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A local water profe ssional di sputed City Manager Thomas Mattis’ claims regarding Elgin’s water and wastewater treatment plant in a recent interview with the Courier.
Taylor Christian, 35, has worked for more than a decade as a water data scientist for the state. She has surveyed infrastructure for drinking water systems and developed population and water demand projections, estimating needs for Texas into the next 20 years.
During his community growth report, Mattis stated, “Elgin sits on top of the largest and maybe most prolific aquifer in the state.”
“I’m confused about what the confusion is about, people seem to be under the impression that there is any concern about water and wastewater in Elgin, there’s not. In my opinion, the most solid part about the city’s operation is its water,” added Mattis in the city council meeting.
Elgin lies on the minor outcrops of two different aquifers, the Carrizo Wilcox and the Trinity, neither of which hold the grand titles stated by Mattis, according to Christian.
The Ogallala Aquifer, located in the Texas panhandle, is the state’s actual largest reserve, with the most prolific being the Edwards Aquifer, which is why there are multiple springs around the San Antonio region, added Christian.
“It doesn’t mean that there’s anything to worry about in terms of water, but I don’t think it’s responsible for the city manager to say facts that aren’t factual to get his point across,” said the local analyst.
While she agrees that Elgin is currently managing its water usage appropriately, Christian stated that the city needs to plan for its future growth more accordingly, particularly in regard to wastewater treatment.
“Elgin is a special thing, we have a special place, and if we’re not proactive in our planning and we just continue to be reactive, we’re going to lose all of that. We know how our population is going to grow, but we’re only looking at the known development. It’s not responsible to wait until there’s an issue to do something,” said Christian.
Elgin’s wastewater treatment plant is now finishing its expansion, doubling its capacity to two million gallons of water per day. The city currently uses about 700,000 gallons daily, this leaves Elgin room to double its population before it needs to consider any further major improvements, according to Mattis.
The city’s current population is around 15,000 people, as stated by Mattis in the same report. His conservative projection reveals that in three years it should reach closer to 20,000, and if every current scheduled project was to be completed, including extra-territorial jurisdiction, Elgin would see about 50,000 residents.
“I stand by the facts as stated in the Growth Report demonstrating that the COE has no concerns or issues related to the provision of water and wastewater services to both current and future customers,” added Mattis.
Christian stated that there is more the city could do to better prepare for this inevitable growth.
“I wish Elgin was more involved in the regional process, it’s based on population growth and what future water will be to meet population demands. It would benefit the city to be more involved in regional planning,” added Christian. “I’m concerned that we’re growing so much and we’re not addressing any of these future potential problems until they are at our doorstep, and that’s exactly how we’ve dealt with wastewater.”
Texas has conducted water planning on a statewide basis since the 1950s, updated every 5 years, according to Christian.
To be proactive, she recommended the city works more with regional councils of government and state entities, like CAPCOG, that could aid with infrastructure planning. Along with grants and loan programs, “statewide efforts can make the city’s life so much easier and help with projections,” according to Christian.
It’s recommended to keep water usage around 60% of capacity. Elgin was at the 70% mark before the treatment plant’s expansion, and with population growing so rapidly, it may reach that breaking point again soon, according to the data scientist.
“A big event like the Superbowl, when everyone is flushing their toilets at once, could lead to overflow,” she said. “It’s a safety and hazard precaution. Being reactive doesn’t provide the best solutions for the city because we’re left with limited options, there’s grants to do all of this stuff and better prepare.”
The water professional insisted that more planning needs to be done, the city may be in a good position, but there is no way to know just yet.
“Water is the most important resource we have, and I think just because it’s there, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be concerned about the future. It’s really easy to not think about water when it’s there every day, but it’s really difficult to do anything without it,” said Christian.
