Laredo mayor proposes utilities app as city plans major water line replacement

The mayor announced during a Sept. 14 special City Council meeting that the city is preparing one of the largest water line replacements in Laredo’s history and proposed a utilities notification app to alert residents to planned or unexpected water interruptions.

"So we must get this done in order to put water bottle notice a thing of the past," the mayor said while describing deferred maintenance that has left many water lines beyond their useful life. A council member who spoke in support of broader communication called for expanding outreach beyond traditional channels: "Most people are getting information from the device in the palm of their hand," the council member said, urging podcasts and other avenues in addition to town halls and city-produced notices.

Council members discussed improving the city’s GIS maps so outage notices can more precisely indicate which homes will be affected. Staff and council agreed that implementing better mapping and a voluntary notification system would likely require additional staff time and funding; no formal motion or budget allocation for the app was made at the meeting.