Relief for Sand Branch, TX - A Bill to Build Their Water and Wastewater Needs
Sand Branch Water Infrastructure Legislation
Background, legal path, funding need, and a proposed state response to decades of missing water and wastewater service in an unincorporated Dallas County community.
Overview
The current legal and funding landscape for Sand Branch
Sand Branch is an unincorporated community in southeastern Dallas County that has lacked reliable, permanent water and wastewater infrastructure for decades, despite repeated public reporting, organizing by residents, and state-recognized planning activity.(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)(Style Magazine, 2026)(NBC 5 DFW, 2019)(NBC 5 DFW, 2023) The strongest current legislative path is a general bill amending Water Code Chapter 15 to direct the Texas Water Development Board to provide grant funding for permanent potable water and wastewater infrastructure for Sand Branch, paired with a direct appropriation or a matching appropriations rider so that the authority is funded as soon as it is enacted.(Texas Legislative Council, 2025)(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)
The current public record shows that the state has already acknowledged Sand Branch as a real infrastructure project rather than a temporary emergency-relief problem. In 2020, the Texas Water Development Board approved $450,000 to the Sand Branch Water Supply Corporation for planning related to water and wastewater projects, and the board's SFY 2026 Clean Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan ranks the Sand Branch Development & Water Supply Corporation wastewater project second statewide on its Appendix J project priority list with a listed total project cost of $5,461,100.(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)(Texas Water Development Board, 2025)
The $5.46 million TWDB figure covers wastewater infrastructure only — roughly 30,000 linear feet of new PVC wastewater lines, a lift station, and connection to the Dallas Water Utilities Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant.(Texas Water Development Board, 2025) Separate reporting describes a broader package of roughly $12.5 million, including about $8 million for core water and sewer infrastructure and about $4.5 million for affordability and anti-displacement measures — planning-level estimates rather than final engineer-certified figures.(Style Magazine, 2026)(Style Magazine, 2026)(Style Magazine, 2026)
Community Background
Who Sand Branch is and why the problem has persisted
Sand Branch is often described as the last unincorporated community in Dallas County and as a historically Black freedmen's community located on Belt Line Road southeast of Dallas.(NBC 5 DFW, 2019)(Style Magazine, 2026)(University of Texas at Arlington, 2025) Because the community is unincorporated, it does not operate through a city government with ordinary municipal taxing and utility powers, which has made it harder to assemble a conventional local public-works solution even though the community sits in the path of major regional infrastructure around Dallas County.(University of Texas at Arlington, 2025)(NBC 5 DFW, 2023)
Reporting over many years has consistently described the community as lacking running water and basic sewer service after local wells became unusable or contaminated, forcing residents to depend on hauled water, bottled water, and charitable support instead of a permanent utility system.(Style Magazine, 2026)(NBC 5 DFW, 2019)(NBC 5 DFW, 2023) The result is not simply inconvenience. It is a long-running public health and environmental justice problem involving sanitation, household dignity, resident retention, and the inability to treat Sand Branch as a normal serviced neighborhood within the surrounding metropolitan area.(University of Texas at Arlington, 2025)(Style Magazine, 2026)(University of Texas at Arlington, 2025)
What Has Already Happened
State action and reporting timeline
The most important formal state action identified in the record is the Texas Water Development Board's August 2020 approval of $450,000 to the Sand Branch Water Supply Corporation for water and wastewater planning work.(Texas Water Development Board, 2020) The TWDB announcement states that the assistance was for planning, acquisition, design, or construction of water and wastewater projects and confirms that the recipient was a Sand Branch-focused utility entity rather than a general nonprofit charity.(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)
By 2023, local reporting and television coverage showed renewed momentum toward a permanent connection strategy. NBC 5 reported a new effort to connect Sand Branch to Dallas Water Utilities infrastructure, reflecting a shift away from stopgap deliveries and toward a regional utility solution.(NBC 5 DFW, 2023) Dallas Weekly likewise described the continuing fight for water, noting the long history of service denial and the floodplain and development limitations that complicate investment in the area.(Style Magazine, 2026)
The strongest recent documentary evidence is the TWDB SFY 2026 CWSRF Intended Use Plan. In Appendix J, the Sand Branch Development & Water Supply Corporation project is ranked number two on the statewide project priority list and described as a wastewater-management project for a population of 240, with a listed total project cost of $5,461,100.(Texas Water Development Board, 2025) The project description states that the preferred solution is installation of 30,000 linear feet of new PVC wastewater lines, a lift station, and related infrastructure to connect Sand Branch to the Dallas Water Utilities Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant.(Texas Water Development Board, 2025)
