City staff have begun implementing many of the recommendations of the water system review subcommittee to improve the City’s water system in three focus areas: People, process and technology.

At the Sept. 9 City Council meeting, City Manager Jesús A. Garza provided a progress update on the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.

People

The subcommittee recommended a greater investment in compensation for utility positions as part of the already-historic pay program for fiscal year 2026. While Public Works had already been identified as a priority area, the subcommittee recommended an additional $207,000 for raises for utility-centric positions, prioritizing frontline workers and experienced staff.

City Council approved the pay program later during the Sept. 9 meeting with this increase included, bringing the total investment in compensation to $5.5 million (including raises, stipends and similar initiatives).

The City is making progress in filling key vacancies, including the position of surface water treatment plant manager, which is expected to be filled next month.

As the City continues working to correct staffing shortages, Public Works is making use of cross-training and strategic outsourcing to ensure that critical work can continue uninterrupted.

Process

The City has partnered with the TCEQ’s Texas Optimization Program to provide training opportunities for employees. The City has hosted two courses for employees so far, and two more are scheduled for September and October.

Texas Utilities & Environmental, which has been assisting with temporary management services at the surface water treatment plant, is also helping the City to improve its standard operating procedures.

The City has also updated the reporting structure within Public Works to provide more direct oversight of the surface water treatment plant. The new reporting structure will also improve collaboration between utility-centric divisions.

Technology

The subcommittee previously identified automated flushers as a possible solution to reduce dependency on staff to conduct flushing. Since then, the City has added 12 automated flushers, primarily on the outer edge of the system, where the risk of nitrification is greater due to low consumption.

The City is also awaiting a Texas General Land Office grant to fund improvements to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. The City received notice of eligibility in August and is in the process of developing a contract, which includes updating the cost and scope of work.

The City also continues to explore the possibility of adding chlorine analyzers to help with sampling at the water towers. In the meantime, staff continue to manually test the chlorine levels at the towers on a more regular basis in accordance with the subcommittee’s recommendations.

What’s next

The water system review subcommittee will work with City staff to develop a comprehensive report that will outline the subcommittee’s findings and recommendations. Once the report is complete, it will be made available to the public.

Stay connected

To learn more about the work of the water system review subcommittee, including previous updates, visit www.victoriatx.gov/water. 

To watch previous City Council meetings, visit www.victoriatx.gov/tv15 or follow Victoria Texas Videos on YouTube.