Travis County Water Control and Improvement District No. 17 anticipates a 14-month construction schedule for the $5.9 million water line upgrade along Quinlan Park Road.
By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
Upgrading the water main in Steiner Ranch is underway and the year-long, $5.9 million project will ensure there will be a safe and reliable supply in the decades to come.
“The district has seen increased water capacity demands in the southern portions of Steiner Ranch that were not anticipated when the development was originally designed,” said Jason Homan, general manager of Travis County Water Control and Improvement District No. 17.
This project is in the first phase of upgrading the existing main water line that runs along Quinlan Park Road from near University Club Drive to just north of River Ridge Elementary.
The district anticipates a 14-month water line construction schedule that is expected to be complet in May of 2024.
Current demand is met by supplementing water production at WCID 17’s Mansfield Water Treatment plant through piping at the Lake Austin low water crossing from its Eck Lane Water Treatment Facility on Hudson Bend.
“Specifically, with the increased density in the south Steiner peninsula, we are seeing a future need for water capacity and fire flow protection that is larger than that planned for during initial design 20+ years ago,” Homan shared.
In addition to providing a constant flow of water pressure during peak usage, the upgrade project will allow the Steiner system to operate independently from the southern portion of the district. The non-profit public utility provides water and wastewater services to approximately 50,000 people in the Lake Travis area in western Travis County. This upgrade will significantly improve the district’s operations, maintenance and its ability to respond in emergencies.
In conjunction with the $5.9 million new water line along Quinlan Park Road, the district is also in the process of completing a nearly $11 million expansion of its Mansfield Water Treatment Facility, Homan shared.
This will allow for multiple system improvements and significantly increase the resiliency of its systems to numerous potential adverse conditions such as fires, floods and freezing weather.
“This is a multimillion dollar investment by the district that will help to ensure the safe and reliable supply of potable water to the Steiner and Comanche Trail areas for decades to come,” Homan said.
Both the water main upgrade and treatment facility expansion projects have been completely funded through a combination of impact fee collections and budget surpluses that have been earmarked for district capital improvements.
“We here at WCID No. 17 take great pride in the fact that in the six years I have been the general manager, with the help of our staff and the leadership of our board of directors, we have maintained our taxes steady or lowered them every year. All while maintaining the lowest municipal water rates in the area,” Homan said.
“Through careful stewardship of our public resources, we have been able to produce budget surpluses that have enabled us to save and plan for projects such as this,” he added. “We are able to conduct the work without asking the public to approve bonds or see their service rates or taxes increase.”