Dripping Springs officials are seeking contracting firms for phase one of the South Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility expansion.
Latest update
Dripping Springs City Council approved the invitation for bids for phase one at an Oct. 20 meeting.
Work items in the first phase will include:
An influent pump station
Aeration basins
Yard piping
UV disinfection
The project utilizes funds from the Texas Water Development Board, which were awarded in July, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
The current facility has a daily treatment capacity of 162,500 gallons. Once both phases of the expansion are complete, the facility will be able to treat about 820,000 gallons per day.
Some context
Dripping Springs officials began the process of updating wastewater infrastructure more than 10 years ago based on growth trends and projections in the area. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality awarded the city a Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or TPDES, permit in 2019, but a lawsuit paused the project's momentum until 2025.
While the TPDES permit allows the city to discharge treated wastewater into natural waterways such as Onion Creek, Utilities Director Gray Lahrman said the city does not intend to.
What happens next?
Lahrman said city staff will review all bids received and recommend the lowest responsible and responsive bid to the council in early 2027.
The city will begin designing phase two during phase one construction.
