By JACQI LEYVA-HILL
Special to the PRESS
Long Island Village residents met Wednesday morning with project engineers and the Laguna Madre Water District seeking answers, timelines and improved communication regarding an ongoing water and sewer reconstruction project that has disrupted daily life inside the gated community for more than a year.
Resident Will Zuniga said homeowners support the need for upgrades but want clearer expectations about the work and its impacts.
“Sometimes we receive notification of the water being shut off 15 to 20 minutes after it has already been shut off,” Zuniga said. “The paving problem is a huge issue and it is not going to be resolved. It will leave us with road problems that could be avoided now and will become another cost for residents to absorb in the future.”
Residents described water shutoffs, utility interruptions and torn-up streets throughout the subdivision.
Project engineer Jacob Castañeda told residents the reconstruction is necessary to correct longstanding violations of Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards and allow the Laguna Madre Water District to assume operation of the private system.
“There were separation issues between sewer and water lines, structural problems and groundwater infiltration,” Castañeda said. “There was a real risk of cross-contamination.”
Much of the underground infrastructure dates back decades to when the property primarily contained RV pads. Many service connections were installed beneath foundations and were inaccessible for maintenance and repairs.
Construction began Sept. 16, 2024. The original completion date of March 2026 has been extended to June 28, 2026, after unexpected underground conditions and lift-station work required a change order. Officials estimate the project is approximately 51 percent complete. They also explained that on certain streets existing sewer lines are being repaired rather than fully replaced in order to stay within project funding limits.
While many residents agreed improvements are necessary, several said daily living conditions during construction have been difficult.
Resident Margo Crouch, whose home was among the first impacted, said her concern is not a lack of notification but project management.
“It’s really the management of it and how it’s been handled,” Crouch said. “I think most people are disenchanted with the living conditions while this is happening.”
She acknowledged occasional breaks are expected when crews dig into aging lines but said residents want better expectations moving forward.
“Completion answers and improvements moving forward would make life better for the residents whose streets aren’t done yet,” she said.
Residents also raised concerns about pavement settlement, driveway access, drainage and the long-term durability of patchwork paving.
In a post-meeting phone interview,
Charles Ortiz, district engineer for the Laguna Madre Water District, said the district awarded the construction contract to Southern Trenchless Solutions, which is responsible for performing the infrastructure work and supervising its subcontractors, including plumbing work.
Ortiz said new individual water meters are now being activated. Residents will begin receiving monthly bills with a base charge of about $42.98, including approximately 3,000 gallons of water usage. The district will maintain water mains and meters, while homeowners will be responsible for service lines from the meter to the home. The contractor will provide a one-year warranty on paving and infrastructure after final completion, expected in mid-2026.
Residents also questioned how billing would work during the transition period, noting that HOA dues currently include water service through a master meter. Once connected, homeowners will also receive individual bills from the water district. Officials said connections will occur gradually over several months while both systems operate simultaneously. Long Island Village board member Jack Penn said the association does not plan to raise HOA dues and expects reduced master-meter costs over time to help offset the added individual water bills.
Officials reiterated that roads are being patched and overlaid rather than fully removed, with approximately one-and-a-half inches of asphalt planned after underground work is completed.
Near the close of the meeting, one resident told the crowd the project “is a means to an end” and “will be beautiful when it’s done,” drawing applause from those in attendance.
Despite frustrations, both residents and officials agreed the goal is a safer, code-compliant utility system that can be maintained long term.