Trinidad residents hold town hall on water crisis
Citizens propose plan to fix aging infrastructure after city cancels workshop
TRINIDAD, Texas (KLTV) - Residents held their own town hall to discuss a potential solution for a water crisis that has made headlines beyond East Texas.
The meeting came after city council canceled a water workshop last week with only several hours notice.
Lindsey Patterson, a Trinidad resident and former city administrator, described the ongoing problems.
“My house smells like a YMCA every time I wash my clothes. That’s a problem,” Patterson said.
Stephen Haynes and Jonathan Bowman, Trinidad business owners, put together a draft plan to fix the city’s system. Haynes said he is a retired economist.
“We live in the United States of America; we deserve clean water,” Bowman said.
Haynes said the main issue is not the city’s plant but the pipes.
“It has eroded those pipes to where no matter how clean the water you put in when it comes out of your tap if it’s running through old cement and dirt leaking into it you’re gonna have bad water,” Haynes said.
The cost would be anywhere between $8 million and $12 million, if and when repairs are made.
The plan involves selling part of the city’s current water supply to West Cedar Creek Municipal Utility District. There were also discussions on that MUD supplying water to the city. Haynes said that could save Trinidad around three million dollars in plant repairs.
The plan would also require a state grant. The city would need to pass an audit, which is currently in progress.
Residents said they left the meeting hopeful but with questions.
Residents hope to get the formation of a water committee on the next city council agenda. Council will have to approve that.
“God help Trinidad,” Patterson said.
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