On Tuesday, city leaders will vote on repairing nearly two dozen water pumps, potentially spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
The Houston Public Works Department confirmed to on Monday evening that 19 groundwater motors were improperly configured and lack protection relays, which prevent electrical instabilities from damaging the motors.
City records indicate these groundwater motors are crucial for supplying water and maintaining system pressure in our communities. The city’s groundwater system includes 55 groundwater plants, 131 well sites, and over 300 large motors.
has asked how the faulty configurations were discovered.
Sheri Smith, an urban planning expert at Texas Southern University, emphasized the importance of infrastructure, describing it as the city’s backbone. She noted, “It’s a little shaky, but honestly, it’s a little shaky in a lot of cities. We’re not unique in that.”
The repair costs for the 19 motors are not expected to exceed $750,000, according to city records.
Additionally, on Tuesday, city leaders will decide on nearly $300,000 in FEMA reimbursement for traffic signal repairs damaged during the May Derecho windstorm.
“Houston’s hidden infrastructure is like most. We usually don’t pay attention to it until it’s a problem, which is not fair, but I think we’re learning more about it,” Smith said.
If emergency funding is approved, the repairs to the 19 water pumps are expected to be completed by the end of October.
