The Eagle Pass Water Works System (EPWWS) provides the Eagle Pass community with an abundance of safe drinking water through the removal of wastewater and its byproducts in an environmentally conscious way. Jorge Barrera serves as general manager of Eagle Pass Water Works, which provides water to more than 19,000 customers in the city of Eagle Pass and in Maverick County.
In addition to their utility services, EPWWS also provides community development through the Eagle Pass Water Warrior program, which was created in April of 2023 to deliver an exciting and effective youth development program to high school students through leadership workshops and experiences.
This program is available to high school students in the Eagle Pass Independent School District. To apply, interested students submit a written application and complete the interview process. Barrera has been instrumental in helping expand the Eagle Pass Water Warrior program, cultivating the next generation of water leaders.
“Without water there is no life, there’s no growth, there’s no economic development,” Barrera said. “That is why we need to identify and prepare leaders within the water industry.”
At its core: water and leadership
The Eagle Pass Water Warrior program hosts monthly meetings and high-impact experiences for its students to attend to learn more about the basics of water and leadership.
“We get local leaders such as our state representative, mayor, city manager or county judge to come and talk to them, sharing their leadership experiences and insights,” he said. “I am very impressed with the presentations they’ve given to our students. These local leaders help them see how leadership works in real life.”
When local leaders aren’t presenting to the students, the Eagle Pass Water Warrior program seeks to provide them with hands-on experiences through industry visits and other field trips.
“We’re taking them to the water plant, sewer plant and the police department,” Barrera said. “Next month we’ll host a ‘shadow a leader’ day, where 15 community leaders will mentor students, and end with a presentation by the City of Eagle Pass Mayor.”
In addition to their bi-monthly meetings, the Eagle Pass Water Warrior program provides students with the opportunity to build upon their policy-making knowledge and advocacy skills. During this project, the program pairs students up, usually one from each high school, and prompts them to develop a water conservation campaign that will be presented to their state representative and senator in Austin, Texas.
“They meet on their own, create their own videos, and then present their projects to local leaders in December before their end-of-year trip to Austin,” Barrera said.
Making an impact
Although the program is only in its third year, the Eagle Pass Water Warrior program has played a significant role in the community. “We’ve done different events to help the community,” Barrera said. “Our students have painted fire hydrants, volunteered at local events, and taken part in community service projects.”
In addition to receiving career development experiences, the students are also growing a water-consciousness that seems to be contagious, he said. “Before, many didn’t give water much thought,” Barrera said. “Now they pay attention; I’ve had parents tell me their kids have even changed their families’ water-use habits because of this program.”
And while community is important, the foundational purpose of this program is to support the personal and professional growth of high school students through impactful and hands-on leadership opportunities.
“A lot of these kids have never had opportunities like this,” Barrera said. “They come from different backgrounds and seeing how rewarding these experiences are for them makes you feel proud.”
As the program continues to grow and becomes more noticed by students, schools and other water organizations, Barrera continues to prioritize the students’ leadership development.
“To have a leadership group that is growing so quickly and gaining recognition in our community is a big deal for us,” he said. “We’ve become a guiding tool to help these high school leaders develop innovative, creative leadership styles and to promote active participation in our community,”
