Leander moves ahead with fixing Falcon Oaks utilities hookups

Leander City Council on June 17 approved a release and compromise settlement agreement with K. Friese and Associates to resolve an issue regarding wastewater lines being improperly installed.

The improperly installed lines are in the Falcon Oaks neighborhood, which was annexed by the city in 2017 under the understanding the city would update services in the neighborhood, according to agenda documents.

How we got here

Leander annexed the neighborhood in 2017 and was responsible for updating the area’s water and wastewater lines, according to the documents. In the following years, the city contracted with Joe Bland Construction, LP for the installation of the lines and with K. Friese and Associates for the design of the project.

Work on the project kicked off in February 2023, and it was substantially complete in May 2024.

Once complete, residents noticed issues trying to connect to the wastewater line, and it was discovered that multiple connection points were in the wrong location and unavailable to needed properties, according to the documents.

After review, K. Friese and Associates “realized that they had used erroneous survey information in the design that resulted in inaccurate locations,” according to the documents.

What’s next?

K. Friese and Associates will pay $245,000 and provide the needed construction services to remedy the situation at no cost to the city, according to the documents.