Plumbing problems could cost the county $4 million

On Tuesday, a coalition of Travis County staff appeared before the Commissioners Court requesting funding for a derelict section of plumbing in the Travis County Jail. 

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office and Travis County Planning and Budget Office requested $150,000 for an “engineering assessment” of the scope of work necessary to repair the jail’s plumbing infrastructure, with funds to be drawn from a variety of sources, including internally. 

The county estimates the plumbing repair will cost approximately $4 million, including some marginal padding in case the assessment uncovers additional urgent repair needs – though the engineering assessment will yield a more precise estimate.

Replacement of the plumbing system has long been an item of interest for the county, especially as they would clear space in the jail for the Counsel at First Appearance program and mitigate risk to Central Booking facilities and the county’s new courtroom.

“We, my staff, toured the downtown, Central Booking and CJC facility, and the plumbing situation is – it’s horrible. And I mean it’s terrible that people have to work in those conditions,” said Commissioner Brigid Shea. “So I’m wanting to understand this project because it looks like it’s going to take extensive work. And because there’s such a strong desire to be able to resume Counsel at First Appearance. And I know part of the repairs are to make additional space for us to be able to do that. What impact will this project have on counsel at first appearance? Because there’s a lot of a lot of interest in getting that going as soon as we can.”

Shea did not receive an answer. 

Tuesday’s team of representatives, led by Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez, argued in favor of a motion to quantify the court’s repair plans.

Representatives already have prepared a list of approved vendors for engineering assessments, which will significantly speed up the assessment process as opposed to conducting a public bid process. Representatives believe the assessment cost will be ready for the Fiscal Year 2025 budget process in August. 

The timeline for the repair process is uncertain and will depend largely on the findings of the engineering assessment.  

Hernandez reported with frustration that a plan existed 15 years ago to replace the jail, which was by then already operating far past its intended life span. 

According to Hernandez, the building is not aging with grace. 

The majority of the building’s drain pipes are constructed of cast iron, an outmoded material due to its tendency to rust, denigration and potentially secondary issues such as mold. 

The building’s pipes are also unusually and haphazardly embedded within its infrastructure, running along and beneath electrical lines and concrete floors.

County Judge Andy Brown and others raised the issue of the jail’s infrastructure in relation to the county’s new courtroom, located in the same downtown facility. The Counsel at First Appearance courtrooms are on the first floor, and the pipes run above them on the second through fourth floors, according to Alex Braden, the county’s assistant budget director.

“Because of the conditions of the pipes, we may have water that will seep down and get into this brand-new courtroom we’ve just spent money to build,” Braden said, emphasizing that there are no leaks currently but they could happen at any time.

“The point is, and I think what I’m taking away from this is, when we’ve got facilities that are 25-plus years old, the way that things were designed then are probably wholly inadequate for the way that business is done today,” Hernandez said.

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