City of Pharr

Heriberto De Leon, Utilities Superintendent

The Wastewater Collection System (WWCS), which consists of over 260 miles of gravity sewer lines and force mains and approximately 37 lift stations, underwent its biggest overhaul in Pharr’s history. The City of Pharr received a $19,000,000 grant from North American Development Bank (NADBank) to revamp the WWCS. The project is to make sure the PUD stays in compliance with TCEQ regulations.  The project is to eliminate sanitary sewer overflow around the city, and consisted of eliminating 10 lift stations by building three (3) larger lift stations to reroute sewer through larger sewer gravity lines and force mains.  The WWCS project construction cost approximately $36 million dollars versus the $44 million projected. The entire $36 million project was funded through NADBank grant, $19,000,000, EPA grant, $625,000, NADBank Loan and TWDB CWSRF loan.

With the completion of the WWCS, the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)  plays a key role in the overall system.  The current WWTP is a 5 million gallons per day (MGD) system. The Public Utilities Department obtained a loan from the Texas Water Development Board CWSRF program for the additional 3 million gallons per day (MGD) expansion needed to keep up with a growing community and to stay in compliance with rules and regulations set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The 3 MGD expansion will be a Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) plant, which is more compact than the current WWTP. Furthermore, with the additional savings from the Wastewater Collection System project the city was able to purchase two new generators to operate the WWTP in case of electrical failure. The construction of the $15,213,490 WWTP is 99% complete and will be completed in early 2012.

This past fiscal year the WWTP treated and discharged over 1.68 billion gallons of effluent, part of the effluent was used as recycles water.  Using the effluent to irrigate the golf course and WWTP saved the city over 308,783,000 gallons of Superior Tap Water.

The Public Utilities Department completed its first Reuse Water Master Plan.  The Master plan is a guide on how we can continue to use billions of gallons of effluent being discharged.   Where the City has already taken the first step by using the recycled water for the golf course, the City is looking at the future use of the recycled water.  With the drought of 2011 and the devastating past drought, the City must have a plan in place to supplement the demand for water.   Where conservation efforts are in place, recycling water is the next step to ensure water supply for our city.  The Master plan will guide the city to accomplish this.  The Master Plan was funded through a grant from the TWDB, where the City matched the grant of $123,575.00 with in-kind work and $48,000.  The monetary cost of the Master Plan was $171,575.

For the 7^th year in a row the City of Pharr Water Treatment Plant (WTP) received from its regulatory agency, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the ranking of “SUPERIOR” Tap Water.   The Superior rating is accomplished by meeting the rules and regulations set by TCEQ.   The WTP treated and distributed over 2.845 billions gallons of water this past fiscal year to over 18,017 customers.  With the demand on the rise for SUPERIOR tap water the Public Utilities Department is expanding the WTP to meet that demand.  The 10 million gallon per day (MGD) plant, which on many days meets its limit, is nearly doubling its capacity by adding an additional 9 MGD. The $12,150,000 expansion, which is being funded with Texas Water Development Board DWSRF loan construction has been started and should be completed by late 2012.

This past fiscal year the Water Distribution Crews received and completed approximately 3,597 work orders. These work orders consisted of new water connections, meter replacements, water breaks, water line replacements, sewer backups, manhole replacements, and repairs to sewer force mains. Along with the many work orders received this past fiscal year, the PUD took on “in house” projects replacing many 2” water lines and upgrading them with larger water lines to provide more pressure, the installation of fire hydrants for fire protection in several areas of the city and embarked in the “water meter exchange program.”  With over 6,000 water meters 20 years or older, the Utilities Department started changing them out last fiscal year and its goal is to complete the entire change out by the end of 2012.  The water meters are important mechanical devices that determine water usage and it is important that the accuracy is always between 95% and 100%.

With the continuous challenges facing the PUD everyday from stricter regulatory regulations to meeting the water demands of the city, the PUD strives to meet these challenges of not only looking at the present but looking at the future of the city as well.  From developing it first Water Reuse Master Plan to looking at future capital projects, the PUD is committed to public health, protecting the environment, fire protection and providing quality of life services to the current and future citizens of Pharr.