In the 1920s, Amarillo was booming – thanks in part to the discovery of natural resources such as helium. Amarillo’s population practically doubled during the decade, reaching more than 43,000 by the end of the 1920s.
During this period of rapid growth, the City of Amarillo (COA) built the River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant (RRWTP) in 1927 – a facility still in use today.
Fast forward about three decades to 1960, and Amarillo had grown again to more than 137,000 people. In 1965, the COA added the Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Plant (HRWTP)– a facility that is also still in use today.
As Amarillo’s population has continued to increase through the years to more than 203,000 residents, these two facilities exclusively (almost a combined 160 years old) have continued to serve a growing and ever-changing community. (Neither facility has undergone any major upgrades in more than 20 years.)
At the request of city council, the city is addressing the future of these vital pieces of Amarillo infrastructure and how the city prepares for the needs of residents.
Assistant City Manager Donny Hooper has made multiple wastewater treatment plant presentations to council, the latest coming last month.
“The city is looking at every option we have as we move forward with a plan,” Hooper said.
The latest plan presented to council includes a pivot from a previously discussed plan that does not include the construction of a singular wastewater treatment facility but rather facility improvements at the HRWTP in conjunction with expansion, along with the future rehabilitation of existing plant components.
Flood control issues at the HRWTP (which is in a floodplain) will also be addressed.
The RRWTP is undergoing an assessment to determine operational modifications and expansion for future growth.
The goal is for the community to have facilities capable of wastewater treatment for 10-15 years, with the ability to expand beyond this timeframe.
The new approach will lessen the cost of the project while meeting goals for regulatory compliance and also accounting for future growth.
As the project is in the preliminary phase for conceptual design, the city is evaluating several cost-saving measures and efficiencies that could reduce the overall project cost. A more defined cost estimate will be available when the preliminary engineering report is complete, and the project is scoped for design.
As the city explores all options, Hooper and other city officials visited Austin – a city facing a similar situation with its wastewater treatment plant.
“There were three big ticket items that we were looking at when we started down this process,” Hooper said. “First of all is the permitting issues that we have. Second of all would be the capacity associated with that and then the floodplain issues. They were facing the same things in Austin.”
As all are cities and municipalities in Texas, the City of Amarillo is monitored and regulated by the state when it comes to the operation of wastewater treatment plants.
“There are state requirements that all cities in Texas must meet,” Hooper said. “The city is deliberately taking its time through this process to make sure that we meet all state requirements. We are making sure that we get this project right.
“Replacing this aged infrastructure is vital for continued growth in Amarillo.”
For more information on COA water reclamation and wastewater treatment, go to:
www.amarillo.gov/water-utilities/water-reclamation/
To see and review the recent presentation to city council regarding the HRWTP and the RRWTP, go to Item 8B on the video index: https://amarillotx.new.swagit.com/videos/353719