Local Business affected by water pipe breakage

ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) -With no clean water yet in some restaurants and food, suppliers haven’t been able to have people dine in this week due to cleanliness issues.

Over the last week, a local small business in Odessa Manuel’s Tortilla Factory has been at a standstill since one of its main ingredients is… water.

Ever since the water has been off Manuel’s Tortilla Factory hasn’t been able to produce anything from their factory and it’s taken a hit on them in a big way.

Since 1946 Manuel’s tortilla factory has been supplying the Permian Basin with their tortillas and tamales.

On a typical day, Manuel’s factory can produce up to 6 pallets of tortillas and tamales but once the news broke of the water pipe breaking all the work done on Monday for the Tuesday batch had to be thrown away.

“The two thousand pounds of corn we cooked Monday that we could not process we had to throw away. We’re under strict guidelines from the food and drug administration for our water quality use.“ President of Manuel’s Tortilla Factory, Manuel Gonzalez, said.

Having to throw away that two thousand pounds of corn for the tortillas, had a big impact on them economically.

“I would say it would be upwards of twenty thousand dollars. just throwing away the corn was about six thousand.” Gonzalez said.

No water means no tortillas or tamales and no tortillas or tamales means there’s no business.

“But the main thing is that we can’t process and we’re gonna be out of business. we are right at the edge of running out so we’re gonna process just as soon as we can and get things going again.” Gonzalez said.

Manuel also said as soon as the water is tested and approved, he will be back in the factory getting all the tortillas and tamales ready even if that means he has to work on Father’s Day.