By james art LAREDO, Texas (KGNS) – Two days after lifting a citywide 11-day boil water advisory, the city of Laredo announced plans to address the issues that led to the advisory. Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino held a press conference on Wednesday, October 23rd at the McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library to outline these measures.
“We have to follow the science and the data,” Trevino said, warning the public against misinformation. He assured residents that most of the city does not test positive for pollutants, especially in south Laredo. “The concentration of these affected areas includes central Laredo, where some of these sites have illegal connections to our water system,” he said.
Trevino explained that due to state regulations, if two water tests come back positive, the entire city must be placed under a boil water notice, even for unaffected areas. He plans to address five key points at the next City Council meeting: illegal connections, community concessions, relief for affected businesses, staffing shortages and community engagement.
“Over 200 violations were found in downtown Laredo alone,” Trevino noted. “Several of these illegal connections — investigations — especially at the sites where E. coli was found, the owners didn’t know or didn’t understand the consequences.”
To encourage reporting of illegal relationships, the mayor is proposing an amnesty program that would exempt individuals from fines or penalties if they come forward. Regarding the rebates, Trevino plans to ask the council to freeze or eliminate funding for non-essential projects to redirect those funds to the community.
“This is not a giveaway; it’s basic respect and customer service for our people,” he said, stressing the need to make things right for residents.
For businesses affected by the boil water notice, Trevino expects the City Council to approve a program with about $500,000 allocated for assistance. He thanked the office of US Congressman Henry Cuellar for their support in contacting the Small Business Administration and the White House during the consultation.
Trevino also addressed staffing issues in the utilities department, seeking input from the city manager on how to address shortages, particularly for inspectors. “We need qualified people in the right positions,” he said.
To increase public engagement, the mayor called for town hall meetings across the city to update residents on progress.
City Manager Joseph Neeb praised the workers who managed the water supply during the notice and discussed the city’s aging water mains. “Over 30 percent of our utility lines are over 50 years old,” Neeb explained. He stressed the importance of identifying illegal relationships and informing the public about their dangers.
Neeb added that they will work on marketing to target and hire qualified operators, engineers and other personnel needed in the utilities department.
Monica Martinez, executive director of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, said surveys have been sent to members about the impact of the notice, and an economic injury form is available on the chamber’s business website.
Council members Gilberto Gonzalez (District 1) and Ricardo Rangel (District 2) noted that their districts did not test positive for bacteria and praised city officials for their hard work.
A special meeting of the City Council is scheduled for Friday, October 25, with a regular meeting scheduled for Monday, October 28. The first town hall meeting will be held on Thursday, November 7.
Original story:
The City of Laredo and Mayor Dr. Victor D. Treviño will hold a press conference on Wednesday, October 23 to provide updates following the recent citywide boil water advisory.
The mayor will explain what steps are being taken to keep water safe and discuss help for people and businesses with their water bills, including federal programs.
Mayor Treviño will also discuss plans to fix the water system to avoid future problems. He will deal with fines for those who have illegal water connections.
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