Part 2 — A Project Dating Back to 2008: How Del Rio’s Northside Sewer Project Got Here

The Northside Sewer Line Project did not begin with Tuesday’s City Council vote.

Records show the modern replacement project stretches back to 2008, when engineering work began on a larger wastewater line intended to replace aging infrastructure and increase capacity on Del Rio’s north side.

By approximately 2010, the project had progressed significantly in design before being delayed for years as the city dealt with funding, alignment and property-access issues.

The project later returned to active development, requiring updated engineering as well as easements across property along the proposed route.

The underlying problem is both age and capacity.

Texas Water Development Board records have described portions of the existing Northside wastewater infrastructure as aging and operating near or at capacity. Some segments of the system date back decades.

That capacity issue matters because new developments generate additional wastewater. If the downstream sewer infrastructure cannot accommodate additional flow, development can be limited until improvements are made.

Previous presentations to City Council have indicated that sewer capacity has already affected proposed development on Del Rio’s north side.

The city eventually divided the larger Northside Sewer replacement into two phases.

Phase One addresses the more immediate capacity problem and is now moving toward construction.

Phase Two would complete additional portions of the larger Northside system but has not yet received all of the funding needed to proceed.

During the Sept. 22 meeting, Interim City Manager Manuel Chavez recalled seeing the project enter the city’s Capital Improvement Plan years ago.

“This has been in the works probably close to 20 years.”

Chavez said completing the project is important to continued investment and development on the north side.

What began as an infrastructure plan nearly two decades ago is now approaching construction — at least for its first phase.