Leander officials approved an update that includes new demand projections based on existing infrastructure and fresh growth data to the city’s 2018 Water Masterplan during the March 7 City Council meeting.

Called the 20-Year Water Capital Improvement Plan, the updated plan will replace the 2018 Water Masterplan currently outlined in the city’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan, Executive Director of Infrastructure Dan Grimsbo said during the meeting.

The specifics

According to city documents, the updated plan:

• Calculates demand projections for the water service area based on population estimates
• Provides capacity evaluations of existing water infrastructure, such as storage tanks and pump stations
• Analyzes methods of distributing treated water throughout the service area as it expands
• Prepares cost estimates of the proposed improvements required over the 20-year study period

Additionally, the updated plan identifies and prioritizes water projects for five, 10 and 20 years into the future until Leander reaches full build-out, which is expected to be in 2040, according to the documents. By 2040, the city’s population is expected to more than double, reaching 225,000.

A closer look

The estimated cost of water improvements now through 2040 is roughly $353.1 million, according to the documents. A big bulk of the cost comes from the improvements taking place in the next five years, which is costing about $300 million, Grimsbo said.

A few projects happening in the next five years include:

• San Gabriel elevated storage tank: $9.5 million
• Travisso elevated storage tank: $15.5 million
• Ronald Reagan ground storage tank and pump station: $38.2 million
• Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant residuals and treatment module: $21.5 million
• Leander Springs waterline: $923,437

Going forward

Grimsbo said the city has and will continue completing the projects outlined in the plan over the next five years.