Houston braces for freeze: Water plants secure, but wastewater 'Achilles heel' remains

Houston braces for freeze: Water plants secure, but wastewater 'Achilles heel' remainsPublic Works Director warns of potential sanitary sewer overflows as lift stations lack permanent generators, while issuing strict 'do not drip' advice to maintain system pressure.

Public Works Director Randy identified power as the 'Achilles heel' for wastewater, noting no lift stations have permanent backup power.

The city anticipates Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) if the grid fails, with plans to rotate portable generators to manage flows.

Residents were explicitly instructed not to drip faucets to preserve system pressure and capacity, countering common freeze advice.

Generators at the 'big three' surface water plants are being pre-activated to prevent start-up failures experienced in past storms.

Council approved a grant application for $5 million in funding for the Spring Shadows Drainage and paving project.

Houston Public Works is mobilizing to protect critical water and wastewater infrastructure ahead of a severe winter storm expected to bring up to 48 hours of sub-freezing temperatures to the region. During a briefing to the City Council, Public Works Director Randy outlined a bifurcated operational reality: confidence in the drinking water supply's resilience versus significant vulnerability in the wastewater collection system. The Director described power reliability as the department's primary concern. For the drinking water system, the city is focusing on its "big three" surface water plants and re-pump stations. Learning from the failures of Winter Storm Uri in 2021—a catastrophe that inflicted between $80 billion and $130 billion in economic losses statewide—where generators failed to start or fuel froze, the department has already begun testing and operating generators in advance of the cold front. "We will begin operating actually the generators at our plants in advance of the storm coming so that we can ensure that there's not going to be an interruption," the Director stated, noting that crews will be staged at the plants to ride out the event. However, the wastewater system faces a more precarious situation. The Director frankly described power as the "Achilles heel" of the sanitary sewer network. He revealed that none of the city's lift stations have permanent backup power. The operational plan relies on rotating portable generators to pump down stations as needed. "If [power loss] is the case, the result of that will be sanitary sewer overflows that we've seen in the past," he admitted, adding that the department will address these on a case-by-case basis. In a move to protect the hydraulic integrity of the distribution system, the city issued a directive contrary to advice often given in other jurisdictions: do not drip faucets. The Director explained that this request is tied to the "health of the water distribution system at large." He argued that widespread dripping increases aggregate demand, making it difficult for treatment plants to maintain pressure if they encounter operational challenges. Instead of dripping, residents were advised to shut off water at the valve if they are concerned about their private plumbing—a precaution echoing the aftermath of Uri, when the city launched a repair program providing up to $10,000 per household to address widespread freeze damage. Mayor Wittmire emphasized that the city is in a better position than previous years regarding backup power, noting that the administration has prioritized installing generators using recovery funds. "We had water challenges in previous years due to the generators in public works having not been turned on in recent time, the diesel froze," the Mayor recalled. He stressed that the city is monitoring the storm "by the hour" and coordinating with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for road treatments, which remains a critical factor for Public Works crews needing to access infrastructure during the freeze. Separately, the council moved forward with flood mitigation efforts, approving an ordinance authorizing a grant application to the Texas Water Development Board. Mayor Pro Tem Peck noted this involves $5 million in funding for the Spring Shadows Drainage and paving project, which aims to provide relief to approximately 7,300 residents.