[Service Delivery Committee on March 25, 2026.]
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WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED AT THIS MEETING OF THE SERVICE DELIVERY, UH, COMMITTEE OF CITY COUNCIL.
I'M VICE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE.
I'LL BE FILLING IN FOR, UH, COMMITTEE CHAIR TARSHA JACKSON.
AND WITH US TODAY, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, SALLY ALCORN AND AMY PECK, AS WELL AS STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S OFFICE AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, WE APPEAR TO HAVE A QUORUM, HOWEVER, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE TAKING ANY OFFICIAL VOTES, SO, UH, WE'LL BE PLEASED TO HEAR, UH, THE COMMITTEE PRESENTATION.
TODAY WE HAVE WITH US ONE ITEM OF BUSINESS, AND THAT'S A PRESENTATION ON THE TRINITY RIVER WATER CONVEYANCE SYSTEM, CATTLE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT.
AND WE HAVE HERE, UH, DREW MOLLY, WHO IS CHIEF WATER OFFICER FOR THE CITY, AND GABE CIO, SENIOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE A THIRD GENTLEMAN, MR. GREG INGER.
MR. GREG INGER FROM COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY, GREG INGER FROM THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY.
ALRIGHT, DREW, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND YOU CAN, UH, PROCEED WHEN YOU'RE READY.
UH, AS, AS JUST MENTIONED, MY NAME IS DREW MOLLY, CHIEF WATER OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO, TO BE HERE TODAY, UH, TO PRESENT SOME KEY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT, UH, THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY IS, UH, IS IMPLEMENTING, UH, AS MENTIONED.
CAN I JUST STOP YOU FOR A MINUTE, DREW, YOU'RE FAIRLY NEW TO THE CITY.
AM AM I RIGHT ON THAT? I, I AM.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF BRIEFLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR EXPERIENCE A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UM, I, I WORKED FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR ABOUT 16 YEARS.
IN, UH, 2022, I TOOK A POSITION DOWN AT THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, WHERE I WAS THE CHIEF, UH, OPERATING OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI.
UH, WORKED THERE FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS AND, UH, CAME BACK VERY EXCITED TO BE BACK HOME.
I, YOU KNOW, SPENT A LOT OF YEARS LIVING IN HOUSTON.
I, I CONSIDER HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, SO IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK.
WELL, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK.
SO, UH, AS, AS MENTIONED, COUNCILMAN, I'M JOINED HERE BY GREG INGER, WHO'S THE GENERAL MANAGER FOR COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY, AND THEN GABE GABRIEL CIO, WHO'S OUR SENIOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, IN DRINKING WATER OPERATIONS.
I, I DO WANNA MENTION THAT, THAT PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING HERE, THAT, IN TERMS OF THE, THE FINANCES AND THE BUDGETS, THAT, THAT HAS ALL BEEN APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL LAST MONTH.
SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COME, UH, BASICALLY, UH, PRESENT, UH, AND SORT OF, KIND OF A REFRESH ON THE PROJECTS THAT COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY IS GONNA BE IMPLEMENTING.
UM, SO I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO JUST SORT OF AS A REFRESHER, LET, LET ME BEGIN BY, UM, JUST PROVIDING YOU WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, UH, ON, ON THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY.
SO THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY IS A CONSERVATION AND RECLAMATION DISTRICT.
UM, THEY, THEY WERE CREATED IN 1967.
UH, IT'S BASICALLY GOVERNED BY A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD, UH, FOUR APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON, AND THEN THREE APPOINTEES BY THE, UH, GOVERNOR OF TEXAS.
SO, THE PRIMARY PURPOSE, UH, THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF CIWA IS TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE, UH, PUMP STATIONS, CANALS, AND PIPELINES, WHICH, UH, AND THEN BASICALLY DELIVER SURFACE WATER.
THAT SURFACE WATER IS OWNED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THAT SURFACE WATER IS ULTIMATELY DELIVERED TO THREE MUNICIPAL, UH, DRINKING WATER FACILITIES.
THIS, THE NORTHEAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT, THE SOUTHEAST PLANT, THE EAST WATER PLANT.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, UH, OUR INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS IS ALSO SUPPLIED THIS WATER.
IT BASICALLY RANGES ANYWHERE BETWEEN ONE AND 1.5 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER A DAY.
