Sand Branch, Texas
Located in Dallas County, Sandbranch is an unincorporated area lacking access to clean running water. This freemen's town relied on well water for all their needs until some went dry or became contaminated. While some took the few hundred dollar buyout, both willingly and unwillingly, a little under 100 tax paying residents remain in the community.
MARCH 2023: Socially Immersed is no longer working on this project. Currently a new team is helping by bringing hydro panels to the community. There is a Revitalization Fund you can donate to here.
Case Study coming July 2023
A Summary of our Process
We checked with urban planners of neighboring areas to see what they knew and would suggest for next steps.
01.
02.
We made contact with two individuals affiliated with the community through extensive research.
1st. visit to Sandbranch, Texas. Discovered the Sandbranch Water Supply Corporation, but residents were not aware of them.
We needed to learn how to develop land. This included internet searching, attending presentations, interviewing developers, etc.
We needed to know the possible ways to get water into a house. We discovered the legal process and necessary certifications needed.
Discovered that there was an area without water access within Travis County so we interviewed all involved.
Spoke with the Texas Development Water Board, Texas Quality for Environment Control, and Environmental Protection Agency.
Communities Unlimited paid project manager confirms we're on the correct path. We haven't heard from him since.
Visited Dallas County records office to find things about deeds, old contracts, property owners, etc.
Tried to contact the few involved with the Sandbranch Water Board. No luck with, however we won't stop.
Reached out to nonprofits who went to Sandbranch in the past and started a task force merging them and concerned individuals.
Sent letters to all land owners. Visited Sandbranch to speak with residents whom wasn't aware of any construction plans or awarded grants.
At this point, we all want to know where the awarded funds went since progress seemed to stop.
Latest
Want to see the documents we found? Click here.
Photos captured from 2nd visit by Kalen McGuire Media.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need to live in the area to be on a task force?
- No, you do not have to live in the city or state in which the service is occurring. You just have to want to help.
2. What are some things I would do as a member of a task force?
- You may do research, make some calls, lead an event, conduct a study, donate items, lead a class on a topic, etc.
3. Do I get to decide my involvement?
- Yes.
4. How do I join a task force?
- Please fill out this brief questionnaire. It allows us to place you in the correct groups within our online network.
5. Who is on a task force?
- Anyone interested in making a difference. Our Sandbranch force is composed of individuals, undergraduate and graduate students, nonprofit founders, community members, businesses, etc.
6. Do you work with us if we can't figure out how to complete a task, or if something prevents us from completing it?
- Yes and yes.
7. I want to donate to a task force but Socially Immersed is an LLC.
- Correct, though we are a social enterprise, we filed as an LLC. However, we partner with 501c3 nonprofits in the cities in which the service is taken place. Because of this, you can have access to a tax Id number, and we can ensure donations aren't taxed and sent to designated areas for the community. We will have all that information available.
8. If I donate financially, will I know where funds are being spent?
- OF COURSE.
9. If something needs to be paid for, who takes care of it?
- Initially, Socially Immersed covered it. Now by partnering with nonprofits, we can accept donations that are distributed to the needs of the project. If there aren't any funds at any time where they are needed, Socially Immersed covers it.
10. I want to get my company involved. How should I engage my higher ups?
- Contact us via email at info@sociallyimmersed.com so we can assist you in selecting the best way to go about this.
11. Can I donate in-kind gifts to a force?
- Yes. We accept all help. We will try to keep a list of possible in-kind donations.