NEWS BRIEFS
News from Round Rock, Pflugerville & Hutto & Williamson County
Hutto adopts new water, wastewater master plans to address growing demand in city
WilCo officials discuss water issues at summit
BY GRANT CRAWFORD
BY CARSON GANONG
At the Dec. 15 Williamson County Growth Summit held at Kalahari Resorts in Round Rock, a panel of experts discussed how the local water supply can keep up with area development. It is not water supply, but development of water supply to match all of the coming industry that is the main issue of concern, said David Collinsworth, general manager and CEO of the Brazos River Authority. With U.S. Census Bureau data projecting Wil- liamson County will have more than 1 million residents by 2040, the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, a partnership between Cedar Park, Leander and Round Rock, is working on a plan to secure water supply for the three cities. The BCRUA is served by floating water intakes on Lake Travis. However, BCRUA General Manager Karen Bondy said the authority is working on a new expansion involving a deep water intake that could divert water from the lake regardless of its levels. Construction started in June, costs roughly $225 million and is expected to take approxi- mately five years to complete.
IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENTS Hutto’s new water and wastewater plans include recommendations and cost estimates for water projects over the next 25 years. Here are a few of the larger projects expected to get underway within the next five years.
Hutto staff recently updated plans for address- ing water and wastewater needs following Hutto City Council approval of new water and wastewa- ter master plans. Council approved the two plans—the first update since 2016 for water and 2018 for wastewater—at a Dec. 15 meeting. Work on both plans began in February, and each includes projections for water and wastewater demand over the next 25 years as well as a list of recommended projects. In the wastewater plan, expansions and improvements at the city’s wastewater treatment plant constitute the bulk of the recommended projects. They total approximately $185 million over the next five years and approximately $470 million over the next 25 years. Key projects in the water master plan include the addition of several new waterlines as well as an expansion to the city’s main frame switch pump station. Proposed water projects total around $128 million over the next five years and $195 million through 2047.
$185.3M $30.8M
in wastewater treatment plant improvements
for water and wastewater infrastructure at the Megasite
$34M
for a frame switch pump station expansion
SOURCE: CITY OF HUTTO/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Council Member Dan Thornton said adopting the master plans does not mean the city must adhere exactly to the projects as laid out. Instead, the plans act as a general guide for when projects should be completed and how much they could cost, he said. Amid growing demands for water, officials said the updated plans will help the city of Hutto and its residents keep pace with increasing water and wastewater needs.
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