Colleyville begins to evaluate aging water systems

"[The water and wastewater plans] will give [the city] a road map for the future so that [Colleyville] can spend the dollars wisely and as necessary to maintain and improve the system, both water and wastewater," Sober said. "It's important that the city's investing to make sure that system is maintainable and expandable as necessary."

Approximately 20 percent of Colleyville's water and wastewater systems are from the original system built when the city was incorporated in 1956, and less than

40 percent of utilities have been replaced since then, Lowry said. He said the master plan will be designed to last for 20 years, with updates being made every five years.

The firm will conduct a comprehensive rate study to determine what the city should be charging for water and discern fixed costs, variable costs and capital replacement costs for the future.

New demand

There are more than 250 miles of pipes in the city's sewage system, and Lowry said 15 new developments are occurring throughout the city, including 250 new homes in the new Creekside development. He said the master plan needs to include a model that determines accurate pipe sizes to accommodate increasing demands.

Lowry said Garver will prepare recommendations on how many projects within the water and wastewater systems should be developed in the next 20 years, which could include a second pump station or adding more water towers. Sober said the biggest demand Colleyville has on its water is residential and commercial irrigation, which consumes 80 percent of Colleyville's water, Lowry said.

"We have to make sure we have the capacity to provide the water," Lowry said. "Not only for drinking water, but it's just important for fire protection."

While Colleyville runs its own water operations, the Trinity River Authority has been the sole provider of water to the city on a day-to-day basis since the 1980s, said Ronald Tamada, manager of engineering services at TRA. Tamada said the company will continue to help Colleyville throughout its planning process.

The master plan to evaluate and model the systems costs $498,000, and Lowry said it will not result in any tax increase or surcharge to residents' bills because of the city's utility budget funding the project through water and wastewater impact fees. He said Garver will assemble a preliminary report by September or October. While the master plan will continue without much of the public's feedback, Lowry said he prefers when he doesn't hear from residents because it means he's doing his job.

"Utilities are out of sight, out of mind," Lowry said. "No news is good news."