DigDeep’s Colonias Water Project Receives the 2023 US Water Prize for Outstanding Nonprofit Organization

Awarded annually by the US Water Alliance, the US Water Prize is the preeminent national recognition for exemplary efforts to secure a One Water future for all.

EL PASO, TX, UNITED STATES, November 16, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — DigDeep’s Colonias Water Project, which works to bring clean running water and proper sanitation to households in the Texas colonias, has been honored by the US Water Alliance as the “Outstanding Nonprofit Organization” recipient of the prestigious 2023 US Water Prize.

The US Water Prize celebrates outstanding achievement in the advancement of equitable, integrated and sustainable water solutions to the nation’s water challenges. For over a decade, this annual accolade has been presented to the trailblazers who are forging new paths in the water sector and redefining what’s possible in water management and sustainability.

DigDeep, a human rights nonprofit working to ensure every person in the United States has access to clean water and proper sanitation, launched the Colonias Water Project in Cochran, Texas, a small community in El Paso county with 72 residential lots and no municipal services, even though piped water was just a half mile away. Without piped water, Cochran families have been forced to spend huge portions of their monthly budgets on bottled water or non-potable water, or haul water from nearby wells, many of which are unregulated and may be contaminated.

“Surviving to live becomes a permanent state of being for those without basic needs,” says Kathryn Lucero, Project Manager of DigDeep’s Colonias Water Project. “The families of Cochran have been fighting for more than thirty years to get water. We needed an alternate method to get water to families in Texas.”

DigDeep worked collaboratively with residents, local nonprofits, county and state officials to innovate a new model for public-private partnership, unlock transformative housing grants, and build a water access model that can be replicated in other colonias along the border. The Colonias Water Project broke ground in Cochran in July 2022 and, by December 2022, had turned on the taps in every home. The team is already laying the groundwork to expand water access work into five additional Texas colonias.

“Our public-private-nonprofit & community partnership in El Paso County is a clear example of the power of collective action in closing the water access gap,” says George McGraw, founder and CEO of DigDeep. “As we create solutions to advance water access in the United States, it is key for like-minded organizations to share knowledge, coordinate efforts and advocate for improved policies that reach every corner of our nation.”

This is the second US Water Prize awarded to DigDeep, whose Navajo Water Project previously received the 2018 US Water Prize for “Outstanding Nonprofit Organization” for its work to install clean, running water into homes on the Navajo Nation. In addition to its work through the Navajo Water Project and Colonias Water Project, DigDeep also advances water access in West Virginia through its Appalachia Water Project.

The 2023 US Water Prize winners were selected from an extraordinary group of over 75 candidates. Winners were announced at an awards ceremony on November 14 in Tucson, Arizona, coinciding with One Water Summit 2023. To see the full list of winners, please visit: https://uswateralliance.org/programs/one-water-summit/us-water-prize/previous-us-water-prize-winners/2023-us-water-prize-winners/.

To learn more about DigDeep’s Colonias Water Project and how you can get involved, please visit: www.coloniaswaterproject.org/.

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ABOUT DIGDEEP:

DigDeep is a human rights nonprofit working to ensure every person in the United States has access to clean running water and sanitation at home. DigDeep’s community-led infrastructure projects have brought clean, running water to hundreds of families through its award-winning Navajo Water Project (Arizona, New Mexico and Utah), Appalachia Water Project (West Virginia), and Colonias Water Project (Texas). DigDeep is a leading voice in research, workforce development, and policy advocacy around water access in the US.

In November 2019, DigDeep and the US Water Alliance co-authored the groundbreaking “Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States: A National Action Plan” report, which revealed over 2.2 million people across the country live without a tap or toilet at home. In June 2022, DigDeep released a follow-up report, “Draining: The Economic Impact of America’s Hidden Water Crisis,” showing the water access gap costs the US economy $8.6 billion each year.

For more information, please visit digdeep.org and follow on Twitter (@DigDeepH2O), Facebook and Instagram (@DigDeepWater).

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