In far West Texas, where the Chinati Mountains rise above the Rio Grande and the Chihuahuan Desert stretches for miles in every direction, the small community of Candelaria has existed for more than a century. Established in the early 1900s, the community once supported a cotton gin and briefly grew during World War I, when the U.S. Army opened an outpost nearby. Today, Candelaria, located in Presidio County, is home to a handful of families — ranch workers, retirees, and multigenerational residents who inherited land passed down through generations.

What Candelaria does not have is easy access to infrastructure. The nearest towns are far away, travel distances are long, and resources are limited. Those realities shape daily life — and have made access to safe, reliable drinking water an ongoing challenge.

Candelaria Water Supply Corporation (WSC), a member-owned cooperative, serves roughly 46 active water connections. Like many very small water systems across the country, it faces persistent challenges: aging infrastructure, limited revenue, volunteer governance, and the difficulty of maintaining licensed operations in a remote area. Compounding those challenges is a serious water quality concern — arsenic, a naturally occurring element found in certain rocks and soils that can dissolve into groundwater over time.

Early Warning Signs and a System at Risk

Concerns about water quality in Candelaria go back decades. In the early 1990s, local schoolteacher Johnnie Chambers raised alarms after noticing that children in the community lacked reliable access to safe drinking water at home. In response, Presidio County sponsored a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application that funded deeper wells, a bolted galvanized standpipe, and a basic distribution system.

While those improvements helped stabilize supply, they did not eliminate underlying water quality risks. Over time, arsenic levels in the groundwater — likely tied to the region’s volcanic geology — exceeded federal drinking water standards. By the mid-2010s, Candelaria WSC was struggling on multiple fronts. The system had gone years without a licensed water operator. Chlorination equipment was no longer functioning properly. Routine bacteriological sampling had fallen behind. Governance had weakened to the point where only one board member remained actively managing day-to-day operations.

In 2016, the system received an order related to arsenic exceedances, putting it at serious risk of enforcement and further destabilization.

Communities Unlimited Steps In

That same year, the Community Infrastructure Team at Communities Unlimited (CU) became involved at the invitation of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). CU staff joined Presidio County leaders, state agencies, and federal partners for a joint meeting to assess how best to support Candelaria and prevent system failure.

CU worked closely with local leaders and agency partners to begin untangling the technical, managerial, and regulatory challenges facing the system. CU’s work helped “get the ball rolling” on addressing the arsenic problem — establishing communication channels, coordinating agencies, and laying the groundwork for long-term solutions.

What followed, however, was not a straight path forward.

Years of Persistence, Setbacks, and Reengagement

Finding the right arsenic treatment solution proved far more complicated than initially anticipated. Engineering planning stalled repeatedly as partners evaluated different treatment options, costs, and operational requirements. The remoteness of Candelaria made it difficult to attract engineers and contractors. Limited funding restricted design flexibility. Meanwhile, the system’s small size made conventional treatment approaches increasingly difficult to justify.

Throughout these years, CU remained engaged — often stepping in when momentum slowed or stalled entirely. CU staff helped stabilize governance, supported operator recruitment and training efforts, coordinated with Presidio County, and worked closely with TCEQ and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). When projects stalled, CU helped restart conversations. When compliance issues surfaced, CU helped navigate enforcement processes and documentation.

In 2019, with CU’s assistance, Presidio County secured a $300,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) “Very Small System Grant” from TWDB to evaluate arsenic treatment options and advance engineering. Yet even with funding in place, progress remained slow. Engineering firms withdrew when costs exceeded available resources. Re-procurement efforts took time. Each delay required renewed coordination and renewed commitment from a small group of local leaders.

CU’s role during this period was not just technical — it was relational. Maintaining trust with community members, board leadership, county officials, and state regulators required consistent presence and communication over many years.

Rethinking the Solution

By late 2023, it became clear that the original approach — treating arsenic at the system level — was likely not viable. Engineering analysis showed that a centralized treatment plant would be extremely costly and would require a complex disposal process for treated wastewater. For a system serving fewer than 50 connections, the long-term operational and financial burden simply did not make sense.

In October 2024, engineering partners, agency staff, and CU reached a consensus: a Point-of-Use (POU) arsenic treatment approach offered a more realistic path forward. Under a POU system, small treatment units are installed at individual service connections, where they filter arsenic out of the water as it enters each home. Treating the water at the tap — rather than at a centralized plant — allows systems like Candelaria to avoid costly facility upgrades, complex operations, and expensive waste disposal requirements.

The Hardest Part: Community Buy-In

While the technical case for POU treatment was strong, implementation introduced a new challenge: public acceptance.

CU focused its efforts on community engagement and education. CU developed plain-language flyers explaining how POU systems work, why they were being proposed, and how they could provide safe, compliant drinking water at a lower cost than previous approaches. CU staff organized meetings with residents, the Board President, and the Presidio County Commissioner to discuss the revised treatment strategy and answer questions.

These conversations were not easy. For residents, the idea of installing treatment equipment at individual homes raised concerns about maintenance, responsibility, and change. Even with years of engagement and explanation, community buy-in has remained difficult. As of mid-2025, residents have not yet agreed to move forward with the POU approach.

At the same time, TCEQ has confirmed that arsenic levels remain above allowable limits, emphasizing the urgency of finding a solution.

Why Persistence Matters

CU has remained alongside Candelaria for nearly a decade — supporting governance, reengaging stalled engineering, coordinating agencies, and repeatedly working to move the project forward. Over the years, CU has helped “revive” the project more than once when momentum faded. Each time, the work required rebuilding alignment and restarting conversations that might otherwise have ended.

That persistence matters.

Without continued technical assistance and coordination, projects like Candelaria’s can easily collapse.

Candelaria WSC stands at a critical juncture. The community faces confirmed arsenic exceedances and must decide whether to proceed with the POU treatment approach that offers the most feasible path forward. The system will need to work with TCEQ to obtain approval of a pilot program to determine if the POU approach will sufficiently address the arsenic issue.

While challenges remain, the groundwork has been laid. Governance has stabilized, and engineering analysis has identified a viable path forward. Partnerships with Presidio County, TCEQ, and TWDB — along with ongoing technical assistance from organizations such as the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) Small Systems Division, CU, and Water Finance Exchange (WFX) — remain intact.

Most importantly, the community has not been abandoned — and the path to safe, compliant water remains within reach.