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Laredo utilities director says city has addressed TCEQ findings; council orders related items continued as directed
Summary
Following the October 2024 contamination event and a March citation from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, interim Utilities leadership reported progress on backflow prevention testing, main replacements and grant applications; council voted to continue staff work and bring related items back as directed (items 54–58).
Interim utilities staff and the interim utilities director briefed the council on April 7 about corrective steps taken after a fall 2024 water contamination incident and a subsequent Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) citation. The presentation said the department had accelerated inspections and testing of backflow prevention assemblies and had begun applying for multiple grants and low‑interest loans to fund main replacements.
“We got a preliminary report when they did this survey. We didn't wait till the citation letter came to address the problem,” interim utilities director Buzz Pischkirk told the council, listing work the department said it had completed and emphasizing a focus on high‑hazard backflow devices first. Pischkirk said inspectors were conducting daily surveys, reminder letters were issued and that the utility had already tested and documented a large number of backflow assemblies identified by TCEQ.
Staff also outlined funding requests submitted for several programs — including Army Corps assistance for water mains, PFAS testing funds, meter replacement requests and lead service line surveys — and said bids for initial main replacement segments had been received and are under review.
Council members raised questions about the scope of the backflow notices, the approximate number of affected commercial and residential accounts, and customer impacts tied to annual backflow testing costs. Pischkirk said the city has about 6,000 irrigation accounts (separate‑meter irrigation customers) and an additional, unspecified number of service lines that will eventually require compliant backflow prevention devices; he said near‑term enforcement would focus on health‑hazard customers.
On delinquent accounts and payment plans, staff said the city had programs for deferred payment and had adjusted roughly $500,000 in water and wastewater bills during comparable periods; staff said they are expanding customer support and examining warranty/assistance programs and third‑party partnerships to help residents who cannot afford repairs or replacement of service lines.
After an executive session the council returned to open session and voted to “continue as directed” on several agenda items related to utilities and the TCEQ matter (items 54, 55, 56, 57 and 58) and to instruct staff to return with any additional requested analysis or actions.
Council members pressed staff to improve customer communication, to prioritize health‑hazard assemblies, to provide a clearer public timeline and to explore funding options that could cover resident‑side replacement work if lead or other hazards are identified.
