Take West Odessa — many residents don’t have running water and this is in a region where the multi-billion dollar oil industry is booming But figuring out how to pay for new infrastructure to get water lines where they need to be is a big problem Driving through a West Odessa neighborhood Catarina Tavarez points out bulky water tanks sitting alongside most of the homes and RVs They’ve got a green tank right there,” she said Residents store water in these large containers because otherwise they don’t have a reliable source West Odessa is an unincorporated community that local leaders believe has around 50,000 residents the West Texas community has been growing fast the more black water tanks are scattered across yards (Mitch Borden/Marfa Public Radio) Mitch Borden/Marfa Public RadioMany people came here for cheap land and few regulations It’s a place you might see a small ranch in the middle of a residential neighborhood work yards filled with oil drilling equipment or mobile homes packed tightly on a single lot you’ll have a beautiful home and then the most random mobile homes falling apart,” Tavarez said the community has expanded beyond existing water lines Which can take a ton of time and money to fill with thousands of gallons of water they’ll have different kinds of tanks,” she said “They’ll go out anywhere where they can find it less expensive and she told me it takes her about two to three hours per week to haul water.” Tavarez is part of a group called the West Odessa Water Warriors which is trying to get more residents connected to the local water utility Patti Kappauf founded the group last year and according to her it has not been easy A big part of the problem is some parts of West Odessa have access to running water, while large swaths just don’t. The local water system is run by the Ector County Utility District which doesn’t have the millions of dollars needed to run water lines to the far corners of West Odessa who was recently elected to the board of the utility district is kept up at night by how difficult it is going to be to get running water to more West Odessans “The main issue is 99% of the people that are asking for water so there’s no infrastructure out there whatsoever,” he said More people are going to have to pay the district if they are going to be able to expand water infrastructure which has sparked some difficult conversations A water tower stands in West Odessa that’s surrounded by homes without running water.Mitch Borden/Marfa Public RadioPando recalled a citizen telling him you mean to tell me that I probably won’t be alive by the time you get me water?’ I said ‘I might not even be alive.’ I said it might be my grandkids finishing this up.’” There are some projects in the works that will expand access to clean and running water but nothing that will fix the problems at the scale that’s necessary Across Texas, communities are worried about running out of water as more people move in Lawmakers are talking about investing more in water projects it’s not a priority for them,” Tavarez said She pointed out that it’s not always about expanding lines to new developments In some cases old water wells have dried up I mean this should not be a problem right now,” she said Tavarez and her neighbors will keep filling their water containers wherever they can to keep their faucets running Sign up for the Marketplace newsletter to get the day’s biggest business stories straight to your inbox every weekday evening Trade in your snow boots for cowboy boots this winter in Odessa festive events to art galleries and live music there’s something for everyone to enjoy in this West Texas gem where the city of Odessa is filled with events in downtown Book your stay at the stylish modern western Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center and get ready to unwind in West Texas fashion A testament to its exceptional service and accommodations the Odessa Marriott was recently awarded the 2023 Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice Hotel Award You can expect a luxurious and comfortable stay in spacious rooms and suites A plane crashed into an alleyway in west Texas on Tuesday morning injuring others and burning mobile homes to the ground The crash happened around 7 a.m. in Odessa, causing multiple structure fires, according to Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis. Fire crew rescued a woman from a burning mobile home, and she was taken to a hospital "Witnesses have said that they saw the plane struggling to get altitude clipped power lines and ultimately crashed in the alleyway," Griffis told reporters "There was a large fire after some explosions." Witnesses saw the plane moving away from some houses before crashing adding that it's "obvious the pilot attempted to avoid the houses." The cause of the crash is under investigation according to the Federal Aviation Administration The small aircraft traveled nearly an entire block before hitting the ground Odessa Fire Chief Jason Cotton said at a news conference The aircraft was a Cessna Citation business jet that took off from the Odessa-Schlemeyer Field Airport before crashing into the mobile home park according to the National Transportation Safety Board The NTSB and the FAA will investigate the cause of the crash.