The City of Pineland (Pineland) is located along U.S. Highway 96 in Deep East Texas. Originally a sawmill and lumber camp known as John Adam’s Mill, Thomas L.L. Temple purchased the operation in 1910 and formed the Temple Lumber Company, which ushered in a period of rapid growth for the community. Pineland’s population totals 888 as of the 2020 Decennial Census, and its annual median household income is $32,109.
Like many communities in East Texas, Pineland is proud of its rich history. Pineland celebrates its community bi-annually on Pineland Day, and the community continues to invest in education, public green space, and the only public City pool in the region.
Pineland provides water to a total population of just over 1,300 customers within its city boundaries and beyond, and has one wholesale water connection to GM Water Supply Corporation in Hemphill, Texas. Pineland works tirelessly to provide excellent service to its residents and local industry. City staff do their best with their aging infrastructure, but decades-old pipes result in about 20 main breaks per year.
These main breaks are complicated by the fact that Pineland’s water system was constructed without sufficient isolation valves, which allow for maintenance and repairs to isolated portions of the system. As a result, when a main break occurs, Pineland must stop potable drinking water from flowing to about half the city. Additionally, the lead time it takes to address the leaks increases water loss and decreases efficiency. It’s estimated that each of those 20 main breaks costs the City almost $840 in labor costs alone.
In order to address these issues, WFX is pleased to offer Pineland grants in the amounts of $5,000 and $10,000 to support the purchase and installation of new valves. With additional funding support from philanthropic sources and the City’s own investment, this project will allow Pineland to pay for new valves in the distribution network at locations optimized for efficiency in addressing problem areas.
It is estimated that the project will save Pineland time and money in labor, the electric costs of pumping water, and the chemical costs of treating the water lost at a total of at least $7,200 in annual savings. This analysis likely underestimates savings as it does not account for revenue that is also lost when there are extended shutdowns or impacts to customer satisfaction with extended interruptions in service.
With the savings enabled by these new valves, the City of Pineland will reinvest in itself by pursuing large-scale improvements to its water and wastewater treatment plants. These improvements are expected to be funded through a combination of grants and loans, which Pineland is better-positioned to obtain as a result of the greater operational efficiency provided for by the new valves. The resulting water infrastructure upgrades will enable Pineland to pursue community and economic growth.