Taxpayer dollars to repair groundwater motors up for vote Tuesday

Hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars are on the line on Tuesday as city leaders work to vote on repairing nearly two dozen water pumps.

On Monday evening, the Houston Public Works Department confirmed with ABC13 that 19 groundwater motors were configured incorrectly and don't have what they call protection relays that prevent electrical instabilities from damaging the motor.

City records show that the groundwater motors that need repairs are vital to supplying water for our communities and maintaining the pressure in the water system.

Public Works representatives say the city's groundwater system consists of 55 groundwater plants, 131 well sites, and more than 300 large motors.

ABC13 has inquired about how the motors were discovered to have faulty configurations.

Sheri Smith is a Texas Southern University expert in urban planning who says infrastructure is the city's backbone.

When asked how she believes Houston's backbone is doing, she told ABC13, "It's a little shaky, but in honesty, it's a little shaky in a lot of cities. We're not unique in that."

City records show the 19 motors' repairs aren't expected to cost more than $750,000.

On Tuesday, city leaders will also decide at council about approving nearly $300,000 in reimbursement by FEMA of money spent a few weeks ago to fix traffic signals damaged during the May Derecho wind storm.

"Houston's hidden infrastructure is like most. We usually don't pay attention to it until it's a problem, which is not fair, but I think we're learning more about it," Smith said.

City records confirm that if emergency funding is approved, repairs to the 19 water pumps are expected to be completed by the end of October.

For updates on this story, follow Daniela Hurtado on Facebook, X and Instagram.