contaminated Well Water, County to Give Septic Tanks as Solution 2/8/13
CBS 7 News
Matt Rist
mrist@cbs7.com
February 8, 2013
MIDLAND COUNTY-Imagine turning your faucet on and black or brown water comes out, or no water at all.
For some residents living in Midland Colonias just south of I-20, it’s a daily reality.
Midland County will accept applications this Tuesday for a Department of Agriculture grant to replace septic tanks--which they say will reduce well water contamination.
"A lot of people that live south of I-20 who don't have funds to buy septic tanks will need this,” said Precinct 3 Commissioner Luis Sanchez. “These septic tanks that are failing are not good because all the stuff goes into the drinking water."
But the $500,000 grant provides for only 75 septic tank installations--a drop in the bucket for the more than 6,000 residents who live in the area that can apply.
"The thing is we're trying to help minimize the problem,” Sanchez said. “We have to stop with those 75 applicants because that's all the money we received."
And how will they decide who gets the tanks?
"We will decide which are the worst cases, and then we will go in order of application signed after that,” Sanchez said.
Colonia resident José Buenrostro told us he and his family have no other option but to use the well water and he has no plans to apply for the grant.
“It’s not the solution,” Buenrostro said. “It may help, but it will continue to be contaminated.”
The application process for the Colonia grants opens up this Tuesday, Feb. 12th from noon until seven at the midland county courthouse at 500 North Lorraine St.
Sanchez said to call his office and speak with him directly or leave a message with questions about how to apply for the septic tanks at (432) 688-4803.