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Josephine staff recommend 1.5-million-gallon ground storage and pump upgrades after booster station shelved
Summary
Consultants recommended immediate construction of a 1.5-million-gallon ground storage tank and pump upgrades to buy time until a regional transmission line becomes available in 2028; a previously planned booster pump station was estimated at about $9 million and put on hold.
City consultants and staff told the council the city needs near-term water storage and pump upgrades to handle demand peaks while awaiting a new North Texas transmission line planned for 2028.
Immediate need and recommendation: Engineers recommended adding 1.5 million gallons of ground storage at the existing Pump Station 2 site. City staff said existing ground storage at Pump Station 1 and 2 totals about 1.2 million gallons and that the North Texas Municipal Water District’s guidance calls for a minimum of 1.5 million gallons to meet a third-of-maximum-day requirement.
Cost, timeline and alternatives: Staff and consultants estimated the ground storage tank would cost roughly $4,000,000 and could be designed and built quickly enough to be in service by 2026 if design work proceeded through the summer and TCEQ filings were submitted. The meeting also reviewed a previously proposed booster‑pump station that had been designed to serve both Wildflower and about 1,000 homes inside city limits; that booster station’s estimated cost rose in design to over $9,000,000 and had limited useful life (staff said it would be in service about 18 months before a regional transmission line came online), so consultants and staff advised against proceeding with the booster pump given its short-term utility and high capital cost.
Pumping requirements: To meet TCEQ minimums and peak-hour demands until elevated storage is available, consultants recommended a minimum of two 2,700‑gallon‑per‑minute pumps and two 1,500‑gallon‑per‑minute pumps (firm capacity). With those pumps installed, staff said Josephine could meet peak needs through roughly 2027; the same pumps combined with elevated storage would extend capacity past 2033.
Elevated storage requirement: Consultants said the city will need elevated storage (a water tower) in service by 2028 to reduce pumping demands; elevated-tank construction typically requires 14–18 months. Ground storage plus pump upgrades are intended as an interim strategy to ensure compliance and avoid shortfalls during peak watering seasons.
Funding and coordination: Staff said they plan to fund ground storage from reserves rather than debt and that they are coordinating with North Texas; North Texas staff reportedly agreed the ground storage approach is appropriate until the new transmission line is available.
What was not decided: Council did not formally authorize construction in the work session; staff said they would return with budget details and a timeline for procurement and construction.