SO THESE ARE THE PROJECTS, THE, THE SUMMARY OF THE TRINITY RIVER CONVEYANCE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE, UM, GONNA PRESENT TO YOU TODAY AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT.
SO THESE ARE THE THREE PROJECTS.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, IS, UH, FACILITY BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS, UH, TOTALED AT $36.417 MILLION.
THERE IS A TRINITY RIVER SYSTEM SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION COMPONENT TO THIS AT $6 MILLION.
AND THEN LASTLY, THERE'S, UH, SOME ACCESS ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AT THE TRINITY RIVER PUMP STATION, UH, AT VALUED AT $4 MILLION.
SO THE TOTAL, UH, INVESTMENT ACROSS THESE THREE PACKAGES IS $46.417 MILLION.
SO ALL OF THESE, UH, PROJECTS HAVE MULTI-YEAR DELIVERY IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE, UH, THE TIMELINE, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE FACILITY BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT IS ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE 2027, AS WELL AS THE TRINITY RIVER,
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UH, SCADA SYSTEM.AND THEN THE, UH, TRINITY RIVER PUMP STATION ACCESS ROAD IS SCHEDULED TO BE DELIVERED BY 2026 THIS YEAR.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MORE KEY, UH, SLIDES THAT I, I WANTED TO JUST RUN THROUGH A LITTLE BIT.
IT, IT'S, IT'S A MAP OF THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY, UH, RAW WATER SYSTEM.
AND I, I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE ON THIS IS YOU CAN SEE KIND OF IN THE CENTER AT THE VERY TOP, IS THE LARGEST RESERVOIR THAT WE, UH, WE OWN AND OPERATE, OR ACTUALLY WE OWN IT.
UH, TRINITY RIVER, UH, ACTUALLY OPERATES IT, BUT IT'S A, A 1.8 MILLION ACRE FEET, UH, RESERVOIR BY, BY LAND SIZE.
IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST RESERVOIR IN, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, AND THEN IN TERMS OF JUST CAPACITY SIZE, IT'S ABOUT THE SEVENTH LARGEST RESERVOIR.
SO WATER FROM LAKE LIVINGSTON ESSENTIALLY FLOWS OUT, UH, OF, OF THE LAKE THROUGH A DAM.
AND THAT WATER IS CONVEYED ALL THE WAY DOWN.
AND YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, THE RIVER AS FAR AS HOW THAT WATER CONVEYS DOWN.
AND, AND AS IT, AS IT GOES DOWN THE TRINITY RIVER, THERE'S A COUPLE OFFSHOOTS TO THAT, UH, CONVEYANCE SYSTEM.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE CAPERS RIDGE PUMP STATION.
MANY OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT PUMP STATION.
IT'S A RELATIVELY NEW PUMP STATION BUILT, UH, IN 2020.
AND, UH, THAT CAPERS RIDGE PUMP STATION HAS THE CAPACITY TO DIVERT ABOUT 500 MILLION GALLONS A DAY, UP TO, UH, OVER TO LAKE HOUSTON.
UH, AND THEN WATER CONTINUES DOWN THE TRINITY RIVER, ULTIMATELY TO THE TRINITY RIVER PUMP STATION, WHERE THEN THERE'S A, A SERIES OF CANALS, UH, THAT TAKE, UH, UP TO ONE 1.3 BILLION GALLONS A DAY OF WATER THAT THEN FLOWS DOWN TO EITHER INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS OR TO OUR LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT IS, UH, ON THE EASTERN MOST EXTENT OF OUR RAW WATER CONVEYANCE SYSTEM.
AND THEN WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS MAP IS YOU'LL SEE, UH, TWO OTHER LAKES, UH, ONE BEING LAKE CONROE, WHICH IS ABOUT A 430,000 ACRE FOOT RESERVOIR.
THAT'S ON THE SAN JACINTO RIVER, UH, RIVER WATERSHED.
UH, AND THEN DOWN SOUTH OF THAT IS OF COURSE, LAKE HOUSTON.
UM, ON THIS MAP ALSO, YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE ARE THREE SURFACE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, THE EAST PLANT, NORTHEAST PLANT, SOUTHEAST PLANT.
AND THEN THOSE, THOSE FACILITIES CONVEY, TREAT THE WATER FOR MUNICIPAL NEEDS AND TRANSPORT THAT WATER ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE CITY.
