Since then, local flood experts have extensively studied the possibility of a multibillion-dollar tunnel system across Harris County, where Houston is located. Studies have focused on the construction of pipelines, 30 to 40 feet in diameter, that could ferry massive amounts of water out to the Gulf in the event of a storm.
Now, after years of research and discussion, Elon Musk wants a piece of the project.
An investigation by The Texas Newsroom and the Houston Chronicle has found that the billionaire, in partnership with Houston-area Rep. Wesley Hunt, has spent months aggressively pushing state and local officials to hire Musk’s Boring Co. to build two narrower, 12-foot tunnels around one major watershed. That could be a potentially cheaper, but, at least one expert said, less effective solution to the region’s historic flooding woes.
Is this related?
Houston will receive $8.5 million to replace aging water meters citywide over the next year
Houston’s push for water utility improvements comes after long-standing problems with water leaks. During 2023 to May 2024, the city lost 36 billion gallons of water due to leaks alone — enough water to supply the city of Fort Worth for a year.
Not related. Water meters keep track of flow and help pinpoint leaks where water is being wasted or on return before it is treated, making the municipal water system more efficient.
This sounds like the Musk Tunnels are purely to move stormwater. Think those concrete aqueducts around cities to collect water that would normally flow through a watershed but is now falling in impermeable surfaces. It’s just going to be an underground river essentially. It sort of makes sense because the Boring Company can make tunnels, admittedly while ignoring many regulations.
