By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City council members on Tuesday authorized an agreement for emergency repairs to a broken water pump at the city’s West Springs.
Council members unanimously approved a resolution ratifying “a professional services agreement between the city of Del Rio and Advanced Water Well Technologies for the emergency repair of the raw water pump for the West Springs. . . in the amount of $138,920.50.”
Before Mayor Al Arreola called for a motion and second, City Manager Shawna Burkhart told council members, “Please note that this is not a regular occurrence, and I don’t want to make it a regular occurrence, but this is an emergency, an emergency repair of our raw water pump for the West Springs.
“This went down after we noticed the failure of the East Springs wall . . . and so we have to fix this. This is our primary (water) intake,” Burkhart added.
She asked Art Villarreal, the city’s water production assistant superintendent, to speak to the council.
“I’m here to talk about the West Springs Pump Number One for the water treatment plant,” Villarreal said.
Villarreal said the pump was purchased in 2019 and pulled and repaired in 2021.
“Since the East Springs has been affected by the drought, the low (water) flow, and now the issue with the (retaining) wall (around the East Springs pool), we’ve been using the West Springs pump as our main source. So that being said, it’s already been pulled, it’s been inspected. We have the proposal here, and we’re looking to get it approved,” Villarreal said.
Councilman J.P. Sanchez asked, “How long should these pumps last? Do you have an approximation? It sounds like the pump was defective from the very beginning. And that’s not your problem, that’s a problem the supplier might be giving us something that’s defective. I don’t know.”
Newly-appointed Del Rio Public Works Director Greg Velazquez joined Villarreal at the podium and told the council, “The initial pumps that were put in were submergible pumps. The reason we came in with submergible pumps back in the day was because during the flood of 1998, you had that 12-foot elevation rise of floodwater.”
He said the design engineers decided on using submergible pumps instead of pumps using vertical turbines, but noted the impellers on the submergible pumps wear out quickly because of the sand in the springs from which the raw water is drawn.
To answer the councilman’s question, Velazquez said the pumps are lasting three years.
“So, what we have decided to do, when we buy new pumps, is to have the bowls and impellers lined with an epoxy coating. . . and it causes a smoother flow, and that will give you a longer life,” Velazquez said.
“I prefer vertical turbines, and the reason I prefer them is, if your pump goes out, you can remove the motor from the top, take your pump, get it replaced, and the vertical turbine motors are easier to repair,” Velazquez added.
Sanchez it was “imperative” the city do the repairs being requested, then made a motion to approve the resolution, and Mayor Pro-tem Jim DeReus gave the second.
Councilwoman Carmen Gutierrez also had a question.
“So you will be replacing it with a submergible pump again, instead of the vertical turbine?” she asked.
Sanchez replied the city has to still “go with what we had,” with Arreola adding, “To change is going to cost us more money.”
“To change is something we can look at in the future,” Velazquez added.
“Absolutely, because if we’re having to do this every three years, we’ve got to look at the cost effectiveness of the whole operation, but we can’t do without it right now, so what we have to do is repair it and get it back online,” Sanchez said.
Velazquez said at the new well the city is preparing to develop, staff will recommend the use of vertical turbines.
“It’s just much easier to work with, easier to pull,” he added.
“We lived and learned a lesson,” Sanchez said.
“That’s correct,” Velazquez replied.
Burkhart added the cost of the repairs will come out of the city’s 2019D series certificates of obligation.
“I believe that was the reservoir pump upgrades and water treatment plant upgrades for $521,200. That’s what we have remaining in those bond funds,” Burkhart said.
The council then voted unanimously to approve Sanchez’s motion.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
