Questions remain for sewer system
The potential for a “dead project” for the Wimberley sewer system was brought up in a meeting between Texas Water Development Board staff and the city. Essentially, TWDB staff reiterated that the city’s only option is to follow the current change in scope that is conditionally approved.
The issue is that the city of Wimberley has not finalized where it will cross Cypress Creek, though council has discussed a preferred spot, nor does it know which route it would take to connect to Aqua Texas’ system. It does not currently have the easements necessary to complete the project within the change of scope.
“I think it is a logical question to ask ‘What if we don’t get the easements?’” Councilmember Rebecca Minnick said. “(Dain Larsen, with the TWDB) said ‘You’d have a dead project.’ I said ‘What if we have alternatives? Could we go back to prior to the change of scope or go back to the city plant or attach a pipe to the bridge?’ And he said, ‘You’d have a dead project.’”
This is the second time TWDB has told the city that there are no alternative options for the sewer system at this point.
During a Special Council Meeting called on Halloween, council members discussed a bevy of issues and questions that still surround the project.
City Administrator Shawn Cox told council members that he will meet with Steve Coonan, Project Engineer with Alan Plummer Associates, this week to ask if the options for crossing the creek and connecting to Aqua Texas are viable. There is also an issue with how much flow Aqua Texas’ lift stations can take at a given time.
“It isn’t necessarily the capacity,” Cox said. “It is more of a flow issue, and how much we are sending at one time. That is what we will need to analyze on our part designing how it is being sent through the lines and dumped into the lift station or Aqua’s system.”
The cost for the additional engineering needed for the section of pipe on the north side of Cypress Creek is not known at this time. Cox said he would be discussing that with Coonan. Mayor Susan Jaggers said that Coonan has been doing the additional engineering pro bono, but that is not likely to continue for the next phase of the project.
Cox also said he has estimated the cost of the construction of the pipe based on the linear-foot averages of the cost to install pipeline in the current contract. That estimate is $414,555. However, cost estimates have not been obtained from Capital Excavation, the company currently installing the sewer pipe, nor Aqua Texas, who could potentially be the contractor chosen for the new section of the pipeline, because the route for the new pipeline is still unknown. Cox described the cost estimate as the lowest potential cost insinuating it could be higher once official bids are given. The city’s estimate for crossing the creek is $240,000. He said both cost estimates are subject to change.
Cox said that his goal at this point for having the sewer system operational is June of 2020.