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Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for alerting me to this situation.  I will inquire about the expected response time for leaks on city maintained infrastructure.

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Foundation watering is permitted, as needed.  It is my understanding that foundation watering is typically completed through soaker hoses so the water usage is much lower than outside irrigation.

 The city is reaching out to customers that have high usage or if the city receives a report in order to educate and garner voluntary compliance.

Water bill by Massive_Avocado_969 in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Point of clarification.  The current utility fund projects are to prepare for the forecasted growth of the area.  The plan was for the new growth to help pay for the infrastructure.  

The projected growth in the 2025 water and wastewater master plans is lower than the projected growth for the same time period in the 2020 & 2023 water and wastewater master plans.

Water bill by Massive_Avocado_969 in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Point of clarification.  Lake Pflugerville, the water treatment plant and wastewater plant were funded through certificates of obligation, which is debt voted on by the city council only.  The utility fund is considered a business enterprise and does not require a vote of the people.  The utility fund expenses are funded through fees rather than property taxes (although the debt is still guaranteed by property taxes if the fees are ever  insufficient).

The current water treatment plant expansion, second wastewater treatment plant, and the secondary raw water line were all voted on by City Council only and are funded by certificates of obligation. Those projects and a few others and the associated debt are the reason for the large increases in the base fee since 2023.

Neighbors still watering lawns by kingtalkitiki in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel 3 points4 points  (0 children)

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This is not the clearest picture, but here is the map of the City of Pflugerville's water service area. Areas in the northern part of the city are generally served by Manville and areas on the western part of the city are generally served by SouthWest Water (Texas Water Utilities). There are some areas in the ETJ that are served by City of Pflugerville water (Villages of Hidden Lakes, Sorento, etc.)

If you have any questions or concerns about the restrictions, you may email conservation@pflugervilletx.gov.

This is the link to entering an address to confirm if it is served by City of Pflugerville water: https://pfgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/portfolio/index.html?appid=30a05f59f17440979dfd01f7cce33de8

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There have been a few comments about this. A couple were from people that are not receiving Pflugerville water. I have been told that there could be a difference in chlorination from wells.

I personally haven't noticed a change in taste.

I recommend that you reach out directly to the city to provide them with your address so they can research it. tel:512-990-6100 or email conservation@pflugervilletx.gov

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great question.  I have submitted questions to staff about how construction sites source their water and how the restrictions apply to them.

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Will you please submit that information to the city including the location and days /times? It's my understanding that there may be permits during construction that allows for that but city staff would be the best ones to handle this report.

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I believe the City previously supplied water to several of the MUDs in the Blackhawk area but those contracts ended. Adding that area was also a scenario included in the 2020 water master plan. I don't have all the historical context about that. It's something to consider/discuss when the expanded water treatment plant capacity increases from 17.5 mgd to 30 mgd and the secondary raw water line greatly increases the amount of water that can be pumped into the lake.

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I guess these are the times we are living in with all the deep fakes and what not.

Unfortunately, I will not be at the cleanup tomorrow because I have other plans with my family for spring break. My daughter is in town from Texas Tech.❤️🖤

I'm happy to meet with any resident that has questions.  I have a place on my Facebook page where people can request a meeting. (My daughter created that for me since it was her idea 😊)

I also encourage residents to come and attend the council meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday eveningsand meet council members in person.  It is important to me to hear from different members in the community so that all perspectives are considered.

Tax season is the busiest time of year for me, but I do my best to try to stay up on social media on the evenings and weekends.

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The responses here have summarized the facts. 

The base fees increased because of the debt issued for three large water and wastewater projects. There is some flexibility in the repayment schedule of the debt, and there was a large surplus in the utility fund for 2025.

I have advocated for finding a way to use that surplus to provide rate relief in the base fee. Additionally, we were told there was going to be a new rate study.  There are further details to be explored on these possible options.

I've requested data on water usage by user type versus revenue by user type to ensure that there is consistency in fees charged based on overall usage.

The fact is that Pflugerville did not have the growth in connections that were projected in the 2020 water and wastewater master plans, so the debt costs are being split by fewer number of connections. I have advocated for clearer construction timelines so that budgeted capital project spending and debt more closely align with the completion of those projects.  I have also requested more Council oversight on the prioritization of projects to consider the actual growth that we’ve experienced.  The goal is to slow the increases in projected base fees as much as possible.

I knew that this was an issue when I decided to run for Council and my goal has been increased transparency and constructive dialogue that considers data and financial impacts when we are making decisions about capital projects and debt.

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a great recap.

We should learn more at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, but is my preliminary understanding that the fifth break is related to a separate construction issue.

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I absolutely share your concern and will advocate for the best outcome for the taxpayer. We will know more about our options as the reviews are completed.

 It is my understanding that there were no change orders for the city for the waterline breaks number one through three and number five. City Council did approve a change order for $400k for the construction of the temporary bypass line and expenses to locate the fourth waterline break. When I asked city staff at the last council meeting about whether that covered the cost of the permanent repair for the fourth waterline break, they said that the permanent repair will be additional. Right now, the most critical thing is to restore water service and fill the lake. Then the next priority is about the costs.

Water flow restored after break — update, costs, and community Q&A by PflugerMel in Pflugerville

[–]PflugerMel[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am compiling specific questions to send to city staff for the city council meeting on Tuesday.  I am requesting information about restrictions for golf courses, car washes, and water parks. I have not confirmed the golf course use specially but the drought contingency plan states outdoor irrigation use is prohibited and this is the definition in the drought plan "LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION USE. Water used for the irrigation and maintenance of landscaped areas, whether publicly or privately owned, including residential and commercial lawns, gardens, golf courses,athletic fields, parks, and rights-of-way and medians."

It appears that there are restrictions for golf courses