Wastewater Upgrades Among City's Top Two Budgetary Priorities

Two young Del Rio residents, alongside Mayor Al Arreola, take a closer look at rising wastewater levels.

While Del Rio watches its groundwater levels go down, we see a contrast in wastewater levels going up. As the population of Del Rio continues to rise, small businesses are growing, property values are increasing, and the local economy is seeing benefits. Yet waiting underground there is a “health and safety issue for the community,” said City Manager Shawna Burkhart during the February 10, 2025 Public Tour of Silver Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The wastewater tour group was greeted by spitting rain, a sour smell, and a 20-car processional. The gathering included the city council, mayor, city manager, assistant public works director, engineering project manager, wastewater superintendent, private developers, press, and concerned citizens.

Our city population physically cannot grow until this project is complete, according to city officials. “The Silverlake Sanitary sewer line is at 100% capacity during high flow times throughout the day,” said Burkhart. The city sewer lines are not wide enough to carry any increase in load. The wastewater treatment technology is not efficient enough to meet higher demand. If we do not improve the capacity of our wastewater management systems before the population demand increases again, critical failures will occur.

As the tour moved from manhole to manhole, whispers of construction moratoriums and embargos spread across the crowd. According to Gregory Velazquez, Assistant Public Works Director, recent flow tests and growth models show that “every 70 houses add two inches of height" to the sewer line. Those two inches could be enough to cause a hazardous overload. Leeway remains in the pipes, according to recent field measurements provided by Adrian Quiroz, Del Rio Wastewater Superintendent. Right now, things are “below the threshold,” said Quiroz. Daily numbers hold within state-mandated safety levels.

Rapid population growth was not built into Del Rio’s original infrastructure plan and now the city is seeing the long-term effects. Approximately 30 million dollars will be required to upgrade the city’s main sewer line and Silver Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant (SLWWTP). Millions in funding has already been secured, technical engineers have been hired, and construction plans are in progress. The city is actively working to resolve the issue.  

Priority Number 1 is the Cienegas Rd sewer lines. The closer you get to SLWWTP, the more evident the sewer backup becomes. All neighborhoods SW of the airport, especially those along Cienegas Rd, are at highest risk and have been prioritized for Phase 1 construction. Phase 1 will upgrade this critical section. The sewer line pipe radius will almost double in size from 18” to between 30" and 36” round.

Priority Number 2 is completing pipe upgrades all the way from the Edwards Lift Station (located at the end of Veterans Blvd) to SLWWTP. The upgraded path will run parallel to Cienegas Creek, effectively avoiding the disturbance of most city residences. The goal of the renovation is to both increase the load capacity of the main sewer lines and to increase the output value of recycled water produced by SLWWTP. Therefore, the $30 million anticipated budget also includes technological improvement of two Oxidation Ditches at Silver Lake, increasing their size and efficiency. “The ditch and line upgrades need to occur simultaneously,” said Burkhart at the end of the tour. Both are essential.

The more recycled water SLWWTP can produce, the more it can discharge back into streams. Historically, SLWWTP has conducted100% stream discharge. The non-potable recycled water washes downstream to reintegrate with the Rio Grande River. Professional Engineer Jaime Kypuros, Jr., stated that the recycled water of SLWWTP meets quality standards for stream and irrigation discharge - a different option that conserves wastewater locally to be repurposed for land use. Kypuros also confirmed that the infrastructure at SLWWTP could accommodate irrigation discharge, however additional permitting from the state would be required.

Del Rio residents can help reduce wastewater levels by showering off peak hours (avoid late morning and early evening), and by refraining from flushing wipes, Superintendent Quiroz definitively advised not to flush even the flushable ones either. Wastewater is far reaching. As officials have emphasized, it concerns Del Rio's streets, community health, city finances, business development, and local water resources.