Schertz warns of major water and sewer trunk projects as southern growth accelerates

City staff told the Feb. 7 strategic planning retreat that rapid residential development in southern Schertz will require major water and wastewater investments, including a trunk sewer alignment known as the Cibolo West line and an expansion of regional treatment capacity.

Staff said developers are building multiple large subdivisions in the city’s southern growth areas and that an existing system of lift stations will need either near‑term upgrades or replacement by gravity trunks and an expanded treatment plant. Staff noted advance studies are already under way: a water and sewer master plan and related impact‑fee update are scheduled for council presentation in March.

Why this matters: staff said trunk mains and treatment‑plant expansions have long lead times — design, easement acquisition and construction can take years — and that waiting too long risks either building stop‑gap pump stations or imposing a moratorium on new construction while capacity is added.

Staff described shared ownership and sourcing arrangements through local government corporations (SSLGC and CVLGC) and said the city is evaluating where additional capacity will be obtained. Staff emphasized that impact fees allocate a portion of expansion costs to new development and that council choices on fee levels and EDC incentives will affect who bears the cost and how quickly projects proceed.

Ending: staff asked council to consider near‑term actions on alignment studies, easement strategy and project phasing so the city can respond to accelerating growth without disrupting service or imposing emergency measures.