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Council approves $1.4M design agreement for Pecan Knoll off‑site wells; staff outlines timeline to add capacity
Summary
Fulshear’s council approved a $1,406,028 agreement with Brown and Caldwell to design off‑site shallow and deep wells and a collector line for the Pecan Knoll water plant. Staff said the work is part of the city’s plan to add production capacity and expects staged design and testing that could lead to water production before summer 2025 on a partial
Fulshear City Council on Jan. 28 approved a $1,406,028 agreement with engineering firm Brown and Caldwell to design off‑site shallow and deep wells and a collector line to the Pecan Knoll water plant (agreement No. 2025‑024).
City staff and the project manager described the work as necessary to increase the Pecan Knoll plant’s production and achieve the plant’s design goal of approximately 4 million gallons per day (MGD) when combined with on‑site wells and future installations. Staff said previous test wells exceeded initial expectations, producing up to about 1,500 gallons per minute on the on‑site test instead of the earlier 1,200 gpm estimate.
Brown and Caldwell’s representative explained the design will be done in phases. The first phase includes test drilling (a test borehole) to determine capacity and water quality. Once test results are available, the team will specify pump and electrical equipment so components are correctly sized and not oversized. The contract includes work to evaluate multiple potential off‑site locations, some of which are closer to residential areas, and to develop a preferred site that balances capacity and community impacts.
City staff described current construction status for the Pecan Knoll elevated storage tank and plant. The elevated storage tank was reported essentially complete and the plant construction was roughly 59–60% complete (based on days and dollars, respectively). The overall plant construction budget was stated as approximately $14.4 million; staff reported invoices to date of $8.6 million. The elevated tank contractor had requested additional days and weather delays influenced schedule; staff projected the tank completion date around March 28, 2025. Staff also said they are pursuing temporary well motors and starters to allow partial operations before permanent motors arrive, with an anticipated timeline to have water production before summer 2025.
Council approved the Brown and Caldwell agreement after staff described phasing and the role of the test wells. The motion to approve agreement No. 2025‑024 was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote.
Staff said the off‑site wells and a planned additional on‑site shallow well are expected to produce additional capacity toward the plant’s overall target; the design contract’s testing element is intended to avoid oversizing permanent equipment. Council asked about schedule and phasing; Brown and Caldwell staff estimated design activities on the order of several months with subsequent construction following test results. The city also noted a related property acquisition to site an off‑site well as previously approved with a private landowner.
The contract approval authorizes the design work; construction procurement and construction contracts will come separately once design and testing are complete.
