Got water?

Got
water?
If Andrew Ramirez Robertson is involved,
chances are the water will be running
…………………………………………………………………

BY TRACEY RHOADES
Special to the Rice News

Turn a knob,
twist a cap or push a button and it’s there: water
— clean and ready to drink. Simple, isn’t it?
For countless residents living along the 1,248-mile Texas–Mexico
border, though, obtaining life’s basic necessity is
an arduous, unhealthy and sometimes impossible task. But
Andrew Ramírez Robertson ’94 is making the process
not only possible, he’s making it easier.

A chemistry
major at Rice, Robertson planned to join the Peace Corps
following graduation. During his senior year, however, he
heard about colonias, the low-income border communities
that stretch from South Texas to Southern California. Intrigued
and anxious to know more about the rural subdivisions, Robertson
immediately sought out additional information. His findings
were so disturbing that he abandoned his earlier plans and
spent his final semester strategizing how to improve colonia
residents’ way of life.

After graduating
from Rice, Robertson went to The University of Texas for
a master’s degree in environmental engineering. The
following summer, he experienced firsthand what it was like
to live without fundamental services like water and electricity
when he traveled to Tocomacho, a small, coastal fishing
village in Honduras. There Robertson hoped to implement
a prototype system that he had developed to improve the
village’s sanitation and protect the drinking water.
“I had this crazy notion that I could single-handedly
save the world,” Robertson recalled.

Inexperience
and lack of time hampered Robertson’s efforts, but
those few months in Tocomacho greatly impacted his future
endeavors. “I learned — the hard way — how
to organize and implement community-based projects, what
works and what doesn’t.” And, after suffering
a two-month bout of amoebic dysentery in a land without
toilet facilities, Robertson learned another valuable lesson:
the importance of a sanitary water supply.

At the end of
his stay in Honduras, Robertson was more determined than
ever to work with border towns. He contacted state agencies
that work with colonias, and his inquiries led him to Border
WaterWorks, a nonprofit group that had just been established.
After earning his master’s of science, Robertson was
hired as program manager for the fledgling organization,
and he and his wife, Rossana ’93, moved to McAllen,
Texas, fewer than 10 miles from the border.

Affiliated with
the El Paso Community Foundation and primarily funded by
the Pew Charitable Trusts, Border WaterWorks’ mission
is to aid colonia residents by promoting community-based
self-help construction projects. Colonia residents contribute
the physical labor, organization, leadership skills and
their own money for neighborhood improvements. In return,
Border WaterWorks provides guidance and low-interest financing
for the supplies, equipment and engineering design needed
to build community water and sewer systems. Robertson, who
is a strong advocate of community-based projects, said,
“When individuals in a community unite and take matters
into their own hands, change is not only possible, it’s
inevitable.”

With 60 percent
of Texas colonias located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley,
Robertson didn’t have far to go. One of the poorest
areas in the nation, the Texas border has a population that
continues to grow at an enormous rate. As a result, affordable
housing is scarce, forcing settlers to live in one of approximately
1,400 colonias. Composed of ramshackle dwellings, many colonias
are constructed in flood plains with no surface drainage
systems, and according to the Border Low Income Housing
Coalition, about half lack adequate water supplies. Education
levels are low, and illnesses such as hepatitis, salmonella,
dysentery and tuberculosis are much higher among residents
in Texas colonias than in other Texas communities.

Undaunted by
such staggering statistics, Robertson assumed his role on
the 12-person staff and went straight to the trenches. Using
the knowledge he had garnered in Tocomacho, he began contacting
colonias and offering assistance. Being a new employee with
a grassroots organization posed a few obstacles for Robertson,
though. “Nobody had ever completed a self-help water
or sewer project in a colonia before,” Robertson explained,
“so in the beginning, I had to do a lot of convincing.”
Robertson persisted, and after numerous failed attempts,
he finally succeeded.

As he did with
other colonias, Robertson tentatively approached residents
from El Nopal, a colonia located between the cities of Alamo
and Donna in Hidalgo County. They, too, were reluctant to
listen and wary of Robertson’s offers because the subdivision’s
developer had promised to provide them with water many years
before. Once the residents paid for their lots, however,
the developer backed out and the colonia remained waterless.
“The El Nopal residents were not inclined to trust
outsiders after that,” Robertson said, “especially
gringos promising water.”

Because the
majority of El Nopal residents are migrant workers, Robertson
had to communicate with the neighborhood leaders, who work
in Michigan during the summer months, over the phone. “I
think that I actually won their confidence when no one was
home,” he admitted. “The fact that I called them
in Michigan made them realize that I was serious and was
willing to see the project through.” When the El Nopal
residents returned to Texas in the fall, they worked together
and, with Robertson’s guidance, built a water system.

