The Brief
- Sand Branch, an unincorporated settlement founded in 1878 just 15 miles south of Dallas, has never had running water in its 148-year history.
- Residents currently rely on bottled water donations after well water was contaminated following the construction of a nearby wastewater treatment plant in 1964.
- A local community leader is providing daily meals and organizing aid efforts while advocating for permanent infrastructure solutions for the town’s 150 residents.
SAND BRANCH, Texas – A small settlement located just 15 miles south of the ninth-largest city in the country has operated without running water for its entire 148-year existence.
Sand Branch residents face daily water crisis
What we know:
Sand Branch is an unincorporated town of roughly 150 residents that was originally founded as a freedmen’s settlement in 1878. Despite its proximity to Dallas, the community has no running water infrastructure.
Residents previously relied on well water. However, after the city of Dallas constructed the nearby Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant in 1964, well water became contaminated with fecal matter and phosphates. Now, the population is forced to rely on donated bottled water.…