BELL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — Residents served by Dog Ridge Water say outages and poor communication persist despite new management.
- Belton residents served by Dog Ridge Water Supply say they continue to face boil water notices, unscheduled outages, and a lack of communication despite management changes.
- Resident Nicole Garcia says sediment in the water has caused her to replace her dishwasher twice and her refrigerator twice in 7 years, and that delayed repairs leave her family — including a member with medical needs — without water unexpectedly.
- Dog Ridge General Manager Rudy Watkins confirmed recent schedule changes were caused by undelivered parts and weather delays, and said he has not received any other complaints since new management took over 6 months ago.
- Dog Ridge plans to spend the rest of 2026 applying for grants to fix aging infrastructure, and says it could replace all 2,145 water meters by end of summer if it secures $1.1 million in funding within the next 2 weeks.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Nicole Garcia has lived under Dog Ridge Water Supply since 2017, and she and her neighbors say that while they have seen management changes through the years, a lack of communication continues and their water quality has not improved.
"There's been a lot of times I've had to actually change appliances. I've changed a dishwasher twice now in the 7 years I've been there. My refrigerator has gone out twice, and it's all because of the water line getting clogged up with sediment," Garcia said.
Garcia has a family member with medical issues who needs access to water 24/7. She says when pipe repairs and maintenance need to be made, the repairs are not completed as scheduled, leaving residents without water.
"We're kind of like in limbo, not knowing what to expect or what to do and whether we should fill up our bathtubs and sinks and gallons and you know have water on reserve," Garcia said.
"It would basically be us pretty much fending for ourselves when it comes to information," Garcia said.
Dog Ridge General Manager Rudy Watkins confirmed that in the recent occurrence with schedule changes, parts were not delivered and weather caused delays. Watkins said that since new management took over 6 months ago, he has not received any other complaints, and that anyone is welcome to share opinions at board meetings. He also said office doors are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and that he has handed out his personal number for residents to contact him with any issues.
Garcia says she is asking for clearer communication from the utility.
"We're paying our water bills. We're making sure that we're handling our responsibilities as residents. The only thing that we ask in return is just a little bit of accountability," Garcia said.
Watkins said Dog Ridge plans to spend the rest of 2026 applying for grants to fix aging infrastructure. He also said if the utility is able to secure $1.1 million in funding in the next 2 weeks, they will be able to replace all 2,145 water meters by the end of summer.
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