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Willow Park

City could have Fort Worth water by next week

Results of testing samples will determine

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Willow Park could have Fort Worth water coming into the city by early next week, depending on the results of testing samples from the pipeline that was laid in the late spring.

Crews officially began work in early March after the cities spent more than five years negotiating and planning. 

The nearly $20 million project — divided into a 52-48 cost split between Willow Park and Hudson Oaks, respectively — will include a 24-inch water main, wholesale water meter station, and storage tank and pump station that would help transport water to Hudson Oaks.

The city of Willow Park is already connected to the Fort Worth water source and was expected to have received Fort Worth water sooner, but a series of problems came into play.

Preston Dillard of consulting firm Halff Associates told the city council on Tuesday that contractors Mountain Cascade announced the delay on July 16 due to a delay in the delivery of a flow meter.

While the needed part has still not been delivered, Fort Worth is giving the city a flow meter for temporary use until the part arrives.

“So, the meter is in place now and ready to go,” Dillard told the council. “Once we solved that issue, more issues, in terms of delay, rose.”

One of the issues, he said, is a lengthy schedule for testing components that ensures the pipeline is physically and mechanically prepared to pass water safely from Fort Worth to Willow Park.

The city has already passed the pressure testing component, but just began the deep chlorinating process Monday and will be required to send samples to Fort Worth. 

The last issue of concern is the communication from the flow meter station in Willow Park to Fort Worth. 

“So, once again, your friends in Fort Worth are working very diligently to get this thing going, so they’ve agreed to do a period of manual meter reading, so that if you pass the testing this week on the pipeline, to get things going, they’ll manually read that meter until we get this system up and running,” Dillard told the council.

“Hopefully this Friday, water is coming into the city,” he added. 

The Fort Worth-to-Willow Park pipeline project is expected to be entirely completed on Aug. 27 — about a month-long delay from the original deadline.

Willow Park wells can currently produce up to 1.6 million gallons of water per day, leaving little room for emergencies during the summer months with city water usage averaging to about 1.2 million gallons daily. 

The new project is expected to provide an additional 3.5 million gallons per day, on average, totaling about 5 million gallons per day.

The construction of the water pipeline between Willow Park to Hudson Oaks is expected to be completed a day before, on Aug. 26. The testing part may not be completed then, Dillard said.

City secretary

City Council accepted the resignation of City Secretary Alicia Smith and approved the related severance package drafted by the city attorney.

Upon the resignation of Smith, the council appointed Candy Scott as interim secretary.

Scott has been the longest-serving staff member at Willow Park City Hall with a tenure of 21 years. She previously served as the Chief Financial Officer and Human Resources Director.

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