Bellaire officials present three options for aging wastewater plant; costs, timelines vary sharply

Bellaire officials on May 18 presented three options for the city's 80-year-old wastewater treatment plant and outlined the likely costs, timelines and trade-offs for each option. Mayor Pappas and Assistant City Manager and City Engineer Beth Jones told a community meeting that no final decision had been made but council will consider a related land-swap and contract with the City of Houston at an upcoming meeting.

The options presented were: rehabilitate or largely replace the existing plant on its current site (Option 1); build a completely new plant on the adjacent Public Works laydown yard (Option 2); or decommission the plant, build a force main and connect Bellaire's sewage to the City of Houston's Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant (Option 3). "No decision has ultimately been made at this point in time," Mayor Pappas said as she introduced the meeting and the materials staff had commissioned.

Why it matters: the plant is at the end of its useful life, staff and HDR Engineering's assessment show. The city has spent "millions" on repairs over time and faces either substantial capital investment or operational changes that would affect bills, city debt and local land use. The November bond referendum that voters approved for water and wastewater projects provided $30 million in authority, but that sum would not fully cover the higher-cost rehab or replacement options.

Key figures and comparisons provided to residents: the city's current cost to treat wastewater is $2.54 per 1,000 gallons, while Houston's current wholesale charge is approximately $1.90 (referred to by staff as the City of Houston master fee/cost-of-service rate). Staff estimated that if Bellaire…