DRISCOLL, Tx — Wednesday’s meeting, discussed the possibility of adding septic tanks for those living in certain Colonias.
“People do not have the money to afford $50,000 or $20,000; I mean, some have families of three or four,” Joe A Gonzalez, Nueces County Commissioner Precinct Two, said. “I grew up in a housing project. I know how it is to grow up with nothing and with very little running water.”
Gonzalez said the plan is to try to help at least 150 homes with septic tanks and improve safety hazards for the residents living in Precinct Two, especially in Colonias such as Pentonila One and Two, Carretera Grande, Petronila Estates, and so on.
“When they live in an area, and there are faulty septic systems, they back-flow, and it goes back where? Into the yard,” Gonzalez said. “When it goes back into the yard, there are all types of contaminations, feces, and bacteria.”
Gonzalez also said with this project they would be able to protect the creeks.
“All the water that runs from those Colonias has got to run somewhere to one of the creeks, Petronilla Creek or Oso Creek, and it goes where? To Baffin Bay,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said for this project, once the systems are installed, they all need to be permitted, and records will need to be kept.
Residents will also have to go through an application to see if they qualify for a new water system.
“It needs to be your property. You need to live in that home, and I think as long as we do those things to help those people, that ensures that we do not have a property owner that owns lots of locations, and we get these put in, and then they try to increase the cost for those people to live there,” Nueces County Judge Connie Scott said.
Gonzalez said there will be other factors to also take into consideration for people to qualify.
“We are looking at different things, like income, number of families in another one, and whoever applies first and doesn’t apply,” Gonzalez said.
Judge Scott said this project could potentially benefit other county commissioners looking into completing this same project in their areas since a template would already be made from this one.
“I think it would be beneficial in their communities to use this template and helping out with what they can with the rest of our Colonias as well,” Scott said.
Gonzalez said if this project moves forward, he currently has $500,000 from ARPA funds, which wouldn’t be enough, which is why he said he would ask for donations to come up with the rest of the money needed to complete this project.
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