HOUSTON – It is not uncommon these days to see water gushing out of City of Houston pipes uncontrollably.
In some cases, these leaks aren’t addressed for weeks and the problems only get more complicated.
“Because of the delays it erupted pretty much into a Geyser,” said Council Member Abbie Kamin in describing what recently took place in the Heights during a city council hearing in early October.
Aside from turning neighborhoods into swamps and potentially threatening homes, these leaks can really add up to millions of dollars in repairs. In fact, approximately $80 million in repairs were issued through Emergency Purchase orders. Emergency Purchase orders are contracts for millions awarded to vendors with no bids required and the numbers show the city is addressing more leaks than ever. The money spent to address the leaks in 2023 is approximately $50 million more than last year.
The problem is not hitting the city completely out of the blue.
“Councilmembers have been screaming about water leaks, what are they doing about it?,” said Dave Martin, Mayor Pro Tem prior to a recent vote for nearly $50 million.
Council member Robert Gallegos also spoke up prior to that vote and had questions.
“This is nearly $48 million here. Did we ask to have the director or the director’s representative to come in to answer some questions?” said Gallegos.
Carol Haddock, Director of Houston Public Works, was unavailable, according to Martin.
KPRC 2 Investigates had questions too. However, Haddock’s department also denied our multiple requests for an on-camera interview.
We even tried to approach the chairman for the City Council Committee on Infrastructure, council member David Robinson, after spotting him at a recent luncheon, but he walked right past our camera.
However, Gallegos, who also is a member of the infrastructure committee, had no issues addressing KPRC 2 Investigates’ questions over millions of dollars being spent on a problem that has been forecast for years.
“Yes, it’s very concerning, because of climate change we may be in the same situation next summer due to the fact that we have old infrastructure,” Gallegos said.
Jim Blackburn, a professor with Rice University’s Civil Engineering Department and a nationally known environmental attorney, said emergency repairs like what we have seen in 2023, “are going to be the realities of the future.”
Blackburn said because of recent droughts, the earth under our area has shifted more, resulting in more pipes cracking in Houston. Blackburn also believes the city should start adjusting now to save money for Houstonians over the long haul.
“I think we may have to look at a more expensive initial design,” said Blackburn.
Investing more now to save money for Houstonians in the long run is his solution. Gallegos agrees that aside from repairing pipes, the solution lies in, “making them better and finding a better solution.”
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