Houston, Texas – The Harris County Engineering Department installed new underground storm sewer systems on the Castlewood Subdivision to provide drainage mitigation intended for 100-year storm events.

The Castlewood subdivision, located in northeast Harris County, was severely damaged by floods overpowering shallow drainage ditches and cracking asphalt streets during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The community contained outdated drainage systems unable to mitigate wastewater in time to reduce flood risks. To solve this issue, the Recovery and Resiliency Division (HC-RRD) Team began the study and design of the Castlewood Drainage project in April 2019. The project underwent construction on September 20, 2021.

The $14.5 million Castlewood Addition Section 3 and 4 Subdivision Drainage Improvement Project, funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, transformed the subdivision by implementing reinforced 5-foot concrete sidewalks with ADA-compliant ramps in place of roadside ditches, routing extreme storm event drainage to two locations and replacing existing asphalt pavement with fresh concrete curbs and gutter roadways.

The estimated completion date for this project was initially April 2024; however, with the diligent work done by Precinct 2, Harris County Engineering, Harris County Recovery and Resiliency Division and the citizens of Castlewood Subdivision, this project will finish approximately 18 months ahead of schedule, with the current estimated completion date set for December 30th, 2022.

If you are interested in learning more about the Castlewood Addition Section 3 and 4 Subdivision Drainage Improvement Project, please email the Assistant Director of HC-RRD, Erwin Burden, at erwin.burden@harriscountytx.gov