What Do Toilets Have to Do With It? Health, the Environment, and the Working Poor in Rural South Texas Colonias

Abstract

This paper develops and tests an environmental health ecological framework between the quality of infrastructure, utilities and resident’s practices to health problems reported in three Nueces County, Texas <em>colonias. Populated by predominantly low-income, minority families, these peri-urban settlements are characterized by substandard housing, lacking traditional sewage systems, potable drinking water and pluvial drainage. It was hypothesized that those without indoor toilets, pluvial drainage and regular garbage collection would be more likely to report health problems. The study found that keeping trash for over a week was statistically related to gastrointestinal illness and eye infections. Having indoor toilets in conjunction with substandard septic tanks was statistically related to gastrointestinal illness, respiratory problems and skin infections. The lack of pluvial drainage was statistically significantly, while not related to a particular disease. The argument is made that flooding problems may have contributed to the sanitation problems. Specifically, drainage problems affect the septic tanks and cause backflow to the indoor toilets. Although a small sample, the findings show that people who live in <em>colonias are at risk for disease because structural measures to improve sanitation are not available

How do you warn them if they speak only Spanish? Challenges for organizations in communicating risk to Colonias residents in Texas, USA

“…More recently, alerts were issued for the West Nile virus pandemic and national concerns with the spread of H1N1 (swine flu) among Colonias residents. Because of the poor sanitary conditions in the Colonias, efforts are underway since the late 1990s and early 2000, to improve substandard housing conditions, and sewage and waste disposal, in border towns to curb the spread of vector borne diseases (Rios and Meyer, 2009 Considering these demographic characteristics and the inadequate infrastructure of the region (Rios and Meyer, 2009), it is assumed the availability of advanced communication technology devices (e.g. internet and access to city portals) will be relatively low, while the traditional channels of receiving risk information through word of mouth, public events, TV, and radio broadcasts in Spanish would be more valued.…”

“…More recently, alerts were issued for the West Nile virus pandemic and national concerns with the spread of H1N1 (swine flu) among Colonias residents. Because of the poor sanitary conditions in the Colonias, efforts are underway since the late 1990s and early 2000, to improve substandard housing conditions, and sewage and waste disposal, in border towns to curb the spread of vector borne diseases (Rios and Meyer, 2009). Characteristic of many US-Mexico border counties, Hidalgo County has 89.4 percent Hispanic, 8.8 percent White, 0.5 percent Black, and 1.3 percent of the population composed of some other race (US Census, 2010).…”

“…Considering these demographic characteristics and the inadequate infrastructure of the region (Rios and Meyer, 2009), it is assumed the availability of advanced communication technology devices (e.g. internet and access to city portals) will be relatively low, while the traditional channels of receiving risk information through word of mouth, public events, TV, and radio broadcasts in Spanish would be more valued.…”

A Structural Equation Model to Decipher Relationships among Water, Sanitation, and Health in Colonias-Type Unincorporated Communities

“…Many of the estimated 400 000 residents of Texas colonias rely on a water supply that is either inadequate or of questionable quality. , Those who are off-the-grid (i.e., lack access to centralized drinking water and wastewater treatment systems) either haul water or utilize household groundwater wells . Many of these wells were built to meet immediate needs (i.e., not to code) and are shallow; they also can be contaminated by poor sanitation practices or by naturally occurring minerals like arsenic. ,, Public health concerns were evident in these communities in the 1990s, when cholera outbreaks were rampant in many colonias . These episodic outbreaks prompted state regulations that imposed restrictions to such settlements. , The forced improvements to housing infrastructure have made an apparent enhancement in the living conditions. ,, …”

“…Despite these housing improvements, efforts have been insufficient, particularly with respect to the provision of safe and adequate drinking water. Such communities tend to have substandard septic systems, which correlate with gastrointestinal illnesses, respiratory problems, skin infections, and intestinal parasites. , These ailments also can be related to water availability, a known issue in the colonias due to their lack of infrastructure; this lack of access leads to packaged (i.e., pre-bottled or refilled) drinking water purchases . For example, households ( n = 71) in the colonias of Hidalgo County, Texas, reported spending an average of 7% of their income to purchase water from vending machines to refill water containers .…”