Texas borderland communities waited decades for running water. Finally they are getting hooked up

Immigrants bought cheap plots in desert colonias a generation ago with a promise that tap water was coming

Growing up in south Texas, 25-year-old Joaquin Duran always wondered what it would be like to have running water. Before he was born, Duran's parents moved from Juarez, Mexico, to a small community called Cochran that lies within El Paso county. They hoped the enclave of Mexican American families would be a safe place to raise their children and offer advantages not easily attained in Mexico.

The plot of land Duran's parents bought in Texas lacked running water when they settled in, but they were promised service was coming - only a year or two away. The family decided the wait would be worthwhile and they made the plot their home. During the day, Duran's mother would scrub old concrete off the cinder blocks her husband retrieved from demolition work through his construction job. At night, they built their house from the salvaged materials.