Dripping Springs council approves TWDB grant application, $200K facility design

The city of Dripping Springs is making progress on a new wastewater treatment facility, as well as two other water infrastructure projects.

The overview

At a May 19 meeting, City Council approved an agreement with Carollo Engineers for final design services related to the South Regional Water Reclamation Facility expansion. The final design of the solids storage and recuperative thickening facility will cost a maximum of $199,822 and will be funded by loans from the Texas Water Development Board, or TWDB.

Benefits of the new design will include:

• Flexible staff schedule
• Reduction in hauls per week
• Odor reduction
• Added reliability

Some context

The city of Dripping Springs has been working to expand wastewater services since 2015. In 2019, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved the city’s discharge permit. The environmental advocacy group Save Our Springs Alliance then filed a lawsuit against the TCEQ, asking the courts to rule against the permit, Community Impact previously reported.

After several years of litigation, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of the city last April, allowing it to resume progress on the project.

Also on the agenda

Dripping Springs City Council also approved two projects to be included in a TWDB Water Supply Infrastructure Grant application: an advanced purification project and a rainwater collection system at Dripping Springs Ranch Park.

The purification project, or direct potable reuse project, would treat wastewater to drinking water standards and return it to the water system. The city initially commissioned a study on a direct potable reuse project in 2015, according to Deputy City Administrator Ginger Faught. If the city moves forward with the project, the study will need to be updated.

“It’s becoming a much more accepted water source,” Faught said. “And with the severe drought that we’ve been in for the past several years, we’re going to have to look at all the alternative water sources that we can.”

The rainwater collection system would mostly be used for irrigation at the park, but around 10% would be treated for potable use, according to Lily Sellers, Dripping Springs Ranch Park manager. The estimated cost for this project is roughly $1.3 million.

The projected annual yield for the system is 1,043,000 gallons, compared to the park’s 927,200-gallon water usage in 2025. The system is estimated to save the city approximately $13,000 per year, according to city documents.

One more thing

Dripping Springs could qualify for $6 million to $10 million from the TWDB. The amount of funding a city is eligible for depends on the service area population. If city officials are allowed to count the Dripping Springs water customer population plus the Dripping Springs Water Supply Corp. customer population, they would be eligible for up to $10 million.

Looking ahead

The final design of the solids storage and recuperative thickening facility is expected to be completed May 28, with final City Council approval July 21. Applications for the TWDB grant are due July 30.