By james art 
LAREDO, Texas (KGNS) – A master plan is being developed to improve water infrastructure for the city of Laredo.
On Monday, Nov. 4, Laredo’s mayor and city leaders unveiled a map that outlines which water mains need to be replaced and the steps to avoid another boil water notice.
Laredo City Manager Joseph Neeb said they found 30 percent of the water pipes were old and needed to be replaced.
Neeb adds that it could cost them close to $175 million if all the lines have to be replaced.
“We’re going to allocate funding from our internal services, we’re going to allocate funding for that. We will be looking for grants and low-interest loans through the water development board or the federal government,” Nieb said.
The city displayed a map with all water lines identified and ranked using three color categories.
The first one is red, which means the lines need to be replaced due to too many line breaks. Next are yellow and orange, meaning they can be replaced after a few years.
Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino said they have not yet identified the exact source that caused the latest boil water report.
“Located in the central part of the city of Laredo. A specific address could not be identified and it is probably multiple sites which is related to the aging pipes. This has to do with illegal connections and lack of personnel to inspect the valves,” Trevino noted.
To actually implement this plan, they will need to hire more people.
The City of Laredo currently has 55 jobs in the Utilities Department. Neeb says they are looking to add qualified people to the water department.
It was revealed that they have 10 to 14 engineers and inspectors across the city when they are supposed to be close to 25.
“I don’t believe it’s enough to put our application out there and say, ‘Please come work for the city of Laredo.'” Human resources and utilities are getting ready to come out to the university where the engineering schools are. We go to the professional associations where we can find quality employees and bring them in to complement our system,” Nieb added.
Neeb will host town hall meetings to talk to the public about water issues facing the city.
The first meeting is scheduled for November 7th at the Haynes Recreation Center located at 2102 Clarks Crossing Dr.
The meeting will take place from 18:00 to 20:00
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