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Officials discuss costly options to clean Zapata County’s raw‑water intake; commission approves a replacement pump
Summary
A consultant report showed shallow water and heavy sediment at the county river intake; commissioners approved buying a vertical pump for $78,263.25 and discussed dredging options with cost estimates around $255,000 while asking staff to consider lower‑cost periodic maintenance.
County staff presented findings from a $2,500 study of the raw‑water intake at the river during the Oct. 27 meeting, describing shallow depths near the pumps (roughly 2 feet at the intake) and substantial sediment accumulation nearby. Staff reported sediment depths described in the meeting ranging from around 6.5 feet (average) to as much as 10–12 feet in places.
The consultant provided a package of potential remediation approaches with quoted prices: sediment removal using contractors (~$128,000 for a focused removal), a geotextile/filtering solution (~$85,000), pumping equipment (~$12,500) and crane/launching costs (~$20,000), yielding an aggregated estimate the meeting cited of roughly $255,000 for a broader dredging and containment plan.
Commissioners approved a $78,263.25 payment to Lewis Electric Motors & Pump for a new vertical pump for the intake system, to be paid from certificates of obligation. Commissioners asked staff for more funding details and discussed lower‑cost recurring maintenance options that could allow in‑house periodic flushing or jetting of the intake to control debris buildup.
Staff noted the pump purchase and study give the county more immediate capability to manage raw‑water quality, but they advised that broader dredging would be expensive and possibly need additional funding sources.