The same TWDB project description states that the Sand Branch Development and Water Supply Corporation was established in 2016 and is working to improve water and wastewater accessibility for the long-underserved community while also pursuing a wholesale water purchase agreement and funding for a pump station.(Texas Water Development Board, 2025) That phrasing is significant because it shows the current wastewater project sits within a broader effort that still includes potable-water work beyond the wastewater item itself.(Texas Water Development Board, 2025)
Prior Legislative and Legal Context
What law already exists, and what is missing
No prior Texas bill specifically dedicated to Sand Branch was confirmed in the materials gathered here, and no enacted Sand Branch-specific statute was identified in the Texas Legislature materials reviewed through this research session.(Texas Legislature Online, 2026)(Texas Legislature Online, 2026) That absence matters because it suggests that Sand Branch has mainly been pursued through planning grants, agency coordination, nonprofit utility structures, and media-supported advocacy rather than through a direct statutory solution tailored to the community.(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)(NBC 5 DFW, 2023)(Style Magazine, 2026)
The broader legal framework already exists in Water Code Chapter 15, which governs the Texas Water Development Board's water assistance authorities and includes multiple grant and financing mechanisms for water supply and wastewater projects.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024) It also contains provisions under which nonprofit water supply corporations receiving assistance under the chapter are subject to open meetings and open records laws, confirming that the Legislature already treats nonprofit utility entities as legitimate recipients of public water-assistance funds in this context.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)
Chapter 15 includes programs and definitions tied to economically distressed areas and nonborder colonias and authorizes board assistance for such communities.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024) Even so, existing law appears to provide broad authority rather than a mandatory, fully funded obligation to finish Sand Branch itself — the precise gap a new bill should address.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)
Why a General Bill Is Best
Drafting strategy under TLC rules
Under the Texas Legislative Council Drafting Manual, a bill is the proper instrument for enacting or amending statute law, and every bill must contain the required formal elements, including a heading, a caption, and the exact enacting clause.(Texas Legislative Council, 2025) The manual also warns that local and bracket bills require special care, while the standard drafting approach is a clean general bill with a legally sufficient "relating to" caption that states what the bill is about.(Texas Legislative Council, 2025)
For Sand Branch, a general bill is stronger than a narrowly framed local bill for two reasons. First, Sand Branch is not an incorporated city with ordinary municipal status, so a bill drafted as though it were simply funding "the city of Sand Branch" would misstate the legal character of the community.(NBC 5 DFW, 2019)(University of Texas at Arlington, 2025) Second, the Water Code already gives the Legislature an existing statewide framework through the Texas Water Development Board, making a Chapter 15 amendment cleaner, easier to administer, and more defensible than building a one-off structure outside the board's existing assistance architecture.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)
The bill should therefore be written as a Chapter 15 amendment creating a Sand Branch-specific grant authority and defining eligible recipients as the Sand Branch Water Supply Corporation or another qualified nonprofit water supply or sewer service corporation, political subdivision, or joint arrangement serving the community.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)
Funding Need and Cost Estimate
Distinguishing formal figures from planning estimates
The most defensible hard number in the current record is the TWDB SFY 2026 listing of $5,461,100 for the Sand Branch wastewater project.(Texas Water Development Board, 2025) Because that listing is part of the board's official Intended Use Plan, it is the strongest single state-source estimate currently identified for at least one major portion of the work. That amount, however, appears limited to wastewater infrastructure and does not price the entire potable-water buildout, full household service-connectivity costs, or affordability and anti-displacement supports.(Texas Water Development Board, 2025)
| Component | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Wastewater collection & connection project | $5,461,100 | TWDB SFY 2026 CWSRF Intended Use Plan, Appendix J |
| Broader water & sewer infrastructure package | ~$8,000,000 | Reported coalition planning estimate |
| Affordability / anti-displacement measures | ~$4,500,000 | Reported coalition planning estimate |
| Recommended legislative authorization range | $13M–$15M | Best-explanation estimate combining state and reported figures |
A prudent legislative estimate is therefore a funding authorization in the range of $13 million to $15 million. That range is a best-explanation estimate based on the board's official wastewater figure, the reported broader infrastructure-and-affordability package, and the reality that construction-cost escalation and final design work often increase project budgets over time.(Texas Water Development Board, 2025)(Style Magazine, 2026)(Style Magazine, 2026) If the bill is meant to solve the whole problem instead of only partially addressing it, appropriating only the $5.46 million wastewater figure would likely leave unfinished work on the potable-water side or on the resident-affordability side.(Texas Water Development Board, 2025)(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)
