Peñitas takes steps towards its own water supply

The city of Peñitas is preparing for growth and is making plans to eventually  have its own water supply.

Peñitas City Council unanimously authorized their city manager to apply to obtain a Water Certificate of Convenience and Necesity. Peñitas City Manager Omar Romero said the certificate would give Peñitas the ability to have exclusive rights to provide water and sewer service to the citizens of the area with the hope of providing “better” rates for customers.

The city would work with the Agua Special Utility District_which currently provides sewer and water services to Peñitas_to purchase the water rights once the certificate is obtained.

“It’s a large step for the city, it means quite a bit of economic growth and the city can be accountable for how we can grow to lure businesses and development here and help our citizens,” Romero told city council members Wednesday. “The city has reached a point where we are strong enough financially and from a management standpoint to become a municipality.”

Romero told council members the process to obtain a certificate can take up to five years but the city would already be prepared for their own water supply by the time their certificate has been approved. The city manager told councilmembers Agua SUD is open to either helping to provide water services to citizens or assisting the city in construction of a water plant for the area.

At that same meeting, council members also approved an agreement between Romero and City Engineer Richard LeFreve, of LeFevre Engineering & Management Consulting, LLC, to do a feasibility study for a water plant and evaluate the city water system.

Hector Moreno, an engineer at LeFevre Engineering, said the feasibility report would commence within a week after the city finished applying for a certificate and would take a few months to complete.