Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Water topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Seabrook study identifies pipeline options and long-term demand as council considers water sourcing
Summary
A consultant—s feasibility study found that Seabrook—s current supply connections will become strained as demand grows; options include a 7-mile pipeline (~$36M) or a 14-mile route (~$92M) to regional plants and potential partnership with the Southeast plant pending its expansion study.
Seabrook city staff and consultant Kompenley Associates presented a water-supply feasibility study Dec. 3 that maps potential sources and pipeline routes to meet projected long-term demand.
Carrie Lackey of Kompenley Associates told the council Seabrook currently uses 2.5 to 3.0 million gallons per day (MGD) at peak and that planners estimate future demand could reach about 4.5 MGD over the next several decades. The study examined connecting Seabrook to the Southeast plant (owned by the City of Houston), the Gulf Coast Water Authority—s Thomas Mackie facility in Texas City and local water authorities. A long route to Gulf Coast Water Authority facilities could be roughly 14.5 miles and was estimated in discussion at roughly $92 million in today—s dollars; an alternative roughly 7-mile route to the Southeast plant area was discussed with a planning cost estimate near $36 million for construction.
Staff said Seabrook is not currently a direct purchaser from the Southeast plant because it was not a partner when that facility was originally sized. However, Kompenley reported that the Southeast-plant operator is conducting an expansion study and that Seabrook—s participation in that study now places the city at least on the list for potential future purchases if expansion proceeds.
Council discussed interim options (piggybacking purchases through Pasadena), the potential for grant funding (Texas Water Development Board and other infrastructure grants were referenced), and the long-term trade-off between amortizing capital construction and paying higher per-thousand-gallon rates under current arrangements (staff said Seabrook presently pays $3.83 per thousand gallons on its first tier through existing pass-through agreements). Staff suggested the next phase would be to build financing models to compare amortized infrastructure costs versus ongoing purchase costs.
Next steps: staff and consultants will develop cost/finance scenarios, investigate grant opportunities and report back with recommended phasing and financing options. No binding procurement or construction decision was made at the meeting.
