The need
The city of Houston is in the process of adding a new fourth plant to the EWPP site, which currently consists of three plants, according to city documents. Plants 1 and 2 date back to the 1950s, and Plant 3 was constructed in 1980, the documents show.
Located on Federal Road in east Houston, the water treatment plant serves approximately 1.9 million residents across the city, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
The existing facilities on average pump 239 million gallons of water per day, well below the rated capacity of 362 million gallons per day, according to the documents. Additionally, 43% of the infrastructure on plants 1 and 2 have an estimated service life of one to two years, as well as 31% of the infrastructure on Plant 3.
Building a new fourth plant, with an estimated cost between $3 billion and $4.2 billion, is expected to have the shortest turnaround time and minimize impacts to ongoing operations, Community Impact previously reported.
The EWPP project is part of the city’s capital improvement plan and aims to meet resident's water demand while meeting regulatory requirements of the Safe Water Drinking Act, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, per city documents.
What’s new?
The $17.9 million contract with global engineering company Black & Veatch Corporation pertains to sediment removal and restoration at Plant 3, according to the Dec. 10 City Council agenda.
The scope of work includes removing and disposing of site contents, repairing the levee, modifying the low-lift pump station, upgrading the chemical feed systems as well as other improvements to Plant 3.
Funding for the contract comes from the city’s Water and Sewer System Consolidated Construction Fund, per the agenda.
Looking ahead
According to project documents from Houston Public Works, the full EWPP improvement project, including construction of Plant 4, is expected to wrap up by 2034.
Houston residents will likely see an increase in their water bills over the next five to 10 years as a result of the project, per previous Community Impact reporting.
