Georgetown to spend almost $2 billion on water, wastewater projects

Georgetown will spend approximately $1.9 billion over the next five years replacing and relocating water lines, upgrading lift stations, building new treatment plants and finishing ongoing projects to expand water and wastewater services. 

“To say this is a very lumpy [cost projection] is a major understatement,” City Manager David Morgan said during the April 22 city council workshop. “You can see how costly these wastewater projects are, as well as how costly these water projects are as a result of the impact they’ll have over the next several decades on our water system.” 

The first phase of the Southlake Water Treatment Plant — a $175 million project that broke ground near Cedar Breaks Park in 2022 — will come online in June. Phase 1 will add 22 million gallons per day to the city’s water capacity. This will allow the city to ease ongoing residential lawn watering restrictions, from once-a-week watering to twice-a-week. 

Phase 2, which could be completed next year, will double the city’s treatment capacity. 

“Even with the aggressive growth we’re seeing, you have a little bit of breathing room for the next few years before we need some additional water [capacity],” Systems Engineering Director Wesley Wright said. 

Other water and wastewater projects include the Braun Elevated Storage Tank near Santa Rita Ranch, the Stonewall Ranch Pump Station, the Berry Creek and San Gabriel wastewater interceptors, a rehab of the Dove Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Three Forks Water Reclamation Facility. 

Mr. Wright said initial projections of the Three Forks Water Reclamation Facility show the first phase will be able to treat 7 million gallons of wastewater a day. 

A full list of water and wastewater projects the city is working on can be found at https://city-georgetown-tx-projects.cleargov.com.

FY 2026 water projects 

Next fiscal year, $157.4 million will be spent on water projects, while about $663.4 million will be spent in FY27. 

Groundwater transmission: Mr. Wright said the city is pursuing the first phase of projects that will bring groundwater to Georgetown from counties east of the city. For transportation, there will be two pump stations and approximately 23 miles of waterline. In FY25, $17 million will be spent to purchase land for the pump station locations. In FY26, $170 million will be spent on easements and moving the project forward. 

Water line replacement: Approximately 47,000 linear feet of water lines in the Cedar Hollow area will be replaced because they are old and undersized. Design is underway, and construction will cost $7.75 million. 

Water line relocation: There will be multiple water line relocations because the current line conflicts with ongoing road projects. These projects will take place along Ronald Reagan, County Road 201, Seward Junction North Loop, SE Inner Loop, DB Wood Road and Leander Road. In total, these projects will cost $21,750,000. 

Zebra mussel defense: To further mitigate the spread of invasive zebra mussels, the city will install a permanent system that reduces the risk of clogged pipes, screens and improves treatment. The design of this system, which is in the FY25 budget, will cost $700,000. Construction, which is in the FY26 budget, will be $1.75 million. 

Water treatment study: A study will be done on the water treatment wells at San Gabriel Park to learn about the forever chemicals in the area and how to mitigate them. In order to improve the facility and its filtration, $500,000 has been designated for design in this year’s budget, with $2 million requested for construction for next year. 

North Lake Water Treatment Plant upgrades: Operational enhancements will be made to the North Lake Water Treatment Plant to prevent equipment freezing and add a workshop for plant maintenance staff. Design will start in FY26 for $750,000, and construction will start in FY27 for $2 million. 

Carriage Oaks Elevated Storage tank: The rehabilitation of the Carriage Oaks elevated storage tank off County Road 200 will cost $1 million for FY26. 

FY 2026 wastewater projects 

About $325.7 million will be spent in FY26 on wastewater projects and $346.8 million will be spent in FY27. 

Wastewater line realignment: The wastewater lines along Church Street will be realigned so they no longer run through backyards. Design is currently underway and next fiscal year $1 million will be spent for this project. 

Maintenance: Annual Texas Commission on Environmental Quality mandated wastewater maintenance will cost $2.5 million. 

Lift station upgrades: There will be lift station upgrades that will be determined by an assessment and Capital Improvement Project plan. In FY26, $1.5 million will be spent on a full rehab of the Wolf Ranch lift station. 

Interceptors: Three interceptors – near the San Gabriel, Berry Creek and Cowan Creek will begin construction within the next three years. The San Gabriel interceptor will allow wastewater to be directed toward the Pecan Branch and Three Forks Wastewater Treatment Plants. Construction will cost $49.5 million and will begin in FY26. Also beginning in FY26, the Cowan Creek interceptor will bring service to new developments in northwest Georgetown. It will cost $23.5 million. Construction on the Berry Creek interceptor begins in FY28 and will allow for the decommissioning of the Berry Creek Highlands Lift Station. It will cost $6.8 million in total. 

Gravity wastewater main line: Near Westinghouse Road, new gravity wastewater main lines will allow for the decommissioning of the Westinghouse and Midway Lift Stations. In FY26, $1.5 million will be spent on design and easements. Construction will be in FY28 and will cost $7.5 million. 

Cimarron Hills Lift Station: A new addition to the Cimarron Hills Wastewater Treatment Plant is the Cimarron Hills Lift Station. The design is underway and construction will cost $4.5 million. 

Three Forks Water Reclamation Facility: The project will be a 22-million-gallon-per-day facility that will include a plant, lift station and temporary package plant. Some equipment will be bought preemptively in FY27 — when construction will also start. In FY26, $156 million will be spent on design and early equipment purchases. About $343 million will be spent in FY27 for plant construction. 

Northlands Wastewater Treatment Plant: Design for the Northlands Wastewater Treatment Plant’s lift station and temporary package plant is already underway. This will be a new 1.5-3 million-gallon-a-day facility near Ronald Reagan and Sun City Boulevard. In FY26, $50 million will be spent on design and construction. In FY27, the remainder of the plant will be built for $111 million.

Cowan Creek Lift Station: The Cowan Creek Lift Station will bring wastewater to the aforementioned wastewater treatment plant. It will cost $16.8 million to build. 

San Gabriel storage tank: The city is working on a San Gabriel reuse and irrigation storage tank. The design costs for FY26 is $500,000. Construction in FY27 will cost $2 million.

Cost break down 

This chart, shown during Tuesday’s Georgetown City Council meeting, displays how much money Georgetown will  spend on water and wastewater projects over the next five years, and where the money would come from. 

“The out years, the $32 million, the $9 million and the $30 million, that is admittedly a little light,” Systems Engineering Director Wesley Wright said. “We are working on model updates and proposed projects for those years. Some of that is dependent on growth and where that will occur, and where projects will be needed.”