SO, THE TRINITY RIVER PUMP STATION, UH, IT IS THE HEART OF THE CONVEYANCE SYSTEM.
IT IS THE LARGEST RAW WATER PUMP STATION IN TEXAS WITH APPROXIMATELY 1.1 BILLION GALLONS OF CAPACITY.
UM, IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1972, AND IT'S LOCATED ON THE WESTERN, UH, BANK OF THE TRINITY RIVER.
YOU CAN SEE THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE PUMP STATION.
YOU CAN SEE THE MAIN CANAL IN THE BACKGROUND WHERE THE WATER IS ESSENTIALLY LIFTED OUTTA THE RIVER AND THEN CONVEYED INTO THE, THE 22 MILE CANAL SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS, UH, THE MAIN CANAL FROM THE TRINITY RIVER PUMP STATION.
THE WATER ENTERS THE MAIN CANAL.
AND, UH, AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED, YOU'VE GOT A 22 MILE LONG PIPELINE CONVEYANCE THAT CAN DELIVER UP TO 1.3 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.
AS MENTIONED ON THE SLIDE, IT WAS CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN, UH, 69, 19 69 AND 1972.
AND WE HAVE THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION.
SO PUMP CAPACITY OF, UH, 921 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY.
UH, IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1970.
UM, AND THIS IS A, A REALLY KEY FACILITY FOR US BECAUSE IT PROVIDES, UH, WATER, RAW WATER TO OUR EAST WATER PLANT AND OUR SOUTHEAST WATER PLANT.
YOU KNOW, I WAS GIVEN A PRESENTATION, UM, THIS WAS PROBABLY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, TO, UH, A, A PROFESSIONAL WATER AND WASTEWATER GROUP.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, UH, NOTED FROM A, A CLIPPING FROM 1970 WAS, WAS, WAS COUNCIL ACTUALLY VOTED AGAINST THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION FROM BEING BUILT.
THERE HAD TO BE ANOTHER ACTION TO TRY TO GET COUNSEL TO CONVINCE, TO BE CONVINCED TO SUPPORT THAT PROJECT.
AND I THINK A LOT OF US IN THE WATER PROFESSION KIND OF WONDER WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION HADN'T BEEN BUILT.
SO THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK IN TIME, IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE KIND OF HOW HISTORY SOMETIMES PLAYS A ROLE IN THE CRITICALITY OF MAKING SURE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE DELIVERED TO, TO PROVIDE THAT SAFE DRINKING WATER TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO OUR INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS.
SO, UM, LET'S LOOK AT THE CIP UM, UH, ITEMS HERE.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE THREE, THREE DIFFERENT ASSETS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE HAVE THE TRINITY RIVER PUMP STATION.
WE HAVE A CANAL MAINTENANCE STATION, AND WE HAVE THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION.
ESSENTIALLY, UM, THE, THESE BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE NEARING THEIR END OF LIFE, UH, SERVICE MANY BUILDINGS.
UH, SO WE HAD A CONDITION ASSESSMENT THAT WAS DONE, UM, IN 2024, AND IT CONFIRMED WHAT WE, UH, UH, PROJECTED, WHICH WAS, UH, THERE WAS WIDESPREAD NEEDS.
UM, THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND RESILIENCE, UH, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE PUT, UH, STAFF AND TEAMS, UH, IN RIDE OUT CONDITIONS.
UH, WE, WE OFTENTIMES HAVE TO DO THAT WHEN WE RESPOND TO EMERGENCY EVENTS.
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CONSIDER OURSELVES IN THE, IN THE WATER AND WASTEWATER SPACE.AS FIRST RESPONDERS WE'RE, WE'RE, WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED.
UH, AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE HAVE THESE SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE EVENTS UNFOLDING, WE, WE PUT STAFF WHERE WE NEED 'EM, AND WE DEPLOY 'EM EFFECTIVELY TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE EVENT THAT, UH, IS OCCURRING.
UM, THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, UH, IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
AND THE PROJECT IS ANTICIPATED TO BE DELIVERED THROUGH AN ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY METHOD, KNOWN AS, UH, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CMAR.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT CMAR GIVES US PRE-CONSTRUCTION COLLABORATION AND REALLY BETTER KIND OF COST CERTAINTY, UH, WHICH IS CERTAINLY IMPORTANT, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DELIVERING THIS PROJECT, UH, IN AN ACTIVE OPERATING, UH, FACILITY.
