Burkburnett hires Violia to fix hardness, nitrate issues; company outlines 180‑day plan

Burkburnett hired contractor Violia to address persistent water hardness and nitrate problems, and the company presented a staged 180‑day program the commission heard at its regular meeting. City staff told commissioners they canceled a pending RFQ to negotiate directly with Violia, which had managed the city’s wastewater system for decades and began water operations on Aug. 20.

Why it matters: City officials said the water quality problems are fixable through operational and infrastructure work rather than building an entirely new plant, and that the changes should reduce the city’s reliance on purchased water. Staff cited roughly $525,000 spent last year buying water from Wichita Falls as an example of avoidable cost if plant output increases.

What Violia proposed: At the meeting Violia’s vice president of operations and director of operations outlined a 30/60/90 staging that they framed as part of a 180‑day program. Immediate steps include separating discharge lines to increase production, targeted operational tuning to resolve hardness and nitrate issues, digitizing field reporting (tablets and automated uploads into the city’s new reporting system) and developing a monthly operating report that documents equipment status, work orders and forecasts.

Violia said it brought several long‑time city employees into its crew to preserve institutional knowledge and expects to bring more testing in‑house to reduce outside lab costs. The company also reported it completed a full asset inventory (serial numbers and pump/motor sizes) to speed repairs and parts replacement.

On timelines and infrastructure: Presenters said a temporary 4‑inch line will be installed while three permanent lines, two tanks and pumps are procured; Violia estimated roughly four months once construction starts for the line/tank work. The firm said engineering for the waste‑line project was under way and that it would submit plans to the state regulator for approval.

Transparency and metrics: Violia emphasized improved communications and produced a new monthly operating report—described in the presentation as expanded from a few pages to a 35–40 page digital packet—to show equipment status, diagnostics, and planned work. The company said the digital changes reduce paperwork, lower data‑entry errors and speed access to maintenance records.

Quote: The Violia vice president of operations said the company wanted to demonstrate results rather than only proposals: “Let us put—let us show you what we can do versus telling you.”

City oversight and exit option: Council members were repeatedly told the city retains the right to restart the RFQ process and exit the Violia arrangement if the company does not meet agreed benchmarks. A city official told the commission, “I personally can already see a difference in the water quality,” and said officials expect “drastic improvement in our water quality in the next six to eight months.”

Community engagement: Violia also described nontechnical partnerships—community barbecues, event sponsorships and a plan to fund and build pickleball courts at a city park at Violia’s expense and to host a small exhibition in November. Commissioners clarified that the pickleball courts would be Violia‑funded, not city‑funded.

Next steps: Violia will provide the staged 30/60/90/180 updates and monthly operating reports; staff said engineering and permitting for the line project will continue and the city will monitor performance against the schedule. The commission did not take a formal vote on the contract during the meeting; staff said the contract terms include the city’s ability to terminate if performance does not meet expectations.