exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The Marble Falls City Council awarded a $252,301 construction contract to Prime Controls LP to upgrade the automation system for the city’s water treatment plant during its Aug. 17 meeting. The project will improve the existing supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA, system, which allows plant operators to interact with devices through human-machine interface software and control plant processes both on site and remotely.

A growing number of Fort Bend County entities have come out against Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Risk Rating 2.0, arguing it will lead to more expensive flood insurance rates for most policyholders. But experts argue, while FEMA’s process has been somewhat flawed, the new assessment is a necessary improvement as flooding conditions worsen across much of Texas.

In response to projected growth in the number of people in West Travis County needing drinking water in the coming decades, local utility planners, particularly at area larger water utilities, such as the West Travis County Public Utility Agency, Water Control & Improvement District 17 are planning multimillion-dollar investments in area water infrastructure.

Clean-up activities are underway, the discharge totaled almost 180,000 gallons of wastewater. 90,000 gallons entered the Brazos River. The City of Waco provided the following information, which lists mandatory health safety statements. Drinking water is not believed to have been compromised.

While there’s no shortage of relief options along State Highway 154 in northeast Texas, two particular loos (the British term for a bathroom) offer quite the view. Located in the tiny Texas town of Sulphur Springs (population: 16,234), the public potties are as much contemporary art installations as they are, well, commodes.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) unanimously voted to adopt the 2022 State Water Plan. “Adopting this new state water plan is a tremendous accomplishment for Texas,” said TWDB Chairwoman Brooke Paup. “The plan provides a clear and credible path to address the state's long-term water needs while protecting its growing economy and population."

A break in a water main on North Akard Street in downtown Dallas caused significant damage to the pavement and minor street flooding Tuesday afternoon. Dallas Water Utilities spokeswoman Estela Ornelas said a 12-inch water main broke in the area around 1 p.m. Tuesday. It was unclear when repairs would be finished.

The break hasn’t affected service to the utility’s customers in the area, Ornelas said.

The City of Houston has launched a pilot project that will speed up the permitting process for environmentally friendly stormwater projects. The Green Stormwater Infrastructure Expedited Permitting Pilot Program, announced August 4, will approve at least 10 projects in the Houston area by August 2022. In conjunction with the Resilient Houston initiative, the city is targeting 100 green stormwater infrastructure projects by 2025.

The second wave of federal grant funds from the American Rescue Plan in response to COVID has arrived to the Wichita Falls City Council. It is around $14.5 million and some of it is already being put to use. City council approved $1.4 million toward the water treatment system. Officials said the supervisory control and data acquisition is beyond repair and simply needs to be upgraded with a newer system.

La Grange City Council voted to approve a new graphic design for the water tower on North Jefferson Street. The design features letters five feet tall spelling ‘La Grange’ on one side and the LG logo with the State of Texas on the other side. The work will be done in conjunction with repainting of the water tower.

The Midlothian City Council adopted a water and wastewater study Tuesday night, Aug. 10, that will affect rates for Midlothian customers for the next five years. As a result, retail residential and commercial water customers will see no increase through 2025.  However, wastewater (sewer) base and volume rates for retail residential and commercial customers will increase beginning in October 2021.

Even after the city of Beaumont presented more details and fielded questions about the proposed plan for the purchase and eventual demolition of the former AT&T building, doubts still persist whether it will ultimately be worth it. But at least one potential developer has stepped forward with a proposal for the area dubbed “Tevis Landing” after one of Beaumont’s first pioneering families.

The city of Edinburg hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for Phase 1 of its Veteran’s Detention Pond Drainage Conveyance and Street Improvement Project. The project will improve drainage in the area of East Rojas Street, Santa Maria Street and Thompson Road. Funding for the project will come from a $30 million bond that was approved by Edinburg residents during the November 2018 election.

El Paso Water officials said west El Paso residents could return to normal water usage Sunday evening after the utility was able "to expedite repairs to broken wastewater mains." The conservation efforts by residents resulted in reduced water flows enabling "crews to work more efficiently to repair the pipelines that convey wastewater from homes and businesses to the treatment plant,” said EP Water CEO John Balliew in a statement Sunday evening.

The developer of a 100-acre, high-density subdivision on Boerne’s northwest side near Boerne Lake said it has corrected problems with the project’s stormwater management that prompted complaints from residents and a local group advocating sustainable development.

Street repairs and drainage upgrades are topping the city of San Benito’s priority list as commissioners work on a proposed $14.9 million general fund budget boasting a $1.5 million boost in sales tax revenue.

The City of Blanco has enacted water restrictions and is asking residents to conserve water after supply dropped to critical levels, city officials said. Officials at first said high usage was straining supply in Canyon Lake, the reservoir from which Blanco currently gets its water. However, they later said crews had identified two leaks that appeared to be responsible for the declining levels.

Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE: AMRC), a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, today announced its partnership with the City of Bellmead, Texas for a comprehensive smart metering infrastructure improvement project. The project will include the installation of solid-state water meters and an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system.