THE SECOND COMPONENT OF THE PROPOSED WORK, UH, IS THE, WHAT WE CALL IS SCADA MODERNIZATION.
SO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, SCADA, WHAT THAT STANDS FOR IS, UH, SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION.
IT'S REALLY JUST A FANCY WORD FOR, UH, UH, TOOLS THAT ARE USED TO ACTIVELY MONITOR AND CONTROL, UH, FIELD INSTRUMENTATION THAT'S IN THE FIELD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RUNNING THESE FACILITIES AND WE'RE MONITORING THEM AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
UM, MANY OF THE SCADA COMPONENTS, UH, ARE AT THEIR END OF LIFE OR THEIR OBSOLETE.
UH, C WOULD, UH, ASSESS THESE ASSETS IN 2024 AND FINALIZE THE SCADA MASTER PLAN IN 2025.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THE PROGRAM INCLUDES A MODERNIZATION AND SOME CYBERSECURITY IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE PROTECTIONS THAT THEY NEED.
I, I WOULD SAY JUST REALLY THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, MODERN CONTROLS REDUCE DOWNTIME RISK, IT IMPROVES RESPONSE TIME AND ALIGNS WITH, UH, OUR TODAY'S, UH, CYBERSECURITY THREATS THAT, THAT, UH, THAT SOMETIMES, UH, ARE A CHALLENGE.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, THE ACCESS ROAD TO THE RETURN RIVER PUMP STATION, UH, REQUIRES FULL RESTORATION.
THE EXISTING ACCESS ROAD, UH, IS, IS ASPHALT OVER CRUSHED ROCK BASE.
UH, AND IT HAS DETERIORATED TO A POINT THAT IT'S REALLY BEYOND ITS USEFUL LIFE.
UH, THE NEW DESIGN, UH, USES MOSTLY CONCRETE WITH ASPHALT TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT THAT, UH, IS, IS TRANSPORTED ON THIS, ON THIS ACCESS ROAD.
UM, AND SO REALLY AGAIN, THE BOTTOM LINE ON THIS IS THAT ENSURING RELIABLE ACCESS, UH, TO THESE FACILITIES ENABLES, UH, EVERYTHING TO HAPPEN SAFELY AND, AND ON SCHEDULE.
WELL, I'LL BE TRUE TO MY WORD.
I WAS QUICK AS I COULD BE TO RUN THROUGH THESE SLIDES.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY IN CLOSING, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
UM, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO, UH, SHARE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS THAT DEPEND ON US.
AND, UH, SO ANYTIME WE HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU AND GIVE YOU UPDATES AND BRIEF, YOU WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO IT.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL CLOSE AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU, DREW, UH, A LOT OF IMPORTANT STUFF HERE.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WITH SOME QUESTIONS.
THANKS FOR THE, UH, DETAIL ON THIS.
WE GOT A BUNCH OF MONEY, LIKE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE STATE FOR LYNCHBURG, RIGHT? SO HOW DOES THAT FACTOR INTO THIS FORTIES? IS THAT JUST IN ADDITION TO THE 46 MILLION WE'RE SPENDING OF OUR MONEY? YEAH, SO, SO THE, THE, THE MONEY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COUNCILWOMAN IS MONEY THAT IS, UH, IS APPROPRIATED, UH, THROUGH THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, RIGHT? UM, AND SO THAT, THAT MONEY IS, IS IS THAT LIKE SWIFT LOAN STUFF? WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, AND, AND I MAY, I MAY ACTUALLY HAVE GREG COME UP AND MAYBE JUST KIND OF HELP, HELP THAT WITH THAT QUESTION, GREG, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN FOR THE, UH, QUESTION, THE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WE RECEIVED, UH, LAST YEAR IS, IS A, UH, DIRECT APPROPRIATION FROM THE LEGISLATURE THAT IS BEING ADMINISTERED THROUGH TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
AND THAT, UM, GRANT IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF, UM, COMPLETELY REPLACING ALL OF THE PUMPS, MOTORS, AND, UH, VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVES, PLUS SOME OF THE ELECTRICAL, UH, EQUIPMENT, UH, SUBSTATION EQUIPMENT THAT, UH, BASICALLY POWERS ALL OF LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION.
