By Trina ‘Indi’ Johnson
When a troublesome sinkhole yawned open at the corner of Palm Boulevard and Taylor Street, it set tongues wagging around town. The Laguna Madre Water District said they sprang into action. They said their crews have been hard at work, grappling with aging pipes and stubborn conditions to ensure everything stays in order, for the community.
The trouble began when a sinkhole started forming just east of a manhole at the busy intersection. Robert Gomez, the district’s Director of Operations, laid it out clearly: “The proximity of this sinkhole was east of the manhole which had started to shift. The rationale was that the line was compromised and dirt had started to infiltrate into the sewer line.” Not wasting a moment, the district hired Southern Trenchless, who enlisted JMR Co. to repair the 13-foot-deep sewer line that stretches along Palm Boulevard to the lift station on Mesquite Street.
JMR moved quickly, plugging lines at Orange and Taylor Streets, as well as sections of Palm Boulevard and Palo Blanco, to prevent wastewater backups. They replaced the worn-out manhole and installed 60 feet of new PVC pipe—20 feet north, 20 feet south, and 20 feet east toward Taylor Street. With the hole filled and most plugs removed, it seemed the job was complete. But another problem soon reared its head.
About 40 feet from the repaired manhole, a new sinkhole began to take shape, presenting a fresh challenge. JMR started digging but hit a snag: groundwater, sitting 8 to 10 feet below, turned the site into a muddy quagmire. “The water infiltration where the excavation was being performed was more than they could handle,” Gomez said. The foreman chose to backfill the hole, as the task exceeded their original contract.
The water district stayed focused. After reviewing bids from two contractors, one at $228,000 and another at $122,000, they decided to tackle the work themselves. They secured a large excavator, a trench box, pumps, and other equipment. While waiting for the gear to arrive, they re-plugged the lines and began draining the site. The groundwater proved tough, resisting standard dewatering methods.
Leaning on local expertise, the district consulted a contractor working on their new water plant. “We consulted with the general contractor that is building our water plant and he provided our crew with a more effective dewatering method to handle the depth we were required to be,” Gomez noted. The new approach worked wonders, drying the site in just a couple of days despite the hole growing larger from groundwater erosion. With the ground stabilized, the crew swiftly repaired the sewer line.
The district kept things clean, with no wastewater spills, a clear sign of their careful planning. One issue remains: the line from Palo Blanco to Palm Boulevard is still plugged, pending further inspection. “We are planning to re-route the line from Palo Blanco to Palm Blvd if this line is indeed damaged,” Gomez said, adding that it might just be debris from the initial work. The district’s camera, sent to Florida for repairs in June, is due back this week to inspect the pipe and provide answers.
For now, a generator-powered pump keeps wastewater flowing from the Palo Blanco manhole to Palm Boulevard through an external line, marked with orange tape and cones. “This line is checked at least twice a day to ensure the generator/pump continues to keep operating,” Gomez said, reassuring residents that the system is under control.
Some of these pipes, over 40 years old and buried 12 to 13 feet deep, take a beating from heavy vehicles like trash trucks and buses. Yet, the Laguna Madre Water District said they stay on top of things, addressing repairs and planning for the future to keep the town’s water and wastewater systems reliable. With skill, teamwork, and what they call a deep commitment to Laguna Vista, they’re making sure everything runs smoothly, no matter the challenge.
Comments