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Houston mayor calls East Side water plant a "homeland security" concern, outlines reorganization and audit-driven changes
Summary
Mayor John Whitmire told the TAG Houston State of Mobility audience that the city needs federal help to replace the aging East Side Water Plant, described the city's fiscal and personnel reforms following an Ernst & Young forensic audit, and urged stakeholders to support requests for new revenue.
Mayor John Whitmire told attendees at TAG Houston's State of Mobility forum that Houston needs federal assistance to replace and upgrade the East Side Water Plant and outlined a plan to reorganize city government after a forensic audit.
"Eastside water plant...it was built in 1954, and it looks it and operates like it was 1954," Whitmire said, calling the plant a "homeland security issue" because it supplies water to refineries and medical institutions. He said the facility serves roughly 60% of Houston's water demand and noted that the region's refineries produce an outsized share of the nation's jet fuel.
The mayor framed the water-plant need as part of a broader push to improve city services, fix financial shortfalls and remove waste and duplication in municipal operations. Whitmire said he contracted Ernst & Young to conduct a forensic audit of city government and that the firm's findings are guiding a reorganization.
"If you don't identify and admit you have a problem, you'll never fix it," Whitmire said, describing the audit's findings and the…
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