MARLIN, Texas — Marlin residents are protesting and demanding answers after going five days without water. City officials have approved emergency measures, including portable water tanks.
- Marlin residents have been without water for five days, leading to public protests, school closures, and growing concerns over health and sanitation.
- City officials approved $200,000 for portable water tanks, but full restoration may take days as water towers need to refill to restore pressure.
- Faith-based groups like the First Baptist Church of Marlin are stepping in, offering meals, showers, and laundry services to affected residents.
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“It’s just too much, it’s always happening, and it has got to stop. They are not giving us answers,” said Marlin resident Donna Cardwell.
“There have been dozens and dozens of engineers at the water plant, and we still don’t know how to fix it,” said Marlin Mayor Susan Byrd.
Neighbors in Marlin are protesting after going days without water, once again.
“I have this bonnet on my head because I could not wash my hair this morning. It’s unsanitary, it’s unhealthy. There are people here with newborn babies who can not bathe their children. My concern is the health and well-being of everybody here,” said Cardwell.
The city held an emergency city council meeting Sunday afternoon, where they approved $200,000 to go towards two portable water tanks from the state.
But after the meeting, 25 News spoke to Mayor Susan Byrd, who says it could be another 24 hours before tanks are operational and water is restored to all residents.
“They should be operational and online by Tuesday night at the latest, but that does not mean we are going to have water because the water towers will have to fill, and we have five water towers. Once they fill, pressure will be restored and water will be distributed to the city,” said Byrd.
Mayor Byrd says this is a temporary fix to the ongoing issue.
“The governor's 30-day proclamation allows us to use this until we find the appropriate TCEQ temporary treatment,” said Byrd.
During Sunday’s meeting, the city stated that tanks will be able to produce more than a billion gallons of water per day and will be operational for at least the next 30 days.
But some neighbors in our community want answers.
“They don’t care. We need someone here who cares,” said Marlin resident Doris Lawrence.
Marlin ISD has been forced to cancel school for the past three days due to the crisis.
The city has been receiving assistance from the TCEQ, TDEM, Governor Abbott and several other neighboring cities.
But for our neighbors who live here - they tell me the response from our city leaders is not enough.
“ We’ve been told that there was grant money, where is the grant money? Why hasn;t this been fixed. Get it fixed, we want water,” said Cardwell.
The city tells 25 News they have not confirmed the exact cause of the issue but believe severe weather may have played a role.
The First Baptist Church of Marlin and the Southern Baptist Texas Convention have joined forces to provide critical disaster relief services to the local community.
The groups will be providing access to meals, showers, washers and dryers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day until water is restored.
The church is located off of 309 Coleman Street in Marlin.
There will be a special city council meeting on Wednesday at 6 p.m. where the city will provide updates and new information on water restoration efforts.
