exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

Residents of San Angelo, a West Texas city in the Concho Valley, have gone days without safe drinking water after city officials discovered industrial chemicals contaminated the water system.

Amarillo has a new person overseeing its Public Works department. Tuesday, the city announced its appointment of Donny Hooper as the new Director of Public Works at the regular Amarillo City Council meeting. Hooper served as the assistant director of the department starting in 2018 after serving at Pampa's public works department for 22 years. 

The Katy Trail project may soon take a large step toward its final destination in Texoma Health Foundation Park. The Denison City Council recently authorized staff to apply for  state funding to build out the $1.8 million second phase of the hike and bike trail system.

Expansion of the city of Pearland’s John Hargrove wastewater plant is scheduled to begin in the spring to boost the facility’s treatment capacity by 50 percent. The expansion — which will cost some $74 million including construction and design work — will increase the plant’s per-day treatment capacity, now 4 million gallons, to 6 million. Should construction begin in April, the city anticipates completion in October 2023.

Preservationists, downtown leaders and the public began providing input Thursday on eight proposed options for redesigning a part of the San Pedro Culture Park, to preserve and interpret the historic foundations of an early Black church and 1800s industrial structures.

The Round Rock City Council has approved a new outdoor watering schedule on to avoid over-saturated yards and better balance water distribution during the week. "We wanted to make changes to the schedule because we want to even out the water plant production," said Michael Thane, the city's director of utilities. 

The northbound outside lane of Grogan’s Mill Road at High Timbers/Riva Row in The Woodlands is closed Tuesday night while San Jacinto River Authority crews work to repair a broken 12-inch water line.

The City of San Angelo issued an Emergency Declaration on Tuesday in response to an advisory urging residents not to use water citywide. On Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, officials with the city released the following statement: The City of San Angelo is issuing an Emergency Disaster Declaration and activating the City and County Emergency Operations Plan, which allows us to request funding and assistance from the State of Texas if needed.

University of Texas at San Antonio researchers began a wastewater testing program in June for the COVID-19 virus.

The team collected samples from the San Antonio River Authority’s wastewater treatment plants in Converse. It took researchers about four days to process a wastewater sample.

Researcher Haya Al-Duroobi said the study found spikes of COVID levels coincided with large social gatherings during the holidays.

The Waxahachie City Council approved an engineering contract for a major new sewer trunk line at Monday’s regular meeting. The council agreed to a nearly $700,000 contract with Birkhoff, Hendricks and Carter, LLP for Phase IV of the Grove Creek trunk sewer project. The project consists of about 15,000 linear feet of 24- to 27-inch sewer pipeline and manholes, and will parallel Grove Creek.

Lake Conroe is one of the healthiest reservoirs in the great state of Texas, thanks to the efforts of many people. It has taken sound biological practices by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and many more organizations and individuals who devote their time, money and efforts toward making this a reality.