The gist
League City officials will invest up to $90 million to expand the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility, doubling its capacity from currently treating 4 million gallons of wastewater per day to 8 million gallons per day.
The facility was built in 2012 and serves the southwest area of League City.
League City’s current population nears 118,000, according to recent U.S. census data, but the city’s population is expected to grow. Currently, League City is only 40% built out, Director of Public Works Jody Hooks said.
“It’s almost like a blank canvas along [FM] 517 all the way up to our borders with Alvin, and ... it’s going to really blow up in the next five to 10 years, and that plant will provide adequate treatment capacity for that growth,” Hooks said.
Quote of note
Since water treatment plants generally consist of separate units, to double the capacity, developers can simply duplicate the existing infrastructure, said Ron Bavarian, executive director of capital projects.
“There will basically be another [treatment system] built. ... Different stages of the treatment process will be built on-site,” Hooks said. “It’s almost like building another plant that’s already there, in a sense.”
Next steps
On Aug. 8, League City City Council approved a $6.01 million contract with consultant Freese and Nichols to design and bid out the facility's expansion.
The city hopes to complete the project’s design process by the end of 2025 and have the plant operational by 2028, Hooks said.
