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Liberty Hill council approves AWPF pilot contracts but members warn funding and schedule are uncertain
Summary
Council approved a $1.94M Garver amendment and awarded a $14.99M Archer Western construction contract for an Advanced Water Purification Facility pilot, while staff and council said total project costs have risen and funding timelines are in flux.
The Liberty Hill City Council on Dec. 10 voted unanimously to approve two actions to advance the Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) pilot: an amendment to the professional services agreement with Garver LLC to add phase 2b services, not to exceed $1,941,069 contingent on securing funding, and an award of the pilot construction contract to Archer Western Construction LLC not to exceed $14,991,621, with the notice to proceed tied to the city’s 2026 revenue bond closing.
Garver project staff described the AWPF as a multi‑phase program. They said the project completed a 12‑month effluent characterization (kicked off August 2024), submitted a TCEQ pilot protocol in December 2024 that TCEQ accepted in May 2025, and completed the pilot design in August 2025. Phase 2b includes construction administration, UF (ultrafiltration) equipment procurement and two specialty UF rentals, an electrodialysis metathesis (EDM) trailer provided for no cost through a university partnership, pilot operation and sampling (Garver estimated over 1,000 samples during the 8‑month pilot), an archaeological survey for the full‑scale site, and a boundary survey for the South Fork Wastewater Plant.
Garver representatives estimated the pilot (phases 1 and 2) to date to be roughly $17–18 million. City staff later told council that the total project cost has grown since the original application; staff said the earlier Texas Water Development Board application had asked for $28 million but that the “total project cost now is $200,000,000.”
Council members pressed staff on schedule and funding risks. Councilmember Diane Williams and others said a shift in funding timelines (including federal agency delays) has moved the full AWPF schedule into 2030–2031 ranges and that several other planned projects are contingent on the AWPF timetable. Dan Wegmiller of Specialized Public Finance outlined an alternative funding strategy using an open market bond sale: seek a bond rating in December, post an offering in late January, present competitive bids at the Jan. 28 council meeting, and target delivery of funds around Feb. 18, 2026 if the council proceeds. Wegmiller noted the city’s wastewater utility currently carries an A+ Standard & Poor’s rating and the market option is faster if WIFIA/WDB timelines continue to be delayed.
Council approved both the Garver amendment (work order 7‑2400273) and the Archer Western contract by 6–0 votes. Several councilmembers said approvals should remain contingent on confirmed funding, and staff confirmed that state law requires change orders above $100,000 to return to the governing body for approval.
Next steps identified at the meeting include finalizing grant closing (a $300,000 USBR “pitch‑to‑pilot” grant was noted as in closing), completing boundary and archaeological surveys for permitting, and finalizing financing documents to allow a notice to proceed once revenue bond funding is secured.
