Water Control and Improvement District 10 broke ground Jan. 19 on two of 20 projects scheduled as part of a $46 million bond package passed by residents in May 2015. WCID 10 serves the city of West Lake Hills along with the areas in and around the Rob Roy developments, Camelot and Westwood off Bee Caves Road.
WCID 10 board President Clif Drummond said Jan. 20 that fire hydrant flow is insufficient in areas, and these projects—which add more robust water lines and modernize pump stations—will increase water capacity and pressure throughout the district.
Many district hydrants flow between 500-1,000 gallons per minute, and hydrants are needed to flow at a rate of at least 1,500 gallons per minute to sufficiently fight a fire, he said.
“Westlake Fire Department [Emergency Services District 9] has had incidents in the past where crews were not able to use equipment because there was not an adequate [water] flow,” Fire Marshal Michael Lacey said. “Larger homes and buildings are being built in Westlake, and the goal is getting the flow up to 2,000 gallons per minute so we can utilize all of the high-flow devices connected to our ladder trucks.”
Adding backup generators to pump stations will ensure the fire department can operate in power outages, and a computerized control system will allow the district to adjust water pressures during a fire, he said.
1. Bee Caves Road
Construction timeline: January-December 2017
Estimated cost: $6,361,404
Pipe diameter: 16 inches
A water line is being placed into TxDOT’s extended right of way along Bee Caves Road and will form a new spine for the water system, said Clif Drummond, president of the Water Control and Improvement District 10 board of directors.
“We have a 12- to 14-inch line that goes uphill from our Redbud Pump Station that has been our spine for a long time,” he said. “The pipes were sized for a smaller district, and now our district is essentially built out.”
The line will connect to existing residential and commercial water lines to supply improved water pressure and fire flow to the area. It will also feed water to the future pump station at 5324 Bee Caves Road.
2. Cousteau Lane
Construction timeline: December 2017-August 2018
Estimated cost: $644,052
Pipe diameter: 8 inches
The only project west of Loop 360 scheduled for 2017 is the installation of a water line on Cousteau Lane.
3. Skyline Drive/Nob Hill Circle
Construction timeline: April-December 2017
Estimated cost: $1,616,764
Pipe diameter: varied
Beginning at the intersection of Nob Hill Circle and Skyline Drive, an 8-inch pipe will run north along Skyline and extend onto Redbud Trail until it meets the 12-inch water line on Redbud near Old Stonehedge Street.
Starting from the same intersection, an additional 12-inch pipe will be installed along Nob Hill.
4. Wildcat Hollow
Construction timeline: November 2017-July 2018
Estimated cost: $2,134,226
Pipe diameter: 12 inches
Beginning at the West Lake Hills city limits on Westlake Drive, the water line will travel south through Wildcat Hollow and then north on Harbor View Drive. This will connect to the new water line on Skyline Drive.
5. Westwood Terrace
Construction timeline: January-June 2017
Estimated cost: $622,745
Pipe diameter: 8 inches
Contractors began trenching Jan. 19 to install a water line under Westwood Terrace, a project that was not part of the original bond package. Although the project is designed to add water capacity to the area, Drummond said as an ancillary benefit the project will help stop the spread of oak wilt disease into West Lake Hills.
“West Lake Hills residents were concerned about oak wilt in the Westwood development moving toward the city,” he said. “[WCID 10] had needed a new line on Westwood Terrace, but it was not part of the bond package. The city of West Lake Hills voted to participate in the cost of the project, and we identified surplus funds from the bond that allowed us to move this project into the batch.”
WCID 10 will dig a 6-foot-deep trench along the entire length of Westwood Terrace to lay the pipe, which is more than the 4-foot trenches required to stop the advance of oak wilt, Drummond said.
“This is a long-awaited project for the city,” Mayor Linda Anthony said. “[WCID 10] seems to be moving at a pretty good clip, and it could only take four months or so to get done.
6. Redbud Trail
Construction timeline: April-December 2017
Estimated cost: $2,102,654
Pipe diameter: 12 inches
The water line will connect to the future pump station at 5324 Bee Caves Road. It will also connect to new lines at Flintridge Road, Yaupon Valley Road, Circle Ridge Drive, Old Stonehedge Street and Skyline Drive.
“Construction is going to be noticeable because Redbud Trail is narrow,” Drummond said. “There are homes on both sides of the road throughout it, and it is the main interior roadway in West Lake Hills.”
7. Flintridge Road
Construction timeline: April-December 2017
Estimated cost: $639,839
Pipe diameter: 8 inches
8. Yaupon Valley Road
Construction timeline: April-December 2017
Estimated cost: $1,305,098
Pipe diameter: 8 inches
9. Circle Ridge Drive
Construction timeline: November 2017-July 2018
Estimated cost: $1,088,688
Pipe diameter: 8 inches
10. Old Stonehedge Street
Construction timeline: November 2017-July 2018
Estimated cost: $462,044
Pipe diameter: 8 inches
Roadwork on Flintridge Road, Yaupon Valley Road, Circle Ridge Drive and Old Stonehedge Street will take close coordination with area residents due to sections of narrow road and the close proximity to residential lots, Drummond said.
When a project limits access to driveways, construction crews will work on one house at a time to assure the inconvenience is minimal for each home, Glass said. Trenches will also be covered with a plate overnight, she said.
“We start with a letter to residents explaining the project,” she said. “Then, a day ahead of crossing in front of their property, we’ll use a door tag to let them know it’s their turn.”
