Leander City Council approved a $20.8 million contract for the construction of a water pump and ground storage project Aug. 6.
Austin Engineering Co. won the contract to build a new 2.5 million-gallon ground storage tank and pump station at the northeast corner of the intersection of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and East Crystal Falls Parkway.
The details
The new facility will help the city increase its water distribution and storage capacity by controlling water coming from the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority. The first phase will build three out of the facility’s planned five pumps and move about 17.5 million gallons of water per day, according to city leaders and documents.
“This is actually a linchpin in our water master plan,” said Tony Bettis, Leander’s capital improvement program manager.
The new facility is intended to address water demand along the Ronald Reagan Boulevard Corridor during peak hours, such as the morning when households are using water for bathing, cooking and other needs.
Bettis explained that the project will move water from BCRUA through the area along Ronald Reagan Boulevard, loop it back around to the north side and circulate it through the system again.
City documents state that the project is ranked eighth in the city’s capital improvement planning matrix, which scores infrastructure projects on factors such as operational capacity for the city, economic development, public safety and quality of life.
“As we, our citizens, utilize water, that water almost looks like the stock market,” Bettis said. “It goes up and down all throughout the day. What we try to do is we have storage of water, which helps smooth out that use of water through the day.”
The first phase of the project is funded by water impact fees, while funding for future phases still needs to be identified. The second phase is planned to move 30 to 35 million gallons per day, according to city documents.
Bettis said the city will eventually need a booster pump near the intersection of San Gabriel Parkway and Bagdad Street.
Austin Engineering Co. was selected out of 13 bids—ranging from $18.3 million to $29.3 million—received by the city, according to city documents.