Since then,
Robertson’s days have been anything but dull. From
building a water system to staking a water line in the desert
to getting in the trenches with a construction crew, Robertson
has been personally involved. He now is inundated with daily
requests for assistance, a sharp contrast to his first few
months on the job. Through it all, Robertson remains enthusiastic
about his work. “I have about the best job in the world,”
he said. “The most rewarding part is meeting people
who are passionate about making a difference. It’s
an honor to be able to help guide people through the process
of taking their dream and making it real.”

As if Robertson
didn’t have enough to keep him busy, a chance encounter
in 1998 brought much-needed attention to the colonias and
propelled Robertson into the political arena. Following
a tour of colonias by then Texas Secretary of State Elton
Bomer, Robertson was offered a job. He declined but Bomer
persisted, wanting to know if Robertson had ever testified
before the legislature. He asked Robertson if he would be
willing to go to Austin and speak on behalf of colonia residents.
Thinking that Bomer meant in the future, Robertson accepted.
“I told him that I would be interested,” Robertson
remembered, “and the next day I was on a plane.”

Robertson stipulated
that a colonia leader accompany him to the Capitol. An attorney
walked them through the process, and together they decided
which issues needed to be addressed. Since then, Robertson
has made numerous trips to Austin, where he has played a
key role in passing legislation that allows all Texas border
residents access to basic services like water, sewer and
electricity. “This legislation passed thanks to the
efforts of leaders from the communities that will be affected
by it,” Robertson said. “Part of the process is
residents learning to speak out for their communities, and
they’ve done a tremendous job.”

Despite a tumultuous
start, Robertson has gained the confidence and admiration
of many. In November 2000, he was rewarded for his hard
work and dedication when he received a Do Something BRICK
Award recognizing him as one of America’s best young
community leaders. Robertson, who attended the awards ceremony
in New York City, was selected from more than 400 applicants
nationwide. In addition to being recognized for his work,
Robertson received a $10,000 grant for his community initiatives.

The annual award,
sponsored by Do Something, a national nonprofit organization,
and Rolling Stone magazine, was established in 1996 as a
way to honor and financially support the best young leaders
in America under age 30. “Winning the BRICK Award was
amazing,” Robertson said. “It made me really think
about what I’m doing and the impact it’s having
in a more philosophical way. I spend so much time focusing
on construction schedules and PVC pipes that I sometimes
forget that.”

Shortly after
Robertson received his much-deserved accolade, the Austin
American-Statesman included a write-up about it and his
ongoing work with colonias. As luck would have it, State
Rep. Miguel “Mike” Wise from Weslaco read the
article, and he now is backing legislation to help colonia
residents with water and sewer projects.

While Robertson
admitted that all of his projects have been rewarding, one
particular colonia remains special. In 1998, Rosy Díaz,
a resident of Johnny Subdivision, a small colonia near Brownsville,
Texas, approached Robertson. For 15 years, Díaz and
the other residents did not have running water or indoor
plumbing. Bathroom facilities were outhouses, and the existing
water supply came from irrigation ditches that flowed from
the Rio Grande. The water, which was hauled in 55-gallon
drums, was full of pesticides, raw sewage and industrial
waste, and despite boiling the water, residents routinely
suffered from ear infections and upset stomachs. “Even
though they didn’t have bathrooms,” Robertson
said, “they had a lot of energy and motivation.”

For the next
year and a half, Robertson worked with Díaz and her
neighbors to complete the necessary paperwork, plans and
approvals for such an undertaking. Besides a community water
line, residents were slated to get septic tanks and bathrooms
complete with toilets, sinks and showers. However, the $20,000
price tag was a daunting figure for families earning between
$7,000 to $11,000 a year. So to further reduce costs, the
community banded together and agreed that everyone would
lend a hand.

After working
long hours at nearby factories, residents returned home
and dug ditches, laid pipe and installed bathtubs. And with
assistance from Robertson, the water company, the health
department and various charities, they got the job done.
“On New Year’s Eve 1998, the residents turned
the water on,” Robertson said, “and celebrated
with a ceremonial glass of water from the kitchen sink.”

Since making
his mark along the Texas–Mexico border, Robertson and
his wife have relocated to Albuquerque, N.M., where he continues
his work. In addition to helping New Mexico colonias, Robertson
also is involved with Native American tribes. While their
problems are similar to those of colonia residents, Robertson
admits that working in New Mexico has been even more challenging.
“It is the 49th poorest state,” Robertson said,
“so the government funds just aren’t there. And
since the Native American tribes are sovereign nations,
there are two national governments to work with.”

In addition
to working with various tribes in New Mexico, Robertson
is finishing the pro bono design of a water system for residents
in Yamaranguila, Honduras. In his spare time, Robertson
volunteers with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
mentoring program and, with help from his Navajo friends,
is learning to speak the Navajo language. “Who says
this job doesn’t have its perks?” he said.

The next time
you go to the faucet, turn it on, fill a glass with water
and raise it to Robertson — kudos for a job well done.

— Tracey
Rhoades is the editor of Owlmanac.