City manager outlines $20 million Valverde water-tank plan amid projected growth

City Manager Sylvia presented the city’s 2026 water work plan, saying Bastrop currently treats roughly 2,500,000 gallons per day with system maximum capacity near 8,000,000 gallons and a projected 40% population increase by 2030. She said the Valverde development has preliminarily dedicated two acres and the easements needed for an elevated water tank to preserve pressure and fire protection in growing areas.

"Preliminary estimates, we're in the $20,000,000 range," Sylvia said, adding the figure is an early estimate and subject to refinement as design work proceeds. She also told council the proposed tank location sits at one of the city's highest points and would connect existing transmission lines to serve Valverde as it builds out.

Sylvia said staff is also exploring a new water‑reuse technology now being piloted by a MUD district. That technology would require TCEQ permitting and a one‑year monitoring period; staff noted the system could free up existing potable supply for residential customers while allocating reuse water for commercial and industrial use. "That technology pretty much pays for itself in a very short period of time," she said, while cautioning that the city must identify additional customers or industrial partners for the reuse volume to deliver a positive return on investment.

The presentation noted funding is not yet secured for several infrastructure projects and reiterated the administration's caution on borrowing after recent debt tied to wells and Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 3. The work plan will move into design and procurement phases as staff refines cost estimates and seeks potential partnerships with adjacent utilities and developers.