No Pressure, No Answers: Marlinʼs Water System in Crisis
While boil notices and city water issues are not new problems to Marlin residents, the continuous, cyclical nature of water system failures is escalating feelings of frustration in the community.
On July 29, the City of Marlin issued its third citywide boil notice of 2025, again caused by pressure in water towers dropping below 20 PSI. The pressure drop has been attributed to the many leaks, known and unknown, throughout the city’s water distribution system.
The City of Marlin’s Facebook posts announcing the latest boil notice and Stage 4 of the city’s Drought Contingency Plan got several disgruntled comments from residents, “This is beyond ridiculous, the lack of accountability to these issues is astounding!! The most basic need of people can’t even be met!” said Kaiti Moyers.
Melissa Douglass asked, “City of Marlin, can you provide a little more info on the situation? Are the repairs at the plant the ones that have been on going for awhile, or are these new issues? Will lower water to no pressure be expected at any time city-wide?”
The City of Marlin Facebook page did not respond directly to any comments on these posts.
Though the city has provided a contact number for inquiries regarding water issues, multiple calls during business hours on Friday and Monday went unanswered, with no option to leave a voicemail or callback number.
About a dozen locals entertained my questions about their feelings on the water problems, and while some agreed to speak with me, none wanted to do so on the record. In several instances, locals expressed feelings of frustrated helplessness. Many seemed jaded or resigned to the situation, and a couple of residents stated they continue to pray about it and “give it to God”.
Former Marlin resident and recently retired pastor of Gospel Lighthouse Church (GLC) Rob Reyes, remembers the thriving city of his childhood, but recognizes that past leadership didn’t plan for the future; they lived for the day. Unfortunately, that trend has continued.
“We’ve tried to duct tape and bandage as much as we can, and many organizations in town are trying to do their part, but the question always arises, what is the city itself giving, what is the city doing to really change the situation and get a new water plant?” Reyes asked. “What is the plan? Is there a plan? There has been money allotted; nobody knows where that money goes, and nobody knows how it is spent. When are things going to become more transparent?”
These answers have yet to be realized, and Water Supervisor Richard Cohrs stated he cannot speak with news organizations on the matter without authorization from the acting City Manager, Justin Parker.
Keep an eye on future editions of the Marlin Democrat as the search for answers and transparency continues.
A LOOK BACK
Marlin Mayor Susan R.
Byrd wrote letters to Texas Governor Greg Abbott back in December 2024 and again in January, citing significant threats to health and property due to extreme failures in the water distribution and infrastructure system, and asking him to declare a State of Emergency for Marlin.
“The problem is a large number of leaks, presently believed to be 12 or 13, in the City’s antiquated water distribution system that have caused the City to run out of water with further consequential damages to the City’s water plant, wastewater plant, roads and thorough fares, public buildings including the Fire Department and local Hospital, private residences, commercial buildings, etc.,” Byrd said in the January letter.
“This incident, the fifth in twelve months, is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capability of the City of Marlin to control.
Further, and frankly, this little rural community is broke and cannot continue to absorb the high costs of band-aid fixes to an antiquated infrastructure.”
In April, city crews clamped off an old service line and relocated another line, providing advance notice to residents in areas that would face temporary disruptions to service.
Despite these efforts, the Mesquite Water Tower fell below 20 PSI on April 29, and the city again called for a boil notice.
On May 3, Abbott responded with the Declaration of a State of Disaster in Falls County, and issued a proclamation certifying that a catastrophic failure of the City of Marlin’s public drinking water system resulted in a water outage that poses an imminent threat to public health and safety in Falls County.
Portable water treatment plants arrived on May 8.
Local organizations and churches stepped up to help however possible, distributing pallets of water, providing shower trailers, laundry units and meals to the community while the city worked to plumb the mobile water plant to the city’s water source and clear well. By May 12, the laundry, shower and meal units were demobilized, as well as the portable water tanks.
A water leak at the intersection of Houghton & Bryden was repaired on May 15, along with a 6” water main on Park St. that had been struck by a contract service.
The city reduced water conservation measures to Stage 2 on May 22, but kept the boil notice in effect until July 2.
Before the month’s end, on July 29, the city again issued a boil notice.
“The City of Marlin is working hard to bring the system back to the correct pressure,” the city posted on Facebook with news of the boil notice. “Leaks have been identified and they are currently working on them. Four leaks were already repaired yesterday and more are being worked on today. The water plant has had some repairs to help bring a higher water flow as well.”