SAN BENITO — After running against the clock for 10 years, the city of San Benito is on track to complete a multimillion-dollar project aimed at overhauling its sewer system to comply with a state order stemming from a series of sewage spills about 12 years ago, officials said Tuesday.
As part of a 2012 agreement, San Benito is working to comply with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s order to upgrade its sewer lines and lift stations by March 2023 or face harsh fines, penalties and corrective action.
Now, officials face a manpower shortage as they race to complete the project, Mayor Rick Guerra said, referring to the nationwide labor shortage.
“We’re trying to do our best and move forward,” he said, describing the project as “a high stress factor” that’s loomed over officials for 10 years.
“It’s a burden,” he said. “We’re near the end. I don’t want it falling on my administration that we didn’t get it done. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. We’ve got to get it done.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner Rene Garcia said the city is on track to complete the project.
“We’re on target to complete the project by the deadline if not sooner,” he said.
Garcia said officials are also monitoring the system to prevent sewage spills like those which led the state to cite the city about 12 years ago.
“We’re definitely going to take measures to prevent this from happening in the future,” he said. “We’re working with administration to have a better oversight of our lift stations and water and wastewater system. We have to be proactive. We have to take responsibility to ensure that the future of this community is safe.”
At City Hall, City Manager Manuel De La Rosa has steered the city toward completion of the project late City Manager Manuel Lara launched in 2011.
“It’s a great feeling to know we accomplished something that was so important for our city and citizens,” Commissioner Carol Lynn Sanchez stated. “So much time, sweat and planning goes into projects such as this. Infrastructure has been our biggest issue and I’m glad to finally see so much of our work come to fruition.”
In 2009 and 2010, a series of sewage spills led the state to cite the city for discharging a total of 49,000 gallons near the banks of the Arroyo Colorado.
By 2011, officials were borrowing $7 million through the sale of certificates of obligation to replace clay sewer pipes laid in the 1930s and 1940s along with old manholes.
A year later, the city was entering into an agreement with TCEQ to participate in its Sanitary Sewer Overflow Initiative program aimed at upgrading its sewer system while avoiding penalties stemming from the spills.
Under the agreement, the city agreed to meet the project’s March 2023 deadline or face severe fines, penalties and corrective action.
After De La Rosa took office in 2016, officials planned to upgrade six sewer lift stations within a system made up of 40 lift stations, 465,000 feet of sewer lines and 1,300 manholes.
