City council hears updates on water projects

By Lindsey Vaculin

General Manager 

The City of Cameron’s water projects are moving along.

Cameron City Council members heard an update from Tommy Valle with Kasberg, Patrick and Associates on where the projects stand during its meeting on Dec. 19. 

“I’m just here to give an overview of the water projects,” Valle said. “With the DWSRF on the drinking water side – the water plant – the engineering feasibility report was submitted two weeks ago to Water Development Board.” 

Valle said verbal approval for the project has been given and funds can be released now.

Valle outlines six potential projects on the water side for the council. 

“The first is the clarifier project at the water plant,” he said. “That is an emergency item because you have a clarifier that has been down and you have been running on the one clarifier. The second is the first distribution project replacing old, undersized leaky areas with bad pressure within your system.”

Valle said the first project identified for replacing water lines is in the area along Harding, Cleveland and Country Club Road from 21st down to about 10th Streets.

“In that area there have been some pressure issues,” he said. “That is the first water project that will be done.”

City Public Utility Director Jerald Brunson said there are two primary reasons for that area being chosen. 

“The intersection of 22nd and Cleveland has extremely low water pressure,” Brunson said. “But there is nothing we are able to do about it right now because they have very small lines there. This is the seventh time in the last four years we have had a break at that intersection. The first block of Cleveland is just in dire need. Harding has old steam pipes that are failing all over town but that is the worst area. Country Club we have worked on a number of times and it just continues to fail.”

Valle said that as part of the Community Development Block Grant through the Texas Department of Agriculture water valves and fire hydrants would be replaced, allowing isolation of certain sections to work on. 

“The next four projects there are two at the water plant and at least two in distribution,” he said. “You will have the water treatment plant modifications and the ground storage tank rehabilitation. Then there will be at last two more projects in distribution. We see those going out towards the middle to end of the project. That allows us to maximize the amount of funds you have.”

Valle said the distribution jobs would be replacing the 2- to 2 ½-inch steam pipes with PVC pipe and new fittings.

“The intent is that once we go through with the water lines that we will replace to the service connection or water meter at each of the residences and the entirety of the street will be redone,” he said.

The plan sets are complete for the clarifiers and were submitted to TCEQ in November. Valle said there should be a response by Jan. 20.

We are currently submitting the plans to the Water Development Board for their concurrent review, Valle said. That will be done in early January.

Valle said they hope to start the bidding process in late January or early February. Construction time will be six to eight months. The first clarifier should be complete in four and a half to five months, then the will move on to the second one.

He said the plan sets for the first round of the distribution project are about 70 percent complete. They will probably be complete in the first part of January. Those bids will go out in early February.

Valle said there would be two to three projects on the wastewater side. The first will be the wastewater treatment plant. A new plant will be built in the general footprint. The second project is updating the lift stations. The third project is smoke testing of the current system.

Valle said that construction on the wastewater plant would probably begin between July and October of 2017.

In other business council:

•    Held a discussion of a stop sign ordinance that could be voted on next meeting.

•    Appointed Harvey Gommert to the Planning and Zoning Board to replace Jason Dohnalik who resigned last month.

•    Approved Kasberg, Patrick and Associates engineering agreement for Texas Community Development Contract.

•    Heard reports from city department heads.