Del Rio Council Receives Updates on Seven Key Water Projects

City staff provided Del Rio City Council an update on seven ongoing water projects during the Dec. 16 meeting, outlining schedules, funding sources and next steps for improvements intended to bolster water quality and system reliability. The public works director led the briefing and described work on a citywide lead service line inventory, the status of applications and feasibility work for a new municipal well, and an upgrade and expansion of membrane racks at the municipal water treatment plant.

Staff reported that engineering for the proposed municipal well is 60 percent complete and that permitting with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is underway. Project briefings included projected milestones that staff said would carry Phase I design and related work into 2026 and Phase II into 2027. Council members received line-item cost estimates for each project and a breakdown of funding sources, noting that several projects depend on pending loan awards from the Texas Water Development Board.

The lead service line inventory was presented as an active priority for the city. Council members asked questions about the inventory’s scope and whether it will cover all service lines citywide. No formal action or approval of expenditures took place at the meeting; council members accepted the reports and directed staff to continue tracking milestones and funding progress.

Officials also described upgrades to membrane racks at the treatment plant, a capital improvement intended to improve treatment capacity and operational resilience. Staff provided estimates and schedules for the upgrade and related construction phases, emphasizing that timelines and funding remain contingent on securing TWDB loans and completing regulatory permitting.

For Del Rio residents, the updates have practical implications for water quality, service reliability and potential future rate impacts. Completion of the lead service line inventory will inform priorities for replacement and public health communication. The municipal well and treatment plant upgrades are aimed at expanding supply and reducing vulnerability to outages, but they carry construction schedules and financing dependencies that will shape when benefits are realized.

City staff will continue to report progress to the council as permitting, engineering and loan processes advance. Residents seeking the latest project milestones and council actions should monitor upcoming meeting agendas and staff reports for formal approvals or funding decisions.