New initiative aims to stop north Laredo water outages

After months of low water pressure and repeated service interruptions in north Laredo, city officials say the focus is shifting from explaining the problem to preventing it.

City leaders outlined a new initiative during a District VI water town hall Wednesday evening aimed at detecting pressure problems sooner, responding faster and reducing future outages in neighborhoods that have experienced recurring disruptions.

District VI Councilmember Dr. Tyler King said residents in Districts V and VI have dealt with inconsistent water pressure since May, with some neighborhoods experiencing multiple outages and extended periods without service.

“The people are understandably fed up just like I’m fed up,” King said. “It’s one thing to be good at communicating and explaining what’s going on, but we have to actually fix this problem because our people expect more and deserve more.”

The city plans to invest about $1.5 million in utilities infrastructure improvements in north Laredo, including installing remote pressure monitoring devices at about 100 fire hydrants throughout key pressure zones. The system will provide real-time alerts when pressure begins to drop, allowing crews to respond before low pressure develops into a water interruption.

King said repeated failures in neighborhoods such as Winfield, Sandhill, San Giovanni and Kirby highlighted the need to move beyond what he described as a “whack-a-mole” approach in which repairing one break is followed by another nearby.

“I’m a big believer in accountability,” King said. “We have to actually fix this problem.”

Utilities Director Tareq Al-Zabet said the initiative focuses on three priorities: better understanding the water system through technology, improving engineering analysis and communicating more quickly with residents.

“We’re here today to talk about the North Laredo initiative and the focus on District VI in terms of understanding and better response,” Al-Zabet said. “Really, this is the gist of our key priorities.”

In addition to installing pressure monitors, the Utilities Department plans to identify neighborhoods most vulnerable to pressure drops before construction begins, hire hydraulic engineering specialists and develop a hydraulic model of Laredo’s water system to better understand how changes in one area affect another. Two engineering studies are underway, with one expected to be completed within two months.

The presentation also updated residents on several ongoing infrastructure projects affecting District VI, including Interstate 35 force main improvements, a planned 16-inch water line replacement near mile markers 12 and 13, improvements at the El Pico Water Treatment Plant and continued water line replacement work throughout the district.

The District VI meeting marked the third recent water town hall hosted by the city following similar meetings in Districts V and IV, where residents raised concerns ranging from water quality and odor to infrastructure replacement and recurring pressure issues.

King acknowledged many of the underlying infrastructure problems developed over decades and will not be resolved overnight.

“It’s taken decades to get into this kind of mess, and it’s going to take some time to get out of it,” he said.

Two days after the town hall, city of Laredo Public Information Manager Noraida Negrón said water service had begun stabilizing following the latest pressure issues.

“Water flow began returning early this morning,” Negrón said in an update. “Residents should see their water service gradually return to normal as the system continues to stabilize.”

Negrón thanked residents for their patience as water service continued to return to normal throughout the affected areas.