Bellaire’s South Basin drainage work is moving toward construction, but several steps remain: demolition is substantially complete, CenterPoint Energy is expected to relocate power poles, and construction is anticipated to start in early 2027. At a quarterly briefing Monday, engineers said the Regional Drainage Improvement Program remains on schedule heading into 2027, according to Community Impact.
Representatives from Quiddity Engineering walked the council through where things stand, according to Community Impact. The update covered progress since a May session and outlined what to expect through the rest of the year. South Basin demolition was reported as substantially complete, while design work on South Basin Detention had reached 95%. Design on the North Basin Lift Station and Force Main was roughly 60% complete, and procurement for North Basin Detention remained pending.
The program itself traces back to Hurricane Harvey. It was created in 2017 in response to the storm's widespread damage and is meant to reduce flooding risk across the city, as reported by Three Penny Press. It includes widening Cypress Ditch, building new detention basins, and channel work, aiming to combat the severe repeated flooding the city has long dealt with, per the city's own description relayed in the same update.
What Bellaire’s FEMA Flood Maps Show
The City of Bellaire directs residents seeking floodplain elevations to FEMA’s hazard maps and Flood Insurance Study, and identifies FIRM Panel 48201C0855 / Panel 855 / 1150 as relevant for Bellaire. The city’s page points residents to those resources but does not list which neighborhoods are mapped in a high-risk flood zone, according to the City of Bellaire. Residents can consult the maps and study to check mapped floodplain elevations; the panel reference alone does not identify the specific neighborhoods the drainage program is intended to protect.
Remaining Steps Before South Basin Construction
Five permanent structures have been removed as crews prepare sites for drainage improvements, according to Three Penny Press. The city plans to build its North Detention Basin at the site of the existing wastewater treatment plant, the outlet reported.
CenterPoint Energy is expected to remove and relocate power poles along the South Basin within the next few weeks, clearing another obstacle before construction can begin. City officials anticipate that South Basin construction will start in the first quarter of 2027. Design on the North Basin Lift Station is expected to wrap up in the fourth quarter of this year, while South Basin design is anticipated for completion in early 2027, as reported by Community Impact.
The program has three phases: south basin projects, north basin projects and channel projects. Discussions with partners and stakeholders about Cypress Ditch improvements are continuing. The sequence follows earlier work reported after a May update, when the projects were described as being in earlier stages, including securing the former Beechnut Street car wash for demolition and launching a dedicated Cypress Ditch Program website.
Council Approves Program Work Orders
Council also approved two drainage-program work orders Monday as part of the consent agenda, both passing unanimously without discussion. Work order No. 3 locked in a $1.68 million contract with Quiddity Engineering covering engineering and program management for the full 2026-27 fiscal year, Community Impact reported at Community Impact. That scope includes program management, communications and public outreach, design management, bid phase support, construction management and inspections.
Work order No. 4 hires Casey Goforth, the program’s former deputy program manager, as the city’s capital program manager for an amount not to exceed $237,952, according to Community Impact. Goforth will oversee the capital improvements program, financial and grant administration, project support and procurement.
Council Members Assess Progress
Quiddity told council the program remains on track. Council member Ross Gordon, who also serves on the body overseeing the project, praised the team and noted the coordination required among the city, the county, the Harris County Flood Control District, CenterPoint and state and federal funding partners, Community Impact reported.
Council member Todd Thurber, a civil engineer, thanked Quiddity for avoiding cost overruns—instances in which final expenses exceed the original approved budget. He said there appeared to be no unknowns so far, a point he suggested could make later phases easier to manage, according to Community Impact. Council members praised the engineering team’s progress and its ability to stay on time and on budget.
