The City of Huntsville is taking steps to complete Bond Proposition 3, with the construction of a new ground storage tank that will improve the lower pressure planes throughout town.
The City of Huntsville is taking steps to complete Bond Proposition 3, with the construction of a new ground storage tank that will improve the lower pressure planes throughout town.
Voters approved three bond propositions in 2016, totaling up to $128,000,000, to replace facilities within the City. Officials chose to begin with Proposition 3 addressing the City Water Works and Sewer facilities. The A. J. Brown Wastewater Treatment Plant is one of the City's oldest buildings, built in 1971, with expansion done in the early ’80s. The plant continues to serve the bulk of Huntsville, including Sam Houston State University, several Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities and most of the residential areas today.
Growth of the community is outpacing the capacity of the older plants.
“All of the projects are on schedule at this time and progression is nice,” City Engineer Y.S. Ram Ramachandra said.
City of Huntsville Project Manager Greg Blake added that new water mains are being installed in different locations, as part of Prop. 3.
“We have minor delays with the weather, but contractors are making every effort to stay on schedule,” Blake said. “They have been great.”
In addition to new water mains, contractors are also constructing a new ground storage tank, a new elevated storage tanks, a new pump station, and a replacement pump station as part of water Proposition 3 projects for improving pressure and volume in the City's water distribution system, Blake added.
“Every project is making good progress,” Ramachandra said. “Many of the major projects have an early 2020 expected completion date. The A.J. Brown Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently under contract with a completion date in late 2020.”
Ramachandra said the Elkins Lake Dam Lift Station rehabilitation work is expected to be done in late 2019. The goal of Prop. 3 is to improve circulation, pressure and fire flow in the water distribution system; improved efficiency and decrease repair and maintenance needs at the; rehabilitate aged and deteriorating A.J. Brown WWTP to improve treatment efficiency and continue meeting regulatory requirements. Overall, these improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure are needed to keep up with the increased demand from the growth in recent years and meet the needs of anticipated growth in the coming years.
For more information about Prop. 3, contact Ramachandra at YRamachandra@HuntsvilleTX.gov or by calling 936-294-5760.
