A Texas House candidate says he has drafted legislation aimed at finally bringing permanent running water and sewer infrastructure to Sand Branch, a historic Dallas County community that has lived without municipal water for generations.
Will Campbell, a candidate for Texas House District 109, recently visited Sand Branch and called on current lawmakers and other candidates to consider carrying his proposed legislation during the 2027 legislative session.
Campbell’s proposal, currently titled the “Sand Branch and Seagoville Water, Wastewater & Utility Infrastructure Act,” would create a Texas Water Development Board grant program covering water, wastewater, flood-control and electrical infrastructure in Sand Branch while also funding upgrades to neighboring Seagoville. The proposal is currently a pre-filing draft and has not been introduced or enacted by the Texas Legislature.
Sand Branch Still Without Running Water
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Sand Branch has roughly 150 residents and was founded as a freedmen’s settlement in 1878. The unincorporated community has never had municipal running-water infrastructure. Residents previously relied on wells, but testing later found the groundwater unsafe for drinking.
During DX‘s previous visit, Pastor Frank Alexander of Wayside Baptist Church said his church had spent approximately four years distributing bottled water to residents.
“This is the year 2026, and we are still a community living in a primitive state,” Alexander told DX. “We want and need water. Would you please help us?”
The lack of infrastructure has also complicated firefighting. An August 29 fire burned roughly 10 acres and spread to two structures. With no fire hydrants in Sand Branch, responding firefighters had to bring water into the community.
State Project Currently Focuses On Sewer
Campbell argued that existing state efforts do not address all of Sand Branch’s infrastructure needs.
Texas Water Development Board records support part of that argument.
The Sandbranch Development and Water Supply Corporation’s “First Time Sewer Service for Sandbranch” is ranked No. 2 on the state’s 2026 Clean Water State Revolving Fund project list. The project proposes approximately 30,000 linear feet of wastewater lines, a lift station and other infrastructure connecting Sand Branch to Dallas Water Utilities’ Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The state separately lists a Sandbranch drinking-water project on its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund priority list, meaning state planning is not exclusively limited to sewer infrastructure.
Campbell says his proposal would attempt to address the broader infrastructure picture.
Seagoville Included In Proposal
Campbell’s plan also includes Seagoville, which he says would play a critical role in extending infrastructure to Sand Branch.
The plan proposes $29.5 million for Sand Branch infrastructure and another $12 million for Seagoville. Eligible projects would include water and wastewater infrastructure, flood mitigation and electrical utility improvements.
Campbell said Seagoville itself needs infrastructure upgrades and argued that improving its system while connecting Sand Branch could benefit residents of both communities.
The proposal would use grants rather than bonds, meaning Campbell’s plan would seek to avoid placing repayment obligations on Sand Branch residents.
Legislature Dedicated Sales Tax to Texas Water Fund
Campbell connected his draft to HJR 7, which the 89th Texas Legislature approved in 2025. The joint resolution proposed dedicating a portion of state sales and use tax revenue to the Texas Water Fund and set the constitutional amendment for the November 4, 2025, ballot. Voters later considered that amendment as Proposition 4.
Campbell said his legislation is meant to use that expanded state focus on water infrastructure for Sand Branch.“What my bill does is say, hey, let’s execute on the will of the people to get this done for the people of Sand Branch,” Campbell said.
His campaign draft still would have to be introduced and passed in the 2027 session before any of its proposed appropriations could become law. HJR 7 did not itself appropriate the $29.5 million or $12 million in his plan.
For Sand Branch residents, meanwhile, the underlying problem documented by DX remains: more than a century after the community was founded, residents continue relying on donated bottled water while efforts to establish permanent infrastructure move forward.
The Dallas Express reached out to State Representative Aicha Davis for comment but did not receive a response.
Provided by Dallas Express
