Austin Approves $78 Million Wastewater Upgrades
The Austin City Council this week approveda $78 million project to expand the capacity of its wastewater treatment facility to 10.4 million gallons per day (MGD) from 8.475.
The expansion and upgrade of the treatment plant is necessary to meet projected residential and industrial growth over the next 20 years, city engineer Steve Lang told the Council.
Austin projects a 15 percent population increase by 2040, and commercial demand is also expected to increase. Lang said the city's largest industrial client, Hormel Foods, is expected to increase its flow output from 2.04 MGD to 2.75 MGD by 2040.
Meanwhile this week, more than 100,000 gallons of wastewater flowed into a dry tributary bed of Austin's Bull Creek after a 21’’ main break and sanitary sewage overflow, according to the city's NBC affiliate station, KXAN-TV.
Austin Water managing Engineer Kevin Koeller says the wastewater never made it into Bull Creek, and crews are cleaning out what remains in the tributary bed.
“Any place that there’s wastewater ponded, we will pump that out and put it back into the wastewater collection system,” Koeller said.
The Texas Commission Environmental Quality has been notified, and the situation will not affect Austin’s drinking water. However, residents wre advised to stay clear of the area in Great Hills Park.
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