AND SO THE 46 MILLION OR WHATEVER, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE, THE, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE BREAKOUT OF FUNDING FOR EACH PROJECT, UM, THAT'S ON TOP OF WHAT WE'RE SPENDING.
THAT A HUNDRED MILLIONS ON TOP, LIKE WE'RE JUST DOING THE OTHER STUFF THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL PUMPS THEMSELVES.
UM, DREW, YOU MENTIONED COUNSEL HAS ALREADY APPROVED, UH, THESE EXPENDITURES.
AND, UM, CURIOUS TO KNOW, UH, ARE THERE SOME ADDITIONAL LARGE, UH, UH, OR IMPORTANT VOTES COMING UP, UH, THAT WILL, THAT WILL, UM, INVOLVE, UH,
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A LOT OF SPENDING, UH, REGARDING OUR WATER SYSTEM? WELL, I, I, I WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION BY SAYING THE SHORT ANSWER IS, IS YES.THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON'S NOT ALONE IN THIS.
EVERY CITY IS, IS, IS, IS, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANNA SAY THE WORD STRUGGLING, BUT EVERY CITY IS ABSOLUTELY HAS A LOT OF EXPENDITURES THAT, UM, AND, AND IN SOME WAYS IT'S NO SURPRISE 'CAUSE A LOT OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS 50, 60 YEARS OLD, AND THAT WAS SORT OF THE DESIGN LIFE OF A LOT OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO I THINK A BIG THING THAT WE'RE SEEING, I MEAN, WE ALL SEE IT.
THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THEY KIND OF CALLED IT THE WATER SESSION, AND THE NEXT ONE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE IT TOO.
SO I THINK A BIG PART OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US IS TO REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION IS, IS WELL EDUCATED SO THEY CAN HELP, UH, PROVIDE SOME RELIEF TO OUR RATE PAYERS AND, AND OUR COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF EXPENDITURES, UM, THAT KIND OF SEEM TO GO ON AND ON, BUT I THINK IT'S NECESSARY AND IT'S IMPORTANT.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, I I, I DO BELIEVE THAT AS YOU KNOW, THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS UNFOLD, UH, WE WILL BE COMING BACK AND, AND SHARING WITH YOU SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, NEEDS THAT WE HAVE THAT'LL HAVE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
AND AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT LAKE LIVINGSTON AND YOU MENTIONED OWNERSHIP, AND I DIDN'T GET QUITE CATCH WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
SO IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY, UM, WE, WE ARE, UH, WE ACTUALLY WORK WITH TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY.
SO THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY ACTUALLY, UH, OWNS AND OPERATES, UH, LAKE LIVINGSTON FOR US, WE ACTUALLY OWN 70% OF THE WATER RIGHTS ON, ON LAKE LIVINGSTON.
SO IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH A, A PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENT WITH TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY.
AND OF COURSE, TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY IS, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT ASSET THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT, THAT HAS HAD SOME, IT'S, IT'S GONNA HAVE SOME, UM, SOME NEEDS IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURES THAT WE WILL HAVE TO BE COMING BACK TO YOU AND, AND EX AND EXPLAINING TO YOU WHAT WE NEED AND WHY WE NEED THOSE EXPENDITURES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND YOU AND I SPOKE WHEN, WHEN WE HAD THE PREPARATION MEETING AND, UH, NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH SOME AREAS OF THE STATE REALLY HAVE WATER ISSUE, WATER SUPPLY ISSUES, WE ARE IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, THE WATER AND LAKE LIVINGSTON THAT COMES TO US DOWN THE TRINITY, TRINITY RIVER, AND THEN THROUGH THE TWO PUMP STATIONS THAT, THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN IN THE DIAGRAM.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WE PULL IN WATER, UH, THAT COMES FROM LAKE CONROE AND LAKE HOUSTON AS WELL.
SO I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT LAKE CONROE IS, IS NOT REALLY, UH, A LAKE THAT WE TEND TEND TO USE, UH, VERY OFTEN.
UM, I THINK THE LAST TIME WE USED LAKE CONROE WAS DURING THE, THE DROUGHT, UH, IN 20 11, 20 12 WHEN WE MADE A, A REQUEST FOR WATER TO FLOW DOWN THROUGH THEIR GATES FOR WATER, UH, FOR, FOR, TO USE THAT WATER.
