Bastrop staff warns wastewater plants near capacity; $60M reuse option discussed

City of Bastrop wastewater staff told the City Council on March 25 that the city’s older treatment plants on the west side are approaching planning and construction thresholds and that growth could push system demand toward a tipping point in 2026.

Curtis Hancock, who presented flow data and the plant analysis at a workshop, said Plant 1 and Plant 2 are “aging” and that Plant 1 “was put in in 1988.” Hancock described a near-term buildout scenario in which three projects (Steel Yard, River Terrace and a Courtyard Marriott) could add about 156,980 gallons per day and noted that, under that scenario, Plants 1 and 2 would be near the planning threshold.

The presentation explained the city triggers for expansion planning and construction: reaching roughly 75% of permitted capacity requires being in planning and design, and hitting about 90% requires beginning construction. City staff said those milestones drive lead time because a new treatment plant takes roughly 18 to 36 months for design and construction.

Hancock recommended adding capacity on the west side rather than transferring flows to Plant 3 across town. “For me, my advice to y’all is I would add a plant,” Hancock said, arguing that adding a local plant both increases capacity and preserves transmission capacity on the east side.

City staff also described a prefabricated “reuse plant” option that they estimated at about $60 million and said that prefabricated modular systems can be built faster — often in roughly 18 months — and expanded in stages. The reuse option could enable water-quality upgrades that would permit effluent reuse for irrigation or sale, but staff noted additional treatment steps (for example, advanced oxidation or disinfection) would be required to reach potable or high-quality nonpotable reuse standards and that those costs are additional and have not yet been quantified.

City Engineer Tiger Davis explained how detention and conveyance calculations are done: impervious cover is converted into volumes and outflows for sizing ponds and pumps. Davis said the engineering work will examine how stormwater and wastewater improvements can avoid increasing flood risk to neighboring properties.

Why it matters: Bastrop is growing and several large private projects are in the pipeline; wastewater capacity and financing decisions require long lead times and large capital commitments. Staff warned council that, if projected flows materialize, the city needs to move from concept to design and financing soon to avoid regulatory or service problems.

Council members asked about timing, funding and the possibility of partner contributions from adjacent water providers. Hancock and the city manager said staff will return with funding scenarios, grant and procurement options and more detailed timing at a future meeting.