GRANGER –– The city seems closer to resolving its water-line issues following a successful digging operation that could hasten the delayed opening of a new school, officials said.
The water-line bore is part of a project to improve delivery service to parts of the city including the new Granger Secondary School, which should have opened in August but has remained closed due to the disruption.
“We still must run the water line through the casing, but the critical phase is now complete,” said Mayor Bruce Waggoner.
After nearly a year of postponements, delays and five failed bore attempts, the waterline casing bore made it under the Union Pacific railroad tracks Dec. 17.
The latest drilling attempt began Dec. 8 at a depth of 120 feet to avoid the unknown underground anomalies detected during a previous bore.
The process moved slow and steady not only to avoid any underground obstructions but to maintain the stability of the rail lines, officials said.
One-eighth of an inch disruption to the railroad tracks could cause problems for the trains, they added.
The water-line work initially began to connect the new campus to city water. While the process was underway, it was discovered the city had a collapsed line with only one eightinch pipe supplying water to the east side of town.
Granger Independent School District trustees, staff and students hoped to be in the new school by the first of the year.
However, the district still needs to pass a fire-flow safety test, which was postponed from Dec. 16.
During the Nov. 12 school board meeting, Waggoner informed Superintendent Stephen Brosch and trustees the district could use the new athletic complex, located by the secondary campus, when students return from Christmas break.
The city will pay to have the wastewater pumped from the sports facility until water and wastewater lines are connected.
“We look forward to completing the water-line portion within the next week or two. It will then be released to the city for full use,” Waggoner said.
Meanwhile, the city received $944,000 from the Williamson County Commissioners Court Dec. 16 to help fund water and wastewater improvement projects.
