The shutdown is necessary to accommodate the installation of a 78-inch diameter butterfly valve in a water line that supplies raw water to the plant, Gina Ellison, executive director of public works for the city, told City Council at its Dec. 19 meeting. The project should take about three weeks and will require five to six days of shutdown to complete.
Two-minute impact
Installing the valve is part of Phase 2 of long-term infrastructure improvement plans for the system, and it will help the system provide more than 10 million additional gallons of water per day to Leander once the work is complete, Ellison said.
Phase 4 water conservation measures prohibit all outdoor watering, including handheld watering, according to the city’s website. Residents are encouraged to also check faucets, pipes and appliances for leaks and have them fixed immediately.
Leander residents will need to minimize general water use as much as possible, according to the site, but things such s drinking, bathing, and washing clothes and dishes are still allowed.
The work is expected to begin Jan. 13. It will take about two days to drain the line, one day to do the needed work and another two days to fill the line again, Ellison said.
Leander will return to Phase 2 water conservation, which places restrictions on when and what kind of watering can be done, as soon as possible after the work is complete, according to the site.
Also of note
The BCRUA supplies 60% of Leander’s water, and while it’s shut down, the city will rely on water from the Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant.
Quote of note
“I just want to make sure that everybody knows that this is planned,” Mayor Christine DeLisle said. “We have to shut it down just for a couple of days, and we really appreciate everybody doing their part.”
