Eagle Pass Water Works System planning to expand City’s Water Treatment Facility Plant
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2015, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
During the recent Eagle Pass Water Works and Sewer System (EPWWS) Board of Trustees meeting held on Wednesday,February 25, 2015, EPWWS General Manager Jorge Barrera presented the Board the details of the proposed expansion plans for the City’s water treatment facility plant on Jefferson Street and the banks of the Rio Grande River.
Under Agenda Item No.6 which called for the authorization for administration to establish a restricted account for the purpose of acquiring the necessary property for future expansion of the water treatment plant, General Manager Jorge Barrera stated “We are coming to the Board so we can establish a restricted account because we are looking into going out and buying land right in front of the old water treatment plant.”
Barrera stated that there are seven lots that have been targeted as needed for the expansion and that at present time at least four of these seven lots are up for sale by their owners.
Barrera advised the Board of Trustees that EPWWS Consultant and former EPWWS General Manager Roberto Gonzalez is looking into the other three lots necessary for the expansion and their availability for purchase.
Coincidentally, the Eagle Pass Water Treatment Facility is named in honor of former General Manager and now Consultant Roberto Gonzalez.
“We want to see if we can buy all these lots for our system. With the future growth that we have coming up, we are looking into putting in a maintenance building,” said Barrera to the Board.
Barrera presented the proposed plans of the Water Treatment Facility Plant and a detailed map of the area to demonstrate to the Board a visual overview of the expansion plans.
“They are going to give us the appraisals next week so we can establish how much this land is going to be worth. We want to see if it’s going to be worth it for us to look into this,” said Barrera to the Board.
Barrera stated that if they do decide to try to obtain the properties being looked at that they would be seeking for the Board of Trustees to approve the establishment of a restricted account to begin to save up monies for this process.
“At this time, we don’t have an exact number but we are thinking that we could be looking at between $250,000 to $400,000,” added Barrera.
Barrera explained to the EPWWS Board of Trustees that all the properties were residential properties adjacent to the Water Treatment Plant on Jefferson Street.
After further discussion, the EPWWS Board of Trustees were advised by General Counsel Heriberto Morales of Langley & Banack that they should go into executive session due to the detailed discussions of the property purchase proposal and future possible purchasing of these residential properties as permitted under the Texas Open Meetings Act.
The EPWWS Board of Trustees then proceeded to go into executive session upon the advice of Legal Counsel Morales.
Once back in open session, EPWWS Board President Hugo Zapata stated that under the agenda item which was asking for authorization for administration to establish a restricted account for the purpose of acquiring the necessary property for the future expansion of the water treatment plant that “I also want to make an addition to that is to authorize administration to also look into any possible funding whether state or federal to assist in the acquisition as far as financially of any necessary property for future expansion.”
Zapata then asked for a motion to approve agenda item no. 6 and Trustee Jose C. Rodriguez motioned to approve and seconded by Trustee Dr. Claudia Rodriguez-Wright.
Board President Hugo Zapata called for discussion and there was none, thus asking for a vote on the motion and it was approved unanimously. Mayor Ramsey English Cantu was not present at this meeting.
Based on the EPWWS Board meeting, the City of Eagle Pass needs to expand its water treatment facility plant on Jefferson Street on the banks of the Rio Grande River to plan for the community’s future growth, which were not specifically discussed at this meeting. But obviously, the EPWWS General Manager Jorge Barrera and Consultant Roberto Gonzalez foresee the need to plan for expansion of the City’s water treatment facility plant to accomodate future growth.
The City of Eagle Pass City Council is currently opposing the opening of the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s Eagle Pass Mine, an open surface coal mine, on the banks of Elm Creek near FM 1588 (Thompson Road) because it may pollute and contaminate the City of Eagle Pass potable water supply at this same facility which is being proposed to be expanded. The Dos Republicas open pit coal mine is approximately two or three miles upstream on Elm Creek, which discharges its waters directly into the Rio Grande River approximately one mile from the EPWWS water treatment plant. In addition to complaining about the possible contamination of its sole potable drinking water source, the City of Eagle Pass also contends that the Dos Republicas open pit coal mine will pollute the air, cause increase noise pollution, and increase public health diseases such as cancer and cardio-pulmonary chronic diseases, especially to children and older citizens.
As if the City of Eagle Pass’ fight against Dos Republicas proposed open surface coal mine on Elm Creek is not enough, the EPWWS water treatment plant is currently battling the effects of Dos Republicas’ parent Mexican company’s existing open surface coal mine on the banks of the Rio Grande at approximately one-quarter to one-half mile from the City of Eagle Pass’ water treatment plant known as Tajo Norte and/or Tajo Zacatoza in northern Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, which has been operational for several years now immediately across the Rio Grande River from Veterans Boulevard and Seco Mines area of Eagle Pass and Maverick County. Members of the Maverick County Development Corporation received a tour of this Mexican open pit coal mine in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico several years ago. The City of Eagle Pass and EPWWS definitely have their hands full dealing with both open surface coal mines owned by Dos Republicas’ Mexican parent company. It is unknown as of now if any of the proposed expansion plans presented at the EPWWS Board of Trustees meeting will address any new technologies, if available, to dilute or clean any toxic and hazardous chemicals which may possibly contaminate the City of Eagle Pass’ water treatment plant and sole source of potable water.
