The Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority is moving forward with its regional water system project.

At a meeting Wednesday night, the BCRUA Board of Directors approved an amendment to a contract with Austin-based engineering company Walker Partners LLC, which increases the total budget for Phases 1C and 2 from $3,776,500 to $4,002,600.

The BCRUA was founded in 2007 by representatives from the cities of Cedar Park, Leander and Round Rock, who first met in 2005 to plan a three-phase regional water system that would deliver water to the cities for the next 50 years.

The contract with Walker Partners includes the design of Phase 1C of the project, which expands a water treatment plant and raw water pump station. The contract also begins Phase 2, which will create a deep-water intake system to pump water from Lake Travis to a water treatment plant in Leander. The water will flow through underground tunnels in Volente.

BCRUA General Manager Tom Gallier said the BCRUA initially expected that the Pedernales Electric Cooperative would gain easements needed for electrical equipment upgrades at the Phase 2 pump station near Sandy Creek Park, and along Trails End Road, FM 1431 and Hero Way West, and then bill the BCRUA for reimbursement, Gallier said.

The original contract executed in April with Walker Partners excluded design costs for these upgrades and easements, pending negotiations with the Pedernales Electrical Cooperative, according to the meeting agenda packet.

“It’s complicated, but eventually we’ll work out an approach that will work for both agencies,” Gallier said.

While the BCRUA continues to work on an agreement with the PEC, the authority decided to add the additional $266,100 in design costs to allow Walker Partners to move forward with right of way acquisition, Gallier said.

Walker Partners has been asked to enter an agreement with M&S Engineering to design the electrical service upgrades, according to the agenda packet.

Reporting contributed by Jennifer Reiley.