José and Rosa González paid $80 each time a truck delivered water to their trailer in Panorama Village, a community on the edge of Socorro.

To save money, the couple took great lengths to conserve water. They reused water from the washing machine to flush the toilet or water trees. During their 16 years in Panorama Village, they learned to live without a connection to the public water system.

But that is changing since the Lower Valley Water District (LVWD) completed water connections for the community's 52 residential lots this summer. The González family and their neighbors can now open the tap and enjoy running water.

A 2019 bond vote and financing from the North American Development Bank (NADBank) funded the $500,000 water project. On Sept. 1, residents and elected officials marked the milestone with a celebration on Nancy Drive and looked ahead to an upcoming sewer project.

“We’ve adapted to this situation," said José González, 79. "But we’re really grateful for the new water service. And we hope the sewage service will come soon, too.”

El Paso County Commissioner Iliana Holguin, who represents Precinct 3 in the eastern part of the county, commended the funders and local leaders who made the project possible. Holguin committed to continuing to work to connect all El Paso residents to the water and sewer systems.

"We have to get to the point where there are no families in El Paso County without connections to water and wastewater," Holguin said.

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The first homes in Panorama Village were built in the 1970s, Holguin said. They were not connected to the public water utility and residents have relied on costly water deliveries for decades. Without sewer connections, residents use septic tanks. Across El Paso County, unincorporated communities such as Panorama Village, known as colonias, have waited for years to have basic water and wastewater services.

According to Holguin's office, 51 areas in El Paso County still lack water connections, with an estimated population of 1,411 people.

One section of Panorama Village was connected to water service with the LVWD first, in Phase 1. The remaining residential lots were connected in Phase 2 this summer. The LVWD is the public water and wastewater utility for south-eastern El Paso County, including Socorro, San Elizario and Clint.

"It can't be that we're in 2022, in the richest country in the world, and we have so many communities that don't have access to these basic services," Holguin said. "These projects are absolutely necessary and absolutely life-changing for the residents of these neighborhoods."

Oscar Solis has lived in Panorama Village, which is a short drive off Horizon Boulevard and I-10, since 1998. He leads monthly meetings where residents discuss community needs.

"It takes a lot of effort and work, especially finding the funds. It takes time," he said.

His home was connected to water service during the first stage. He remembers in the summer months he would have to pay for multiple water deliveries every month. He encouraged his neighbors to continue advocating for public services, including sewer lines and paved roads.

LVWD General Manager Gerald Grijalva addressed residents in Spanish, thanking them for their patience during the years-long process.

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Panorama Village is one of several water and wastewater projects the LVWD is constructing with financing from the NADBank. The bank finances infrastructure projects in the U.S.-Mexico border region.

El Paso County is also working with the LVWD to connect Panorama Village to the sewer system. Including Panorama Village, LVWD has 18 water connection projects and 15 sanitary sewer projects in development.

Commissioner Holguin said funding from the federal infrastructure bill and state agencies such as the Texas Department of Agriculture are essential to address the longstanding water and sewer access problems in El Paso County.

"Funding is always the challenge," she said. "But right now we know that funding is available."

Staff writer Martha Pskowski may be reached at mpskowski@elpasotimes.com and @psskow on Twitter.