The City of Katy on Tuesday approved a resolution awarding the contract for Water Well No. 11 and heard extended discussion about the citys future surface-water supply obligations, potential rate impacts and subsidence requirements.

Council approved awarding the well contract to Weisinger, Inc., of Willis, Texas, for a base bid of $5,807,700 and a total project cost of $6,339,695. City staff said the total project cost includes the bid amount, a recommended 5% contingency and previously approved engineering and construction-phase services of $241,610 (approved Aug. 12, 2024, under Resolution 16-41). Funding sources cited in the meeting packet were Series 2016 bonds ($1,000,000) and enterprise fund reserves ($5,098,085).

City staff described the project as a test well and a preparatory step for future expanded water production at the 3120 Fifth Road site. "This entails the drilling of the brand-new water well ... and it sets up this site for a future major city water production facility," a city staff member said, listing a control building, parking, masonry fence, electrical for a future booster pump, generator backup and space reserved for a future ground storage tank. Staff said the well-drilling and testing phase will take about a year to complete.

The council and staff also discussed how the new well fits into the broader system. Jason, identified in the meeting as a city water staffer, said morning demand the day of the meeting was about 8.3 million gallons and that the system can produce close to 12 million gallons with all facilities online: "Our current demand is just above 8,000,000. As of today this morning, it was 8.3. We're capable of producing close to 12,000,000 with everything online and in good condition." He cautioned that exact yield from the proposed well cannot be stated because the well has not yet been drilled.

Council members and several speakers pressed staff and guests about longer-term water sourcing. City officials referenced a regional mandate from the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District that, by 2035, limits groundwater withdrawal so that only a percentage of local supply may be pumped from aquifers, with the remainder required to be surface water. Staff said the city is on schedule to meet that mandate but acknowledged the change will carry costs. "As far as what your bill will be, I will say that your bill will be higher," one speaker summarized about future rate pressure; the speaker added the city had avoided rate increases for three years but cannot guarantee future levels.

Officials described specific connections and off-site work included with the well project: a water main crossing Wharton Road to tie into the Cane Island system, with a future connection planned toward Avenue D when Wharton Road is widened. Staff said on-site work for the contract includes sample stations, hydro-pneumatic tanks and controls needed for a full operational water plant; some ancillary work (such as additional tankage) was noted as part of separate contracts from prior projects.

Council members and residents asked about how much of the citys supply the new well will provide; staff said the well itself is designed to produce up to about 2,000,000 gallons on a strong day but emphasized the figure is preliminary pending well testing. Council members characterized the new well as both an increase in capacity and an operational redundancy that will help when other wells are offline for maintenance.

Council approved the resolution by voice vote after discussion. The contract award will proceed to contract execution and the pre-construction phase as staff completes submittals and permits.

Background: City packets for the item referenced prior resolutions and engineering approvals for related post-Hurricane Harvey drainage and water projects (Resolutions 16-41 and 16-65 were cited for prior approvals of design and construction-phase services). The meeting included public questions about surface-water pricing, the Harris-Galveston mandate timeline and what upgrades will be required at existing city plants to accept surface water; staff said chemical-disinfection conversions are anticipated and offered an order-of-magnitude planning figure (roughly $300,000) for conversion work across plants but said the exact cost will be budgeted as plans are finalized.

The council did not set an immediate schedule for rate changes; staff invited follow-up questions and more specific estimates to be delivered by email and future presentations.