Recent Improvements Evident in Corpus Christi’s Water Infrastructure. On August 22nd, the Corpus Christi City Council approved a construction contract on a segment of a comprehensive project aimed at repairing and replacing water lines throughout the city.
The overall value of the citywide water project amounts to approximately $20 million, and it has been divided into four segments — two featuring small diameters and the other two boasting larger diameters — each part carrying a value of $5 million. Wesley Nebgen, Water Systems Infrastructure Director for Corpus Christi, elucidated how this initiative enables them to focus their efforts on identifying the specific water lines in the city that most need repair or replacement.
“It empowers us to pinpoint those lines that are most prone to experiencing breaks—our aging infrastructure and the portions that are most at risk,” Nebgen remarked. Nebgen outlined their methodology for monitoring pipe failures throughout the city. “We possess a clear understanding of which ones necessitate our attention under these contracts, and this insight also provides us with an estimation of the financial scope of the contracts we should pursue,” Nebgen elaborated.
CCW refers to the small-diameter pipe enhancements as the Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) project. Nebgen indicated that these endeavors predominantly focus on upgrading cast-iron pipes. Given that these pipes constitute the oldest components within the CCW system—having been installed before 1956—Nebgen highlighted that Part B of the small-diameter IDIQ initiative will center on the region north of SPID and east of the Crosstown Expressway.
“These are the pipelines frequently located within rear easements,” he noted. “They are prevalent in some of the more historic neighborhoods in the city. The specific objective of this contract is to replace these lines.”
Furthermore, Corpus Christi Water examines locales where instances of pipe ruptures are more concentrated, often occurring during the hotter summer months.
“Areas with greater soil movement might experience an elevated number of breaks,” he explained. “Consequently, these regions could be given higher priority.”
All four projects are poised to replace approximately 100,000 linear feet of piping. Nebgen affirmed that all contracts have received approval, with the project anticipated to conclude within the upcoming fiscal year.