Project Background
Pflugerville is one of the fastest growing communities in Texas , expanding from 745 in 1980 to an estimated 25,000 today. New transportation infrastructure being implemented in the Pflugerville area, with the addition of SH45 and SH130, is expected to continue to fuel the rapid expansion, as the City is projected to double in size over the next 10 to 15 years. Pflugerville and the local surrounding area have historically relied on groundwater from the local aquifer to serve their water supply needs; however, water demand has severely outpaced the aquifers supply. Water use restrictions were implemented by the City and local water supply corporations during the recent drought period from 1998 to 2000, causing the City to look to other sources for water supply. Feasibility studies evaluating alternative supply sources were completed by HDR Engineering, Inc. (HDR) in 2001 and the City decided to pursue a long-term water supply from the Colorado River. A Preliminary Engineering Study was completed by HDR in June 2002. The total project cost was estimated to be $45,000,000, the largest capital improvement project ever undertaken by the City. Pflugerville contracted with the Lower Colorado River Authority for water from the Highland Lakes System. Water released from the Highland Lakes will be diverted from the Colorado River at a point downstream of Longhorn Dam. It will be pumped 16 miles through a raw water pipeline to Pflugerville where it will be stored in a new water supply reservoir. The reservoir will cover approximately 180 surface acres and store 554 million gallons (1,700 ac-ft) of water. Raw water from the lake will be pumped to a new state-of-the-art membrane water treatment plant where it will be treated and distributed to the Citys customers. The project is designed to be expanded in the future and is projected to serve the Citys water supply needs through the year 2040. The project has been in the planning, design, land acquisition, and permitting stages since 2002. Construction of the project is anticipated to take approximately 18 months and is expected to begin operation in the Summer 2005. |
