Lee Jacobs provided a status update on capital improvement projects at the Oct. 13 Water Utility Commission meeting, describing design work, community outreach and scheduling for multiple water system upgrades.

Jacobs said the Water Plant 14 project is in preliminary engineering and hydrologic modeling; staff are evaluating whether demand conditions allow taking the reservoir offline to complete interior rehabilitation. He also described a proposed pressure‑reducing valve (PRV) station at El Conquistador, noting the design will minimize above‑ground impact and that project staff met with the El Conquistador HOA and property owners to review the preliminary plan. When a commissioner asked what “PRV” stands for, staff replied it meant “pressure‑reducing valve,” explaining it reduces pressure to backfeed lower service zones.

Jacobs reported that Well D9 was taken offline in June 2025 after an equipment issue; operations pulled the well, cleaned it and now plan to re‑equip the site with a new pump, likely set deeper than previously. He said testing and pump selection are ongoing. Another project discussed was the “outlying” booster that will help move water into the F and G zones to improve efficiency and potentially remove older booster stations.

The largest ongoing effort Jacobs described was the northwest meter park recovery and delivery system — a partnered project in which wells pump to a shared intermediate reservoir and each partner will operate its own booster. “This reservoir will be shared by the all 3 partners,” Jacobs said; he explained the partners will each have separate booster pads to pump into their respective systems. The alignment for part of the transmission main changed because of a new subdivision; Metro (the managing partner for that portion) engaged the subdivision designer to finish the alignment and avoid delays.

Commissioners asked about lead times, tariffs and procurement. Jacobs said long‑lead items have been anticipated and several transmission main purchases (sourced from Utah) have already been made — roughly 5,000 linear feet received with about 20,000 feet remaining to be delivered — to reduce escalation risk. He also noted the project uses WIPA funding and referenced domestic procurement rules in that context.

No formal action or vote was taken on the projects at the Oct. 13 meeting; engineering staff said community outreach and HOA meetings are planned as designs are finalized.