Colleyville city staff members agreed in their Jan. 22 pre-council meeting to consider updating the city's water master plan and to develop a new sewage master plan.

Public Works Director Bob Lowry said the city's original water master plan dates back to 1998 and was last updated in 2002.

"I don't want our residents to wake up one morning and realize they don't have water to take a shower," he said.

Approximately 20 percent of Colleyville's current water and sewage system originates from when the city was incorporated in 1956, and fewer than 40 percent of utilities have been replaced since then, Lowry said.

A recently adopted Capital Improvement Plan allotted $1 million annually for water and sewer infrastructure renewal, but Lowry said the existing system is not complete and there is no current master sewage plan.

Lowry said that with more than 250 miles of pipes in the city's sewage system, a master plan would also need to include a model that determines accurate pipe sizes to accommodate demands. Lowry highlighted the need for a new system by showing a photo of a rusty pipe found at a water main break that occurred at the 99 Cent Store on Colleyville Boulevard in December.

Lowry said both the water and sewage plans will be designed to last for 20 years, with updates being made every five years. City Manager Jennifer Fadden said the total cost to create a water and sewer master plan is $498,000.

Council members agreed on the necessity of the plan.

"The sticker-shock is there but it's a must-do thing," said Councilman Chuck Mogged.