Representatives from Quiddity Engineering gave a quarterly update Nov. 2 on Bellaire's ongoing Regional Drainage Improvement Program. The update highlighted key milestones each project has hit since the last update in May and what work city officials and residents can expect to see heading into the last few months of the year.
What's happened?
The Regional Drainage Improvement Program is a major multi-phase effort designed to combat severe repeated flooding across Bellaire, according to the city's website. Major projects include widening Cypress Ditch, constructing new basins and channel work.
According to the presentation given at City Council, five major program elements have reached key milestones, including:
South Basin Demolition: Substantially complete
South Basin Detention: 95% design complete
North Basin Lift Station and Force Main: Design underway, roughly 60% complete
North Basin Detention: Procurement pending
Cypress Ditch improvements: Discussions ongoing with project partners and stakeholders
The Quiddity Engineering representative said overall, the program is on track. City Council members praised the engineering team for their continued progress and ability to stay on time and on budget.
"I have a great appreciation for all it takes to coordinate with the city, with the county, with [Harris County] Flood Control District, with CenterPoint, with everybody, and layering in our state and federal funding partners as well," council member Ross Gordon said. "This is not easy to do and we are very lucky to have a great team doing it."
Council member Todd Thurber, a fellow civil engineer, also thanked Quiddity Engineering for their ability to have no cost overruns, which occur when final project expenses exceed the original approved budget.
"Keep up the good work on that," he said. "It's hard to do it, and it doesn't look like there are any unknowns out there, which is going to make the next phases that much easier."
Next steps
Residents can expect to start seeing CenterPoint Energy remove and relocate power poles along the south basin in the next few weeks, with construction anticipated to start in the first quarter of 2027.
Design for the north basin lift station is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year, with south basin design anticipated for completion in early 2027.
Related highlights
City Council also approved two work orders in the consent agenda during the meeting related to the drainage program.
Work order No. 3 included approving a $1.68 million contract with Quiddity Engineering for engineering and program management services related to the Regional Drainage Improvement Program.
Per the agenda item, the contract focuses on managing the Cypress Ditch program with "augmented management efforts," including program management, communications and public outreach, design management, bid phase support and construction management and inspections. This contract is set in place for the full 2026-27 fiscal year.
Work order No. 4 included hiring former deputy program manager Casey Goforth for an amount not to exceed $237,952 to serve as the city's capital program manager, per the agenda item. Goforth will oversee the Capital Improvements Program, financial and grant administration, project support and procurement.
Both items were passed unanimously without discussion.
