Kyle City Council on Nov. 18 voted unanimously, with Mayor Travis Mitchell and Mayor Pro Tem Bear Heiser absent, to approve a multimillion-dollar expansion for wastewater treatment as the city continues to grow.

What it means

The vote adds $12.3 million to the city’s existing contract with STV Engineering, the architectural firm responsible for managing the facility expansion, bringing the total to $30.1 million and authorizing the start of Phase 2 expansion.

According to Mike Murphy, director of water utilities, the new funding will double the plant's daily treatment capacity from 4.5 million gallons per day to 6 million gallons per day by November 2026 and to 9 million gallons by September 2028.”We're on the very edge of our permissible use of discharge from that plant,” Murphy said. “As the city of Kyle grows, it's critically important that we bring this 6 million gallons per day [online] as soon as possible.”

What’s next?

A second phase of the expansion will add major new treatment infrastructure to the facility, upgrading everything from the tanks that break down and settle waste to the filters, screens, odor-control systems and pumps that keep the plant running.

The expansion aligns with the city’s Water Master Plan, which calls for using wastewater treatment and reuse to help meet the community’s projected doubling in water demand.

The full expansion of the facility is scheduled for completion by September 2028.

Zooming out

The wastewater expansion comes as officials also work to increase the city’s drinking water supplies.

In October, officials announced the completion of a regional Alliance Water system that delivers 6 million gallons of treated water per day to San Marcos, Buda and Kyle. Design plans are already underway to expand the capacity of processed groundwater at the treatment plant.

Construction on that expansion should begin in early 2026.