Watco’s KAW Helps Battle New Mexico’s Water Crisis

Extending not quite 24 miles, the Kaw River Railroad (KAW) is a relatively small participant in a big undertaking: delivering clean water to people in desperate need.

The KAW recently began leasing track and switching tank cars in Missouri as part of a pilot project that’s taking clean drinking water to the southwestern U.S., where water is scarce. Drought and poor water quality are among the ongoing issues that hamper the existing supply, and a pipeline solution has been deemed too costly. The KAW’s customer is water.international of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, which is teaming up with Pennsylvania charitable organization Jacob’s Well Water Services. water.international supplies the water, Jacob’s Well supplies the tank cars.

Together, they furnish water to another charitable organization that serves part of the Eastern Navajo Nation: St. Bonaventure Indian Mission & School in Thoreau, New Mexico. Jacob’s Well has coordinated a water supply for the mission for two years, moving tens of thousands of gallons each month from Mississippi via the BNSF Railway. Now, the KAW has become part of the relief effort.

The KAW’s involvement started after water.international contacted Jacob’s Well to see if water. international could help supply water for Navajo Nation. As the two organizations explored the idea of water.international supplying the vital resource from Missouri, they conducted feasibility studies for several potential loading locations with accessible water sources near a spur or siding. Upon finding a suitable location in Liberty, Missouri, they reached out to BNSF, which referred them to KAW Sales Manager Shellee Currier. She and the KAW team identified a workable solution. “During our internal conversations,” she said, “we confirmed that the Liberty siding was going to be ideal. The location meets capacity needs and has close proximity to a water hydrant.”

The team outlined a plan, which began in the spring: The BNSF delivers empty tank cars to Birmingham Yard in Kansas City, Missouri, where the KAW picks them up and brings them north to Liberty for water.international to load. The KAW then returns the loaded cars to Birmingham Yard, where BNSF completes the move to Thoreau. When the tank cars arrive, tanker trucks offload water directly from the railcars and make deliveries to about 250 families. The tank cars then return to Missouri to repeat the cycle.

“We’re pleased to be part of this effort,” said KAW General Manager Brandon Craddock. “Right now, we’re moving only about a car a month of potable water. We’re hoping for as many as 25 cars a month of potable drinking water out of Liberty in the future.”

The KAW will be part of the next pilot to bring additional aid to the reservation. That’s scheduled to get underway sometime in the fourth quarter. It will involve taking six or seven carloads of water and a boxcar of hay each week to reservation ranchers for their cattle. The growth potential is 30,000 bales of hay annually.