Testing of upgrades to the Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant is underway, with final completion expected by the end of April, according to Gina Ellison, executive director of public works for the city of Leander.
Ellison, who provided an update at the April 16 City Council meeting, said the upgrades will increase the plant’s treatment capacity from about 9 million gallons per day to 12 million gallons per day.
The details
Ellison said the improvements included expanding the plant’s sludge lagoons and upgrading its sludge management system.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, wastewater sludge processing involves separating out solid waste from raw water and treating the water to remove pathogens.
Ellison said the other key element of the water treatment plant upgrades was the construction of an additional water treatment unit.
The new treatment unit is the plant’s seventh. Ellison said it will serve as a backup unit, allowing the plant to continue operating at full capacity when one of the units needs maintenance.
Both upgrades require a 21-day testing period that is currently underway as of the April 16 City Council meeting, Ellison said.
The background
Ellison said at a December City Council meeting that the planning for the upgrades began in 2021. The $22 million contract was awarded in October 2023, and construction began in February 2024. As recently as December, the city was targeting a completion date in February.
The Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant is one of Leander’s two main water sources, with the other being the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, a partnership with the cities of Cedar Park and Round Rock.
Water is an ongoing concern in Leander, where city officials are working to keep up with the strain that explosive growth has placed on local infrastructure. The city has faced frequent water restrictions and is currently under Phase 2 water conservation, in which irrigation and sprinkler use are limited to one day a week.
