The details
Both facilities, located at 300 Water St., Bastrop, were severely impacted by grit and debris that have accumulated in the aeration basin—deposits that have led to a loss in treatment capacity, according to a staff report.
“The Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 1 clarifier has been dewatered and pressure washed, and I would not want to be the person who was in that tank pressure washing,” Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said during a special meeting Nov. 4. “We did identify some metal issues, so we’ve cleared the contractor to start those repairs, and then we’re still removing sludge and debris.”
She and other city officials highlighted that the project will accomplish several objectives, including:
- Restoring the structural and functional integrity of the facilities
- Enhancing operational reliability
- Ensuring long-term performance of the wastewater treatment system
Bastrop City Council approved a $2.4 million construction contract with Emerson Construction Company for the rehabilitation of Wastewater Treatment plants No. 1 and No. 2 in June.
Curtis Hancock, director of water and wastewater for the city of Bastrop, called the rehabilitation “long overdue.”
“I can be honest with you, the plants are so old,” he said during the meeting.
What else?
Wastewater Treatment plants No. 1 and No. 2 are offline during construction, and flows are being redirected to Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 3, at 384 SH 304, Bastrop. The facility came online May 7, 2024.
Rehabilitation—which began in September and has a scheduled completion date of July 23, 2026—is being financed with approximately $2.3 million through the American Rescue Plan Act grant fund and $112,699 through the city’s Wastewater Capital Improvement Plan fund, according to city documents.
“We are saving taxpayer dollars,” Carrillo-Trevino said. “We are using ARPA money, and are putting this plant back to use.”