UM, BUT REALLY THE, THE PREDOMINANT WATER SOURCE THAT IS, IS IMPERATIVE FOR US IS, IS LAKE HOUSTON, UM, AND, AND LAKE LIVINGSTON.
OH, SHE JUST PRESS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, GO AHEAD.
I, I KNOW WE APPROVED ALL THE SPENDING, BUT DID WE HAVE, WE, ARE YOU IN THE PROCESS OF SELECTING THE, OUR RFPS OUT FOR THE CMAR AND ALL THAT? SO, AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS THAT GOES, I'M PROBABLY GONNA ASK GREG TO STEP UP.
I, I KNOW A LOT OF THE WORK HAS, HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE.
I THINK MOST OF THESE PROJECTS ARE PRETTY SHOVEL READY.
UM, BUT GREG, MAYBE YOU CAN KIND OF TOUCH ON THE, THE CONTRACT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, FOR THE, UH, FACILITY BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS, THE 36 MILLION, ALL OF THE PLANNING WORK HAS BEEN DONE.
WE ARE GONNA COMPLETE THE DESIGN ELEMENTS OF THOSE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN, UH, FROM THAT, WE WILL GENERATE, UM, WELL, AS DREW MENTIONED THAT THIS WILL BE A C MARK RIGHT.
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK, UH, AT ABOUT THE 60% DESIGN PHASE.
THAT'S WHEN YOU GO OUT FOR BID ON THAT.
60% ON THAT ONE ON THE, UM, SCADA SYSTEM, UM, THE 6 MILLION THAT IS, UH, WE'RE, WE HAVE ALL THE PLANNING COMPLETE, WE'RE WORKING ON THE DESIGN, AND THAT WILL COME OUT, UM, AS A, UM, RFP IN, WE'RE, WE'RE SIX MONTHS TO NINE MONTHS OUT ON THAT.
AND THE, UH, TRINITY RIVER PUMP STATION ACCESS ROAD, THAT DESIGN IS COMPLETE, IT'S SHOVEL READY.
AND, UH, WE HAVE ALREADY SECURED A CONTRACTOR FOR THAT OKAY.
AND, UH, THEY ARE PROCEEDING, UH, CURRENTLY.
WHO IS IT? UM, THE, THE COMPANY IS CALLED R AND T ELLIS.
UM, THEY'RE A, UH, LIBERTY COUNTY.
UH, CONTRACTOR THAT WE'VE USED BEFORE.
AND DREW, UM, SINCE YOU CAME FROM CORPUS, YOU WANNA TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN THERE? WELL, I'M WORRIED, I'M WORRIED ABOUT CORPUS.
CORPUS IS, UH, CORPUS IS REALLY HAVING SOME CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW.
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THAT I WAS SORT OF ENTICED TO GO DOWN THERE WAS, UH, UM, THEY, I, I WAS REALLY TASKED WITH, UH, LEADING THE EFFORT TO, TO GET A DESALINATION PLANT ONLINE.AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CORPUS HAS DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB IN SECURING SURFACE WATER.
THEY'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT DEPENDENT ON SURFACE WATER, BUT UNLIKE IN HOUSTON, THEIR GROUNDWATER IS, IS REALLY NOT A GREAT SOURCE OF WATER.
IT'S IN THE SAME AQUIFER AS OURS.
IT'S PART OF THE GULF COAST AQUIFER.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AS YOU GET DOWN SOUTH OF VICTORIA, THE WATER QUALITY REALLY DETERIORATES.
AND WHEN I SAY IT DETERIORATES, WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THERE'S ARSENIC, UH, THERE'S SOME HEAVY METALS.
UH, THERE'S SALT, WHICH IS OFTENTIMES CATEGORIZED AS TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS.
AND SO THE WATER, THE GROUNDWATER IS JUST NOT A VERY GOOD OPTION.
YOU TYPICALLY HAVE TO TREAT IT.
SO DESALINATION REALLY IS, IS THE KEY FOR THEM.
AND IT WAS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE WE, WE, WE GOT A PROJECT PRETTY CLOSE.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD SELECTED A, A DESIGN BUILD, UH, CONTRACTOR.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD ADVANCED THE PROJECT TO ABOUT 10%.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, THERE WAS SOME RELUCTANCE FROM THE COUNCIL BECAUSE OF THE COSTS.
