Along the US-Mexico border in Texas, approximately 500,000 people live in informal residential areas known as colonias (meaning neighborhood in Spanish), which often lack potable water, septic or sewer systems, electricity, paved roads, or safe and sanitary housing. Nearly two-thirds of adults and 95% of children living in the colonias are U.S. citizens. These rural and often-informal neighborhoods are characterized by high rates of poverty – a typical colonia may have three times as many people living in poverty as the national average – and low education rates.

Phase One of the Colonias Water Project began in the Cochran colonia, a small subdivision consisting of 72 parcels located just southeast of El Paso. Despite the proximity to retail complexes and gated communities, the Cochran colonia does not have piped water and has been unable to get assistance from El Paso County due to its small size and complete lack of infrastructure. Before the Colonias Water Project, families in the Cochran colonia were forced to buy bottled water, purchase non-potable water at an astronomical $250 per month, or haul water from nearby wells, many of which are unregulated and may be contaminated.

The Colonias Water Project is bringing hot and cold running water and sanitation to the Cochran colonia via a partnership with Adult and Youth United Development Association, a community development organization that connects colonias residents to funding opportunities, housing and infrastructure construction, and water delivery. This collaborative approach, aided by a strong relationship with El Paso County, has more than tripled the impact of DigDeep’s initial investment by unlocking economic and social opportunities for residents, including federal housing grants. In addition to 72 piped water connections, the Colonias Water Project is creating a replicable model for nearby colonias facing similar challenges.

Building on the success of Phase One, DigDeep is expanding the Colonias Water Project through a formalized partnership with El Paso County. Over 2022 and 2023, DigDeep is making a $5 million commitment to water and wastewater projects in El Paso County that will establish piped water or sewer services for five additional colonias. This collaborative effort will serve more colonias residents than either DigDeep or El Paso County could support alone, ensuring more people get access to running water and safe sanitation.

The expansion of the Colonias Water Project has the potential to provide transformative health, social, and economic changes for hundreds of under-resourced families. According to our estimates, Phase Two of the Colonias Water Project will provide services and infrastructure to nearly 275 households – more than 825 additional residents.