Sand Branch, a small unincorporated community just outside Dallas, remains without municipal running water nearly 150 years after its founding as a freedmen’s settlement. Roughly 150 residents rely on bottled‑water donations for drinking, bathing and basic hygiene.
Volunteer water distributions highlight the crisis
Pastor Frank Alexander of Wayside Baptist Church has been distributing bottled water from a roadside tent for about four years. “This is the year 2026, and we are still a community living in a primitive state,” he told The Dallas Express. Alexander said the community once used wells, but testing later deemed the groundwater unsafe for consumption.
Children are especially affected. “The wells have become contaminated. The water is not safe to drink, so kids can’t brush their teeth or take a bath after playing,” Alexander explained. Residents also reported illnesses they believe are linked to the lack of clean water, though the newspaper could not independently verify the cause.
Local officials and volunteers step in
Following an August 29 fire that burned roughly 10 acres and threatened two structures, the Dallas Mavericks donated additional bottled water to the neighborhood. Candidate for Dallas County justice of the peace Jayla Godbolt joined residents at the distribution, criticizing elected officials for ignoring the crisis. “They are not fighting for y’all; we need people who care about every resident and citizen,” Godbolt said.
Godbolt recounted a family that chose to homeschool their 12‑year‑old because the child feared ridicule over personal hygiene without running water. She singled out Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, State Rep. Aicha Davis and former U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett for their inaction.
Republican leaders call for accountability
Ajua Mason, interim chair of the Dallas County Republican Party’s Candidate Resource Committee, described the situation as a “humanitarian crisis.” She urged Price, who has represented the district since the 1980s, to take responsibility. “When you have elected officials who have simply ignored the issue for decades, that is not interested in sending relief to these people,” Mason said.
Mason also noted reports of skin lesions and infections that residents attribute to contaminated water, though the newspaper could not independently confirm the link.
County history of offers and obstacles
County officials have previously offered voluntary relocation in 2002 and again in 2016, with about 150 residents accepting each time. Commissioner Price has cited the community’s location in a FEMA‑designated floodplain and the cost of constructing a levee as barriers to extending permanent water and sewer infrastructure.
Despite these explanations, residents say they have waited decades for a lasting solution. “We don’t know why. We don’t know what the holdup will be. But we’re still praying and believing,” Pastor Alexander said.
What comes next?
Community advocates are pressing the county commission for a concrete plan to install water and sewer lines, fire hydrants and sidewalks. The lack of fire hydrants forced firefighters to truck water into the area during the recent blaze, underscoring the safety risks of the current situation.
As the debate continues, local faith leaders, volunteers and Republican activists remain united in their call for immediate county action to bring basic utilities to Sand Branch, a community that has endured hardship since its post‑Civil‑War origins.
Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.