What the Bill Should Do
Substantive design and House process
The bill should amend Water Code Chapter 15 to create a dedicated Sand Branch infrastructure assistance section administered by the Texas Water Development Board.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024) The new section should require the board to establish a grant program for Sand Branch rather than merely permitting assistance at the board's discretion, because the entire purpose of the legislation is to convert an acknowledged need into a mandatory funded state response.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)
Eligible recipients should include the Sand Branch Water Supply Corporation, another nonprofit water supply or sewer service corporation operating under Chapter 67, a political subdivision, or a joint arrangement among eligible entities that will actually serve the community.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024) Allowable uses should include planning, engineering, design, permitting, land and easement acquisition, water lines, sewer lines, service connections, lift stations, force mains, pump stations, storage, meters, treatment-plant connection facilities, customer connection charges, and board-approved affordability measures necessary to make service usable.(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)
The drafting manual makes clear that bills may include appropriations when properly noticed in the caption.(Texas Legislative Council, 2025) The safest legislative strategy is either a direct appropriation in the bill text or a parallel appropriations rider using the same scope and dollar amount, because an unfunded authorization would risk leaving Sand Branch in the same planning loop it has occupied for years.(Texas Legislative Council, 2025)(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)
For House process, the bill should be filed early, referred to the committee handling water issues, and supported with a legislative packet including the TWDB 2020 approval, the SFY 2026 project-priority listing, community history, and a funding explanation that distinguishes between the official wastewater estimate and the broader comprehensive need.(Texas Water Development Board, 2020)(Texas Water Development Board, 2025)(NBC 5 DFW, 2023) The measure should also be coordinated with the appropriations process so the authorizing language and funding language move together instead of separately.(Texas Legislative Council, 2025)(Tex. Water Code § 15, 2024)
"What has been missing is not recognition of the problem — it is a statute and appropriation designed to finish the work."
Sand Branch Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act
H.B. No. _____ · 89th Legislature · Rep. Will Campbell, HD 109
By: ___________________
H.B. No. _____
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT
relating to financial assistance for water and wastewater infrastructure in the Sand Branch community in Dallas County; making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 15, Water Code, is amended by adding Section 15.1025 to read as follows:
Sec. 15.1025. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR Sand Branch WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) In this section, "Sand Branch community" means the unincorporated community commonly known as Sand Branch in Dallas County, Texas.
(b) The board shall establish and administer a program to provide financial assistance in the form of grants for projects that provide potable water service, wastewater collection service, wastewater treatment service, or related utility infrastructure for the Sand Branch community.
(c) A grant under this section may be awarded to:
(1) the Sand Branch Water Supply Corporation;
(2) a nonprofit water supply or sewer service corporation created and operating under Chapter 67 that is designated to serve the Sand Branch community;
(3) a political subdivision that enters into an agreement to provide or facilitate water or wastewater service to the Sand Branch community; or
(4) a combination of eligible entities described by this subsection acting jointly under an interlocal contract, utility service agreement, or other agreement acceptable to the board.
(d) Financial assistance under this section may be used for:
(1) planning, engineering, and design;
(2) land or easement acquisition;
(3) permitting and environmental review;
(4) water wells, water purchase arrangements, pump stations, storage, treatment, water distribution lines, meters, and appurtenances;
(5) wastewater collection lines, force mains, lift stations, treatment connections, and appurtenances;
(6) connection of the Sand Branch community to an existing regional or municipal water or wastewater utility system;
(7) household connection charges, utility hookup costs, and other costs necessary to initiate service to occupied residences; and
(8) affordability measures approved by the board that are necessary to ensure residents of the Sand Branch community can obtain and maintain utility service.
(e) In awarding grants under this section, the board shall prioritize a project that:
(1) provides a permanent regional solution;
(2) uses existing nearby utility infrastructure when practicable;
(3) coordinates with Dallas County, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and any municipality or utility whose system will receive or provide service; and
(4) minimizes displacement of existing residents.
(f) Financial assistance under this section is in addition to any other financial assistance otherwise authorized by this chapter.
