Two more distribution line replacement projects were approved to take place in central and West Plano neighborhoods.
Plano City Council approved $495,995 for water rehabilitation in Old Shepard Place and $628,400 for the Prairie Oak, Post Oak and Kimberlea Estates neighborhoods at a meeting Aug. 10.
The gist
The city will be replacing 11,170 linear feet of 6-inch, 8-inch and 12-inch cast iron pipes for its first phase of the Old Shepard Place neighborhood, per city documents. The approved funds will be used for designs and construction for engineering services.
The project is estimated to start in fall 2027, according to the city’s community investment program map, and will take roughly a year to complete. The project at Prairie Oak, Post Oak and the Kimberlea Estates, which scheduled to start in early 2028, will replace 13,550 linear feet of 6-inch and 8-inch cast iron pipes per city documents.
The background
The city replaces distribution lines in neighborhoods to reduce the risk of corrosion, line breaks and higher maintenance costs, per city documents. Roughly 17% of the city’s distribution lines are still made of cast iron, with a majority located in central and east Plano per previous reporting.
Current projects are taking place at Creekside Estates, the Los Rios Addition and Ranch Estates and Douglass Community. Work at the Kimberlea additions are expected to start in November, per city data.
Looking ahead
The city is allocating $11.8 million to water rehabilitation projects for fiscal year 2026-27, according to a presentation provided by Assistant Director of Engineering Angela Pflanz Aug. 10.
“We had quite a bit of line breaks this summer and these projects are really important to make sure we replace all the aging infrastructure,” Pflanz said.
Pflanz said the new fiscal year will fund 5 new water rehabilitation projects. Water funds take up 14% of the community investment program’s funding, per city data.
