The City of Kirby committed to replacing a broken sewer main in six weeks after homeowners called KENS. The project is now complete.
KIRBY, Texas — Homeowners on Scotsman Street in Kirby said they had been dealing with liquid sewage in the roadway since at June of 2025. But after the homeowners reached out to KENS 5 in late October, the city cleaned the street and committed to fixing the broken sewer main, which was causing the problem, in the next six weeks.
When KENS 5 checked back in on the street in January, the City of Kirby had followed through. The 600-foot-sewer main going through the ally was completely replaced.
Homeowner Robert Castillo had previously been dealing with a stinking stream running right next to his driveway. He said the finished project meant a lot.
“It’s amazing. It’s a little victory but also a big one because we don’t have to deal with the sewage anymore. It’s nice!” Castillo said. “Now we are back to normal.”
KENS 5 also sat down with Kirby City Manager Brian Rowland to discuss the repair.
“We had a plan of action. It took longer to move that plan of action because the processes that had to take place in reference to notifying the utility and solidifying the contractor to do the work,” Rowland said. “It wasn’t a minor sewer repair.”
Rowland said the City of Kirby had to work with CPS Energy to brace the power lines in the ally where the line was located before they dug the whole thing up. That meant local homeowners had to give permission to CPS Energy to put a support pole in their backyard which would then support the power poles in the ally. The City of Kirby also had to find a contractor to do the work.
Rowland said, once the polls were secured, the contractor was able to do the job in less than three weeks. He said the job was finished by the first week in January.
The City’s public works director had also resigned at the beginning of December but it’s not clear how that affected the project. Rowland wanted to thank residents for waiting.
“I just want to say thank you for being patient with us. The City of Kirby has had transitioning from the city managers, from public works, on this issue and now that we have gotten it completed hopefully things are better for you,” Rowland said.
The City Manager said the city was still working on water leaks and they would be replacing another sewer line later in the year. He said he knew the city has aging infrastructure that needs to be addressed.
“This is a city that is 70 years old and we are having to have conversations,” Rowland said. “The situation we are in with water rates and the non-development of capital improvement projects… The infrastructure has been here for 30 to 50 years and it’s time for replacement.”
Castillo said the city did a good job on this project in the end and the city’s current interim public works director stayed in communication with homeowners the whole time.
“He answered every time I called. He did make a difference definitely,” Castillo said.
If you have a problem like this, we want to help you fix it! In our series, Call KENS, we do our best to solve problems for our viewers. The number to call is 210-470-KENS, or fill out the form on this page.