Damage from flood stalls SAWS’ multi-million dollar construction project

Recent rain will delay project at Highway 90 and Leon Creek

SAN ANTONIO – A lot of people in and around San Antonio are dealing with the impact of yesterday’s rain and flooding near Leon Creek and Highway 90. The weather also shutdown an access road and a multi-million dollar construction project in the area.

A representative from the San Antonio Water System stated that their W-6 project at Highway 90 and Leon Creek was inundated by the Leon Creek floodwaters, filling both the project pit and tunnel.

Two of the project’s holes were filled due to the rain and Transguide cameras caught the water as it sprayed up into the air.

Flooding at U.S. Highway 90 and Leon Creek on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (KSAT)

Contractors’ equipment also became stuck and carried away in the flooded area, with one of their crews saying they lost more than a million dollars worth of equipment.

Throughout the day, KSAT saw the crews collecting their materials that were swept away with the floods.

The W-6 Upper Segment is a $167.7 million project that will replace an existing 54-inch sewer main with approximately five miles of 104-inch sewer pipe.

The project will replace aging infrastructure that conveys more than 90% of the city’s western sewer shed’s total flow to the treatment plant.

SAWS officials said that since the infrastructure was not yet connected to the wastewater system, only overflow water was on the road yesterday, not sewer water.

Equipment used by SAWS in the W-6 project at Highway 90 and Leon Creek. (Courtesy, San Antonio Water System)
Equipment used by SAWS in the W-6 project at Highway 90 and Leon Creek. (Courtesy, San Antonio Water System)
Equipment used by SAWS in the W-6 project at Highway 90 and Leon Creek. (Courtesy, San Antonio Water System)

Related articles:

Major flooding at Leon Creek; flood warning issued for Medina River

Storms soak San Antonio on Tuesday, leading to flash flooding, high water rescues

Aerial footage shows aftermath of storm that flooded areas of San Antonio


About the Authors:

Max Massey is the GMSA weekend anchor and a general assignments reporter. Max has been live at some of the biggest national stories out of Texas in recent years, including the Sutherland Springs shooting, Hurricane Harvey and the manhunt for the Austin bomber. Outside of work, Max follows politics and sports, especially Penn State, his alma mater.

Azian Bermea is a photojournalist at KSAT.