By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City council members have rejected a proposal for engineering services for the
development of the city’s Agarita well, after the city manager explained she would like to
include the work on the well in a larger professional services package.
City council members during their Jan. 14 regular meeting approved a resolution “to
authorize and direct the city manager to reject all statements of qualifications for
professional engineering services for the development of the Agarita well and to re-
advertise for same.”
After City Secretary Mari Acosta read the heading of the agenda item, City Manager
Shawna Burkhart spoke to the council.
She said, “This is a reflection of the desire to move forward with an entity that will serve
for the (water) program for the entire city for the next five years. . . That is what we’re
going out for. However, any entity can apply for water or wastewater or both.
“So this was an effort to move forward with the Agarita water well, individually, but I
think it probably needs to fall under that five-year water engineering service, so that’s
why we’re bringing it before you tonight,” Burkhart said.
Councilman J.P. Sanchez said, “With that said, I’ll make a motion (to approve the
resolution).”
Mayor Pro-tem Jim DeReus gave the second.
Mayor Al Arreola asked if there were any other questions or concerns, and, hearing none,
called for the vote. Sanchez’s motion to approve the resolution was passed unanimously
by the six council members present. Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. was not present at the
meeting.
In a memo by City Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca included in the council’s
informational packet, he wrote the council in November 2024 approved a resolution
authorizing the city manager to advertise for professional engineering services for the
development of the Agarita well.
Menchaca wrote the city accepted statements of qualifications from firms for the project
until Dec. 10, 2024, but received only one, from the company CDS Muery, an
engineering consulting firm based in San Antonio, Texas.
Menchaca further noted, “Since the city is currently advertising a request for
qualifications for professional engineering services for water and wastewater projects,
staff feels it is best to have the firm that is awarded the five-year contract for professional
engineering services for water and wastewater projects work on this project as well.”
“For that sole reason, city staff feels it is best to reject all statements of qualifications for
this item,” Menchaca added.
Menchaca also wrote about the proposed Agarita well project in a memo to the council in
November 2024, when it approved advertising for statements for qualification.
At that time, Menchaca wrote, “In recent years, the city of Del Rio has experienced
severe drought conditions, potentially threatening the public water system supply from
the San Felipe Springs. The city has been evaluating long-term water resource security
improvements and has recently coordinated with TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) for emergency temporary use authorization of its existing Agarita
well, located (in the) north of the city on Agarita Drive, if spring supply to the water
treatment plant is interrupted.”
Menchaca noted in the past, the Agarita well was used as a public water supply source for
more than 20 years before its use was discontinued, and the well became inactive.
“An inactive water well refers to a well that has not been used for over a year, but
permanent abandonment has not taken place. The use of this well ceased due to
groundwater under surface influence (GUI) concerns and related recurring bacterial
contamination,” he wrote.
Menchaca also noted, “Agarita can be activated once more and be temporarily used
during this drought emergency with the addition of a filtration and primary disinfection
device. Agarita is a 387-foot deep open hole Edwards (Aquifer) well developed in the
Salmon Peak (geologic) formation and cased to 314 feet.”
Menchaca wrote the Agarita well historically produced a water quantity of “up to about
2,000 gallons per minute with a 90-foot drawdown.”
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
