According to city of Schertz staff, these projects are a mixture of investments in new infrastructure—mostly to accommodate new growth—and recapitalization projects to replace and maintain existing infrastructure.
Alongside projects the city of Schertz is involved in, the Schertz-Seguin Local Government Corporation—the wholesale water provider owned equally by Schertz and Seguin—has two large projects that will help accommodate future growth and alleviate strain on water distribution.
Data from the 2020 census showed the Schertz population increased nearly 33% since 2010, reaching a population of 42,002. That number has continued to grow over the last two years.
Scott McClelland, Schertz assistant director of public works, said while infrastructure helps with growth, it is important to keep all infrastructure updated to prevent future issues.
“There is a certain amount that is related to growth, and we have plenty of mechanisms that support that growth, but then there is also a need to support infrastructure for residents that have been here all this time,” McClelland said.
Schertz projects
Projects, such as Aviation Heights residential area, which replaced existing water lines and was completed in October, update old infrastructure for existing communities within the city, he said.
“Reliability is an important thing for having a safe, operating water system that we are not constantly having breaks and not constantly having pump sites down, because we do not have pumps or are not replacing old pumps,” McClelland said.
One major ongoing project is the Woman Hollering Creek Wastewater Project, which, when complete, adds a wastewater trunk main in southern Schertz that will collect and convey wastewater to the new Cibolo Creek Municipal Authority treatment plant off of Trainer Hale Road.
Estimated to cost $12 million, the project has been under construction since the beginning of the year. It is expected to be complete in early 2023.
Major water projects also include the estimated $7 million Corbett ground storage tank—which will construct a new 3 million-gallon ground storage tank next to the recently built 1 million-gallon elevated storage tank on Ray Corbett Drive—and the estimated $10 million I-35 tank-dedicated transmission line that includes the installation of a 24-inch dedicated transmission main to connect the Live Oak tank to the I-35 tank at Holly Lane.
City Council also approved nearly $20 million in certificates of obligation in August, and an estimated $10 million of those funds will be used for relocating water and sewer utilities due to the Texas Department of Transportation FM 1518 expansion.
Also, the FM 1518 road project will widen the road from FM 78 to I-10, which requires cities, such as Schertz, to relocate utility lines alongside the road.
The three water projects are anticipated to start sometime in 2023. Water and sewer projects are funded through water and sewer impact fees that are charged to each new development; water and sewer rate revenue; American Rescue Plan Act funds; a federal appropriations grant; and bond funds, according to Schertz staff.
Other projects happening within the city are tied to developers, City Engineer Kathryn Woodlee said. “Sometimes we participate in the cost of that if
it is going to serve more than just one developer’s subdivision and provide us capacity for the future,” Woodlee said.
Other area projects
Alongside city projects, the Schertz-Seguin Local Government Corporation also has two major projects that will help accommodate growth in the area, SSLGC interim General Manager Alan Cockerell said.
Cockerell said the $34.3 million Guadalupe expansion project will incorporate water from the Carrizo and Wilcox aquifers, which are located in Gonzales County.
“We are regulated by the Gonzales Underground Water District,” he said. “It is a different aquifer, and they have different rules than Edwards Aquifer.”
Also, the $32.2 million Parallel Pipeline Project will include the installation of 18 miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline from the Hal Baldwin Pump Station in Seguin to the Schertz Live Oak tank.
“It is important for us to increase the capacity and transport the water from our well field to our customers,” he said.
With the expanded pipeline and the new facilities in Guadalupe County, the SSLGC will be better equipped to deliver water to the six customers they serve, including Schertz, San Antonio Water System, Universal City, Selma, Seguin and Spring Hills, Cockerell said.
The Parallel Pipeline Project is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2022, while the Guadalupe project has an estimated completion date of 2024.
“We still have capacity in our current well field, the Gonzales well field, and we are currently developing this new well field and treatment plant in Guadalupe County to add more water to our inventory to accommodate the growth in both Schertz and Seguin,” Cockerell said.
Working with delays
Both the SSLGC and the city of Schertz have seen delays in projects due to supply chain shortages and the increase of prices for materials.
“We are currently seeing delays in our Guadalupe project,” Cockerell said. “Mainly, the pumps for the wells—because of the chemistry of the water, they are stainless steel, so we are seeing a six-month delay in receiving those pumps.”
Supply chain issues have forced SSLGC to be proactive in ordering chemicals to ensure that the water is treated properly and water quality is upheld, Cockerell said.
“We have been constantly working on supply chain issues with our chemicals, and we have been able to stay ahead of it,” Cockerell said. “Our staff has been able to keep those supplies coming, but we have to constantly look at that, because something you could traditionally call and order sometimes has longer lead times.”
Delays in getting electrical components have also caused scheduling delays and cost increases to projects, such as Woman Hollering Creek and the Corbett Ground Storage Tank, Cockerell said.
McClelland said, “Woman Hollering Creek saw some of those delays with electrical components that have huge lead times.”
Water for the future
Woodlee said as part of the capital improvement program, the city has a 10-year project list that prioritizes projects based on need and when funding becomes available.
The city is working to update the water and wastewater master plans that will provide input to refine the capital improvement program, which will add projects for the next 10 years.
Cockerell said the SSLGC has invested in land in Gonzales and Guadalupe counties, which will give the corporation room to grow as needed, and since SSLGC plans are on a 50-year horizon, growth is an ongoing factor for consideration.
“We have permitted over 19,000 acre-feet of water from Gonzales County, and we are going to have another 5,000 acre-feet from Guadalupe County,” he said. “That will extend us for a number of years, decades, as far as our supply of water.”
Woodlee said the city is thankful for the cooperation of the community while the public works department and developers are working to strengthen the infrastructure in Schertz.
“It is a necessary process, and we appreciate folks’ patience with us,” she said. “A lot of times, it doesn’t look like we are moving in a positive direction, but we are. In the long run, they are improvements, and construction is a messy thing, especially in an already developed area.”
