Del Rio Council reviews 27 capital projects, wastewater upgrade among priorities

Del Rio’s most immediate capital worries are not abstract planning documents. They are the north-side sewer lines that are already at capacity, the Buena Vista Pool rebuild that will tear out the old structure before replacing it, and the Paul Poag Theatre repair job that still needs bids, money and a clear path to finish.

The City Council received an update on 27 capital projects during its latest regular meeting and took no action afterward. Interim City Manager Manuel Chavez introduced the presentation, which was led by City Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca and Interim Finance Director Roxy Soto, with Public Works Director Greg Velazquez available by Zoom for questions.

Menchaca told the council the city’s Capital Improvement Plan is a multi-year roadmap for streets, gas, water, wastewater and parks. The most urgent technical item was the Northside Wastewater Trunkline, a project meant to enlarge the main sewer outfall serving the north side and move wastewater to the Silver Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant. He said the larger line would relieve existing pipes that are already running at full capacity.

That matters because Del Rio’s wastewater system is not small. The city says it maintains more than 180 miles of sewer pipe and 18 lift stations. Menchaca said the first phase of the trunkline, estimated at $7 million, is funded, but the second phase, estimated at $23 million, is not. He also said the city is discussing borrowing about $4 million to upgrade the Silver Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant. If those dollars do not come together, the city will have to keep pushing capacity limits while growth keeps pressing north-side infrastructure.

Other projects will be more visible to residents even if they are less technical. The Buena Vista Pool rehabilitation solicitation calls for evaluation, design and construction services, including demolition of the existing pool and related infrastructure. The new facility is expected to include features such as reinforced concrete, slip-resistant decks and water-play elements. At the Paul Poag Theatre, the city says the 1931 building, which measures 4,997 square feet, still has a nonfunctional fire-detection system. The theatre was closed in 2023 after staff found life-safety hazards.

The theatre timeline has already shifted once. The city extended the Phase III bid deadline from April 8 to April 24, 2026, and later said it had received three bids and expected to bring a recommendation to council on May 12. Together, the projects show a city trying to keep basic systems working while also repairing public spaces that define daily life in Del Rio.

The council update also fit into a longer financing pattern. Del Rio secured $17 million in state funding in February 2026 for water-infrastructure work, and the city’s water-treatment plant is designed to handle 18.2 million gallons per day. Back in 2018, the Texas Water Development Board approved $18 million in assistance for Del Rio water and wastewater work, and a 2021 certificate-of-obligation package set aside money for Silver Lake expansion, water mains and a wastewater trunkline. The pattern is clear: Del Rio is building project by project, and the cost of delay is measured in sewer backups, service strain and neighborhoods left waiting.