(g) The board shall adopt rules necessary to implement this section.
SECTION 2. The amount of $15,000,000 is appropriated to the Texas Water Development Board for the state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2029, for the purpose of providing grants under Section 15.1025, Water Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2028, the Texas Water Development Board shall submit a report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives regarding:
(1) the status of each project funded under Section 15.1025, Water Code;
(2) the amount of money awarded and expended;
(3) the number of residential connections completed; and
(4) any additional statutory changes needed to complete utility service to the Sand Branch community.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027.
References
Full source list corresponding to in-text citations, in alphabetical order.
NBC 5 DFW. (2019, July 28). TDMN: Community in Dallas has gone decades with no running water. NBC 5 DFW.
This news report documents the decades-long absence of running water in Sand Branch, describing residents' reliance on bottled water and the community's history as a holdout without basic utility service. It was used to establish the long-standing nature of the infrastructure gap and the human impact of the lack of service.
NBC 5 DFW. (2023, April 27). New effort to get running water in former Dallas Freedmen's town of Sand Branch. NBC 5 DFW.
This report covers the 2023 renewed push by Dallas County and utility officials to connect Sand Branch to Dallas Water Utilities infrastructure, including an official cost estimate exceeding $6 million. It was used to trace the shift from emergency relief toward a permanent regional connection strategy and to source the officeholder's cost commentary.
Style Magazine. (2026, February 24). Sand Branch water crisis: Ongoing efforts highlight need for permanent infrastructure. Style Magazine.
This 2026 article summarizes the current state of Sand Branch's water crisis, including the 2020 TWDB planning grant, the Water for Sand Branch Coalition's $12.5 million cost estimate ($8 million for infrastructure and $4.5 million for community protections), and the community's continued unincorporated status as a barrier to project implementation. It was used as the primary source for the broader comprehensive cost estimate and for confirming that construction had not yet begun as of 2026.
Tex. Water Code § 15 (2024). Texas Water Assistance Program. Texas Constitution and Statutes.
This chapter of the Texas Water Code establishes the Texas Water Development Board's existing statutory authority to provide financial assistance for water and wastewater projects, including provisions covering nonprofit water supply corporations and economically distressed areas. It is the statute the proposed legislation amends and the legal foundation for the bill's eligible-recipient and grant-authority design.
Texas Legislative Council. (2025). Texas Legislative Council drafting manual. Texas Legislative Council.
This official manual sets out the required formal elements of a Texas bill, including the heading, caption, and exact enacting-clause language, and provides guidance distinguishing general bills from local and bracket bills. It was used to confirm the correct bill structure and caption-notice requirements for the proposed Sand Branch legislation, including the appropriations notice rule.
Texas Legislature Online. (2026). Bill search and legislative history. Texas Legislature Online.
This official legislative database was searched for any prior bill dedicated specifically to Sand Branch. No matching enacted statute or filed bill was located, which supports the article's conclusion that the community's needs have so far been addressed only through agency planning grants and advocacy rather than direct legislation.
Texas Water Development Board. (2020, August 5). Texas Water Development Board approves $450,000 to the Sand Branch Water Supply Corporation (Dallas County) for water and wastewater projects [Press release]. Texas Water Development Board.
This official press release documents the board's August 2020 approval of $450,000 in loan-forgiveness assistance to the Sand Branch Water Supply Corporation for planning a centralized wastewater collection system and a new potable-water distribution system. It is the earliest confirmed formal state financial commitment to a permanent Sand Branch solution and establishes the corporation as the recognized recipient entity.
Texas Water Development Board. (2025). SFY 2026 Clean Water State Revolving Fund intended use plan, Appendix J project priority list. Texas Water Development Board.
This official state funding plan ranks the Sand Branch Development & Water Supply Corporation wastewater project second statewide with a listed total project cost of $5,461,100, covering roughly 30,000 linear feet of new PVC wastewater lines, a lift station, and connection to the Dallas Water Utilities Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant. It is the only official, itemized state cost figure identified for any portion of the Sand Branch project and anchors the article's funding estimate.
University of Texas at Arlington. (2025). Lack of infrastructure: Addressing water scarcity and housing needs in Sand Branch [Honors thesis]. UTA Mavmatrix.
This university honors research paper documents Sand Branch's history as an unincorporated freedmen's community and analyzes the water scarcity and housing conditions residents face. It was used to establish background on the community's founding, demographic character, and the public-health dimensions of the infrastructure gap.