Is County’s Water Infrastructure Ready for Another Deep Freeze?

At a meeting last Thursday Fayette County Commissioners discussed applying for a grant to purchase backup power generators for critical infrastructure in the County, especially water pumps.

Historic freezing weather this past February crippled local water utilities. When the power went out for an extended period, pumps and pipes froze. Fayette Water Supply Corp., which provides water to thousands of rural residents in Fayette County, spent weeks repairing damage after the freeze.

Angela Hahn, a grant specialist for Fayette County, informed Commissioners about a hazard mitigation grant that could pay for generators to power pieces of critical infrastructure, such as public water utilities.

“Funding won’t be available until February 2022, and we don’t know how much they’re going to provide at this point,” Hahn said.

FWSC general manager Jim Rebecek said only one of the corporation’s water wells currently has a backup generator. That one cost $95,000, he said. Rebecek said the rural water utility would need generators at four other well sites to withstand another power outage crisis like the one in February.

In addition, Hahn said Monument Hill Water Supply requested one generator.

“We’ve also been talking about putting one at every school campus because they could possibly be used as shelters,” Hahn said

Hahn said she didn’t know the exact cost because each facility would have different power requirements. The County would have to provide a 25 percent match to the total grant amount. Hahn proposed sharing the cost of the matching funds with the other entities that would receive generators.

“Would that be a good deal for you?” County Judge Joe Weber asked Rebecek.

“It would help us considerably,” Rebecek said.

Rebecek said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is requiring all public water suppliers to submit a plan detailing how they will keep water flowing in the event of a 24 hour power outage. They have to submit those plans by March of next year and they have to implement the plan by next July.

Hahn said she would continue gathering information about the generator grant. Commissioners took no immediate action.