UM, THE COST HAD GONE FROM ABOUT $757 MILLION FOR A 30 MILLION GALLON A DAY DESAL PLANT TO ABOUT 1.2 BILLION.
AND, UH, THO THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
WE, WE SEE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE ALL KNOW THAT ESCALATION ACROSS EVERYWHERE IS, IS, IS A DIFFICULT ONE.
SO THE CITY IS NOW REALLY TRYING TO LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT'S THEIR NEXT STEP.
AND THERE'S, THEY'RE STILL LOOKING AT DESALINATION.
IN FACT, THE PROJECT THAT WE HAD FULLY PERMITTED, IT'S A FULLY PERMITTED DESALINATION PROJECT.
IT'S FUNDED THROUGH THE STATE.
THEY ACTUALLY GOT, UM, $757 MILLION OF LOW INTEREST FINANCING THROUGH TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UM, IT'S READY, UH, IN FACT, UH, THE GOVERNOR WAS EVEN ON A COUPLE WEEKS AGO TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE REALLY WANTS TO SEE THIS GET DONE.
SO WE'RE ALL KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED.
I THINK EVERYBODY'S ROOTING FOR THEM TO GET THIS THING DONE.
UM, THEY, THEY ARE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY RUNNING OUTTA WATER.
UH, UM, WHEN I SAY RUNNING OUTTA WATER, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO MEET THEIR DEMAND.
THE SUPPLY WILL NOT MEET THE DEMAND, UH, BY JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
UM, AND SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS MANDATORY CURTAILMENT.
IT MEANS, UH, FOLKS ARE GONNA REALLY BE STRUGGLING, UH, TO, TO TRY TO MANAGE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW ANY CITY THAT'S HAD TO DO THAT.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD A DESAL PLANT? SO THE, THE DESAL PLANT IS ABOUT 30, 32 MONTHS TO BUILD.
SO, HAD, HAD, WE HAD THAT PROJECT NOT GET CANCELED ON US.
UH, WE WOULD'VE HAD A SURFACE, UH, A DESAL PLANT IN JUNE OF 2028.
I WOULDN'T WANNA BE THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT IT'S THERE WHEN THE, WHEN THE WATER RUNS OUT.
AND DREW, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS AS WELL DURING THE PRE-MEETING.
UH, IT WASN'T JUST ONE COUNCIL THAT VOTED AGAINST DESAL PLANT DOWN THERE.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY WERE THERE? WELL, YOU, YOU KNOW, HERE, HERE'S THE THING, I I I, I THINK MANY OF YOU ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THIS, RIGHT? THESE BIG PROJECTS, UH, IT, IT TAKES MULTIPLE COUNCILS AND MULTIPLE PEOPLE ON A TEAM TO PASS THE BATON.
AND WHAT WAS SORT OF TRAGIC ABOUT THE CITY OF COUNCIL, UH, CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI SITUATION IS, IS THAT THAT WAS MULTIPLE COUNCILS THAT HAD PLANNED, THEY HAD PUT THAT IN THEIR, THIS, THIS, THIS DESALINATION PROJECT HAD BEEN IN THEIR REGION, UH, N THEY WERE IN REGION N THEY'VE BEEN IN THEIR REGION END PLAN SINCE 2014.
UH, THE LAST THREE MAYORS AND COUNCILS ALL SUPPORTED THIS PROJECT.
AND IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE THAT, UH, THAT THE CURRENT COUNCIL, UH, JUST DIDN'T QUITE SEE IT, UH, ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
AND AGAIN, I LIKE TO BE OPTIMISTIC.
I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS IS IT'S AN EDUCATION PROCESS.
WE, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR JOB IS TO GIVE YOU, UH, THE, THE BEST INFORMATION.
SO YOU HOPEFULLY MAKE GOOD DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, I I, I, I THINK THAT THERE'S STILL SOME HOPE THERE.
I THINK THAT THEY STILL, THEY'RE GONNA BUILD A DESAL PLANT.
UH, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IS THERE GONNA BE SOME PAIN, UH, IN ORDER TO GET THERE? AND I HOPE THEY ARE NOT GONNA HAVE TO CURTAIL.
AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED THIS COUNCIL THAT, THAT VOTED IT DOWN WAS RELATIVELY NEW COUNCIL, RIGHT? WASN'T THE SAME COUNCIL THAT HAD, UH, GUIDED THE PROJECT ALL ALONG THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
SO, YOU KNOW, DOWN IN CORPUS CHRISTI, IT'S A, IT'S A NINE MEMBER COUNCIL, SO ONE MAYOR AND EIGHT COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING DOWN THERE IS, IS THEY, THEY HAVE TWO YEAR TERMS. UM, AND SO IT WAS, IT WAS A, IT WAS A BIG TURNOVER ON THE LAST, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF EDUCATION THAT, THAT WE WERE, UH, THAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO DO.
AND, AND WE, WE, WE TRIED, WE REALLY, WE WORK HARD WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE, LIKE I SAID, YOU, YOU'RE ARMED WITH THE, WITH THE FACTS AND THE BEST INFORMATION.
AND SO IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT, UH, WE JUST COULDN'T QUITE GET THEM THERE TO, TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS A, IT'S A GOOD PROJECT.
I THINK THERE'S SOME LESSONS TO BE LEARNED THERE.
UH, LAST THING I WANT TO ASK YOU IS A LITTLE BIT OFF TOPIC, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, SURFACE WATER.
UH, HOUSTON DOES USE SOME GROUNDWATER.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT BREAKDOWN IS AND, AND HOW THAT HAS CHANGED IN RECENT YEARS HERE IN HOUSTON? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS HOUSTON'S GOT A GREAT STORY, AND WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF IT.
UH, WE RELIED SOLELY ON GROUNDWATER FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL WE BUILT THE 1954 EAST WATER PLANT.
AND, UH, OVER TIME WE HAVE GRADUALLY REDUCED THAT
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DEPENDENCE ON GROUNDWATER BECAUSE OF THINGS LIKE SUBSIDENCE.UH, TODAY I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, THERE'S THREE, THERE'S THREE ZONES, UH, THAT ARE ALL REGULATED.
UH, ZONE THREE BEING CLOSEST TO THE GULF.
UH, WE, WE REALLY DON'T USE ANY GROUNDWATER IN THAT ZONE.
AND THEN REGION TWO OR ZONE TWO, UH, WE, WE, WE BASICALLY USE, AND, UH, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THIS, BUT IT'S, IT'S ABOUT 60 TO 70%, UH, SURFACE WATER.
AND THEN IN ZONE THREE, THAT'S THE ONE WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD TO TRY TO CONVERT.
AND THAT WAS A BIG GENESIS FOR THE REASONS OF THE NORTHEAST PLANT EXPANSION.
AND THEN THE REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITIES THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN CREATED TO HELP PROVIDE THAT WATER, SURFACE WATER SUPPLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE OUR OWN SET OF CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE WE MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
BUT I THINK HOUSTON'S GOT A VERY UNIQUE STORY AND ONE THAT WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF, UH, IN THAT WE HAVE A DIVERSE WATER SUPPLY.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR RESERVOIR LEVELS, UH, CORPUS CHRISTI, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LESS THAN 9% RIGHT NOW FULL.
YOU LOOK AT OURS AND, AND WE ARE IN DROUGHT.
YOU KNOW, I WILL POINT OUT WE ARE IN DROUGHT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR RESERVOIR LEVELS, UH, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THEM ALL FULL OR VERY CLOSE TO FULL.
UM, AND SO WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT CHALLENGES IN HOUSTON AND, AND WE'RE AWARE OF WHAT THOSE ARE, AND WE'RE WORKING HARD TO ADDRESS THOSE.
BUT I, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO STOP AND PAUSE A LITTLE BIT AND JUST THANK, UH, OUR PREDECESSORS, THE FOLKS THAT WERE IN YOUR CHAIRS BEFORE THAT HAVE MADE GREAT DECISIONS TO PUT US IN A PLACE WHERE WE'RE NOT STRUGGLING WITH WATER SUPPLY SCARCITIES, LIKE OTHER COMMUNITIES.
WELL, GOOD NEWS THERE, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HEAR THAT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE, DREW, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
AND IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, WE'LL CERTAINLY HEAR FROM YOU.
WELL, UH, SHORT AND SWEET, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BRING THE MEETING TO A CLOSE.
AND WE ANTICIPATE HAVING ANOTHER SERVICE DELIVERY, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING NEXT MONTH ABOUT THIS TIME.