LaredoBuzz.Com

Courtesy Andres Garcia,

LAREDO, TX— The City of Laredo Utilities Department broke ground on a historic project. A 42”, 7,000 linear foot tunnel will be built to intercept wastewater at the Zacate Creek Wastewater Treatment plant and convey it to the South Laredo Wastewater Treatment Plant. This long-awaited project delivers on a 30-year promise to eventually decommission the aging Zacate Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The ceremony was held at the project staging area at Slaughter Park.

The Honorable Mayor Dr. Victor D. Treviño delivered the opening remarks. “This project represents one of the core responsibilities of government, to provide clean water and to protect our resources,” he said. “We are continuing to invest in these important projects to better our community,” Mayor Dr. Treviño added. The 42-inch tunnel project consists of 7,000 linear feet of wastewater transmission lines that will intercept wastewater at the Zacate Creek Plant and convey it to the more modern and efficient plant in South Laredo. The project’s cost is estimated at $29 million and will be completed in the spring of 2026.

Assistant Utilities Director Arturo Garcia commented on the project’s additional benefits for the city. “With this project, we will be able to reclaim and reuse almost 10 million gallons a day of clean water that usually is put back into the river. The City of Laredo Utilities Department will work with TAMIU and other consultants to develop a reuse program and begin installing the purple pipe,” Garcia stated. Purple pipes carry recycled water that has been treated for reuse in non-potable applications.

The event was attended by Council Members Gilbert Gonzalez, Ricardo Rangel, Melissa Cigarroa, and Alyssa Cigarroa. City management on hand included City Manager Joseph Neeb and Assistant City Managers Steve Landin and Jose A. Valdez Jr. Also, in attendance were consultants and construction companies’ team members. Project Manager with Ardurra Engineering, Ignacio Hinojosa, spoke about the specifics of the project and its importance to the city’s utilities system. “The 42-inch tunnel will bring much-needed relief and additional capacity to the city’s wastewater system.

The investment from the City into this project highlights the Mayor and City Council’s commitment to improving the city’s overall infrastructure,” remarked Hinojosa.

The tunneling machine was unveiled at the event. As is tradition with these types of projects, the machine receives a name like the naming of a ship vessel before its maiden voyage. The Laredo 42” Tunnel Project’s tunneling machine was proudly named “Tunneling Teresa”. This state-of-the-art equipment will bore under the city’s streets and prepare the way for the 7,000 feet of pipe.