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BASTROP — The city’s saving grace for wastewater treatment amidst booming population numbers is finally online after years of construction and delays, albeit with some persisting issues.
The upgraded plant is expected to increase the city’s treatment capacity by two million gallons per day, with more expansions on the horizon after legal disputes are settled. Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo shared her excitement for the $32.6 million project’s completion during this month’s council meeting.
“This is probably the most beautiful picture I have seen in a very long time,” Carrillo said, sharing an image of flowing water with the board. “That is no small feat.”
The plant was labeled with “partial substantial completion” after city representatives and a wastewater treatment professional performed a walkthrough of the site earlier this month.
“There are probably three large things that are still not complete, but they have no effect on the treatment itself,” Carrillo added.
Currently, the plant is operational and serving residents by taking partial flows from the city’s other two treatment campuses. The city manager stated she was unsure when it will be operating at full capacity, as they need to settle financial disputes first.
“Theres a lot of things in this plant that are going to be the subject of litigation as to whether we should or shouldn’t have paid for it,” Carrillo said.
Construction on Plant No. 3 began back in August 2021.
The city signed a contract with Elon Musk’s SpaceX complex in March, agreeing to serve the site with the new plant and replace its need to dump 142,500 gallons of treated wastewater into the Colorado River.
