February 20, 2026
Board Members: Sara Edwards, Matt Tillman, Morgan Irvin, Mary Robinson, Steve Werner
Today, we officially signed the documents confirming approval of the $999,000.00 USDA ECWAG Grant for DeBerry Water Supply Corporation. This is one of the largest and hardest to obtain grants available to rural systems like ours—and WE DID IT.
This funding covers land acquisition, test wells, two production wells, fencing, roadwork, generators, electrical upgrades, and a new 4-inch raw water line. For a system our size, this is historic.
HOW WE GOT HERE — THE WORK NO ONE SEES
For decades, everyone knew DeBerry desperately needed new wells, but no progress was ever made. We aren’t saying it’s because some people didn’t try but the work to get here was and still is overwhelming and we are unpaid Volunteers. Over the last 18 months, your board worked day and night to clean up years of missing well data, complete financial and water-loss audits, correct system inaccuracies, attend Water Meetings and present our case and need for advocacy, hours of Zoom meetings with experts who informed us of all the things that were done wrong and how to correct them, and rebuild the detailed documentation required to even qualify for federal funding.
It was hard. It was tedious. And it mattered—because this community and your right to safe, reliable water matters. That is why we all ran for the Board and why we continue to show up every day.
Even our engineer warned us early on that this type of grant is rarely approved. I still remember the day Matt Tillman and I pushed back on a call with the consultant and engineer. We told them, “If you will partner with us, we will do the work.”
And we did.
Thank you to Paul King with Texas Rural Water Association who encouraged us to push back when we were being told it wasn’t possible.
We are profoundly grateful to Kyle Stephens Engineering for giving us that chance—and for sticking with us even when the workload was intense. His phone has not stopped ringing since.
With years of missing well history, Shawn with C. Miller Drilling stepped up and worked with us to rebuild essential records. Because of that teamwork—and because you, our members, never stopped advocating—the USDA finally had the evidence they needed to say YES.
THIS IS HISTORIC FOR DEBERRY
This grant is truly historic for DeBerry because without it, the full cost of new wells would have fallen directly on the people who live here. Unlike cities, DeBerry WSC does not receive tax dollars, we cannot issue bonds, and we have no outside revenue streams. We are funded entirely by our members.
That means every major project—every pipe, every repair, every well—comes straight from the pockets of the families who rely on this system.
To put this into perspective:
If we had been forced to take out a loan for these wells, the interest alone over 40 years would have cost more than the price of one of the wells—and long before that loan was paid off, we would already be needing new wells again. That burden would have been placed entirely on this community.
This board refused to accept that. We chose the harder path—grant funding—because we knew our members simply could not and should not bear the long-term financial weight of a project this large.
This $999,000 federal award—part of the $1,079,000 total in grants we’ve secured over the past 18 months—protects our members from decades of debt and makes it possible to finally build the reliable, sustainable water system DeBerry has needed for years.
TO OUR COMMUNITY — YOU MADE THIS POSSIBLE
This achievement is not just a win for the board—it is a victory for every member of this community who chose to stand with us from the very beginning.
To the people who donated their time, their tools, their labor, and even their own money to help rebuild fences, update election policies, clear brush, fix neighbors’ lines, and support every effort we made—you were just as impactful as any board member. You didn’t need a title to make a difference. You simply cared about your community and stepped forward.
To those who answered late-night calls, who showed up when we needed extra hands, who checked on neighbors’ meters during storms, who shared your water photos so we had evidence we needed—you are the reason we kept pushing when the work felt impossible.
To every member who sent a text, made a call, asked questions, donated, attended meetings, encouraged us, or advocated for this system: thank you. This grant belongs to all of us.
And to Ronda with USDA, who we updated every single month, who listened, who believed in our community, and who literally chased people down hallways fighting on our behalf—you are a true champion for DeBerry.
She fought because we showed her your photos, your water, your reality—and she knew this community didn’t just want better; you deserved better.
There were moments when regulations and federal scoring made approval feel impossible. There were moments when even Ronda questioned whether she could push it through. But every time she told us what she needed, and every time she said “it’s not enough,” we refused to take no for an answer. We found more documentation, more evidence, more history—and we got it into her hands.
And even to those who doubted us—and still do—this win is for all of us. Because this is your water system, your community, and your future.
This wasn’t luck. This wasn’t coincidence. This was a community that refused to give up on itself.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
- Land acquisition is already underway.
- We are revising some USDA-required language before closing.
- After closing, we move to test wells, followed by design, bidding, and federal approval at each step.
- The process is slow, but we are working on alternate pathways to shorten what we can.
Yes, we still face challenges.
Just yesterday, we learned we no longer qualify for another funding source due to how the census counts unincorporated areas. But every time we hit a wall, we find a way to climb it. We will keep pushing and fighting for what DeBerry deserves.
But today—we celebrate.
Because for years we were told, “It can’t happen.”
Today, we proved it can.
DeBerry Water Supply is officially on the path toward reliable, sustainable, long-term water security.
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR BOARD PRESIDENT
This board promised to do what was right for this community, and we asked for your patience because the work behind the scenes is enormous. Rebuilding a water system doesn’t happen in public meetings—it happens in audits, spreadsheets, field logs, engineering calls, and persistent follow-up that no one sees.
As your Board President, I carry the weight of your trust every day. But no one person could have done this alone.
I want to thank the board members — Matt Tillman, Morgan Irvin, Mary Robinson, Steve Werner, and Tammy Walters — who believed in the direction we were heading and chose action over excuses. Their commitment helped produce the results we are celebrating today.
I hope to continue serving you, finish what we have started, and secure every opportunity possible for this community’s future.
YOUR VOTE MATTERS
Progress like this doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens because community members vote for people who show up, do the work, and refuse to give up on DeBerry.
Please VOTE.
And please join us at the Annual Meeting on March 7th at 11AM.
This is your water system. We want to meet you, hear your concerns, answer your questions, and continue building the future of DeBerry—together.
