“At least six small cities and towns in the Coastal Bend region of Texas issued disaster declarations in the last two weeks, begging not to be forgotten amid a spiraling water crisis…

Alice, however, expects to fare better than other communities. Last July it cut ribbons on a groundwater desalination plant, a decade in the making, owned and operated by an investor-backed water treatment company called Seven Seas.

‘They have a profit margin,’ said Alice City Manager Michael Esparza. ‘We are paying a private company to do something for us. It’s no different than we do with a lot of things. Although, this one is pretty big because it’s our water.’

Furthermore, he said, little Alice lacks the technical expertise to maintain and operate such an advanced facility.”

From The Texas Tribune.