Bastrop officials are working to expand its third wastewater treatment plant, citing the city is “growing exponentially," and will need the additional capacity within 18-24 months, according to agenda documents.

This comes a year after the plant opened last May.

The details

The project will result in a high-efficiency wastewater plant that focuses on the following:

• Reuse of effluent water created at the plant
• Creation of a revenue source through effluent use and solids created by the plant
• Quicker build time due to parts prebuilt off-site
• Smaller footprints than the existing plants
• Lower maintenance than the existing plants

Zooming in

The plant’s capacity will double from 2 million to 4 million gallons per day following the expansion.

Trane Technologies will work on a two-phase study and project development plan to provide a proposal for the project, which will include improved infrastructure. The final proposal will be presented within 240 days, according to agenda documents.

The cost

City documents indicate that the fiscal impact is currently unknown as the proposal has not yet been presented by Trane Technologies.

Through the purchasing cooperative, the city will be able to go to the project manufacturer directly to the design and build phase, which will reduce the length of the installation time, according to agenda documents.

The why

The plant will also undergo retrofits to comply with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards for phosphorus levels and discharge into the Colorado River. It is also expected to serve the upcoming SpaceX site in Bastrop starting in 2026, as part of an agreement between the company and the city, as previously reported by Community Impact.