In 1985, Richard West wrote a story for D Magazine titled “The Lost Community of Sandbranch,” about a poor, unincorporated part of Dallas County. At the time, the folks there were fighting for access to clean water. Today, more than 30 years later, they still don’t have clean water. The wonderfully named Doyin Oyeniyi, writing for Texas Monthly, has an update:
Now, water from the few wells and tanks in the neighborhood is used for flushing toilets and sometimes cleaning (if it’s boiled). Water in tanks is covered in algae, and the well water comes through old pipes and hoses with sand in them. Unable to rely on the wells, residents now buy and bring water by the gallons from work, family, friends, and stores in surrounding areas such as Balch Springs, Oak Cliff, and Seagoville. They’ve had to resort to burning trash in their own backyards. This lack of access to basic services such as clean water and sewer services is especially frustrating considering that the Dallas Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant is just a few miles away from the community.
