More than $31 million in federal funding will help Ben Bolt, a small South Texas town, move away from septic tanks and begin building a modern sewer system.
The first connections are expected to go to local schools as the long-delayed project gets underway.
Here's what to know
A USDA Rural Development package totaling a little over $31 million is headed to Ben Bolt in Jim Wells County, according to KRIS 6 News.
James Redfield, Texas state director for USDA Rural Development, said: "So a little bit over $31 million was announced. Majority of that is grant, and a small portion of that is loan to, to replace a kind of an outdated wastewater collection system that's running off septic tanks. So it's really out of date."
Officials have worked toward this point for more than 20 years, while the community relied on septic tanks in the meantime.
Octavio Flores, general manager of Jim Wells County Fresh Water Supply District 1, said schools are expected to be the first places connected to the new system.
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"The schools here have a septic system that is outdated, and it runs over," Flores said.
More background
Officials say the Ben Bolt work is the first phase of a larger plan to connect regional wastewater systems.
If later stages are completed, the upgraded system would reach beyond Ben Bolt.
"These are really old, outdated systems, and so it's gonna help the school by bringing them up to a modern waste collection system that is going to ultimately connect to the city of Alice. And so it's gonna not only help the school, it's gonna help Ben Bolt, it's gonna help Green Acres community," Redfield remarked.
Along with replacing old infrastructure, the project could eventually expand access to updated wastewater service in nearby communities.
What's being done?
KRIS 6 News reported that design work will begin first, followed by site selection and bidding. Once construction starts, the job is expected to take about 18 months to finish.
The first round of construction is meant to support future extensions toward Alice. If those later phases happen, the initial school connections in Ben Bolt would serve as the starting point for a wider wastewater modernization effort in Jim Wells County.
Where can I learn more?
Other communities are also grappling with failing septic systems and expensive sewer upgrades.
• On Cape Cod, a major septic cleanup is meant to curb sewage-fed algae blooms.
• Across the Southeast, rising seas are worsening septic failures beneath thousands of vulnerable homes.
• In Northwest Arkansas, a septic strategy changed how waste got treated.
• In 2024, California officials approved a plan to convert sewage waste into drinking water.
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