Council approves $3.5 million emergency repairs at Reflection Bay wastewater plant after EPA action

The Pearland City Council voted 7-0 to approve a $3.5 million plan to accelerate repairs at the Reflection Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signaled the work must be done immediately.

City staff told council the work is needed to address equipment failures and to bring the plant into compliance with EPA expectations. David Shones, identified in the meeting as the city's director of utilities, said the funding will pay to repair or refurbish critical components, including disc filters, control probes and the facility's UV disinfection channel.

Shones said the current request covers three key components and will not restore the entire plant to "like-new" condition, but will return those systems to intended operating and automation standards. He said the disc filter rehabilitation represents the largest portion of the cost.

Council members repeatedly tied the need for the expenditure to deferred maintenance. A council member described the situation as an urgent compliance problem driven in part by past maintenance gaps; Shones said some of the problems stem from equipment that was not kept calibrated or sufficiently maintained. Council members and staff said the plant has been the subject of repeated notices from the EPA and an administrative order listing dozens of violations.

The council and staff discussed the city's recent steps to prevent future episodes, including creation of an asset-reliability program and hiring an asset reliability manager funded in the FY25 budget. Victor (city staff) and others said the new team will prioritize proactive maintenance and help protect city infrastructure going forward.

Victor told council the expense will be paid from the water enterprise fund and not from the general fund. Council members asked whether the new spending will require changes to the recently adopted rate model; the city manager said he did not expect an immediate need to amend rates but that staff would return if that changes.

The resolution authorizing the work (listed in the meeting materials as R2025-twenty 1) passed by roll call, with all present members recorded as voting in favor.

Council members emphasized that the repairs are meant to meet the EPA's requirements and avoid escalation to litigation or additional enforcement. Shones said the approved repairs will restore automation of the batch reactors and reduce the amount of manual operations currently required to keep the plant running.

The council did not identify additional financing needs beyond the $3.5 million in the approved action, but members said staff will continue reporting on implementation and on lessons learned from the plant's condition.