Liberty Hill Advanced Water Purification Facility

Project overview

The City of Liberty Hill (the City), Texas, facing the challenges of increasing community growth and drought, chose Garver to design and oversee the construction of a new advanced water purification facility (AWPF), which will be a direct potable reuse (DPR) system capable of treating wastewater effluent to potable water standards. The City also asked Garver to pilot test and determine the best DPR treatment train for its needs.

This is a multi-phase project that will include preliminary tasks to begin the project, piloting and regulatory approvals, AWPF design and bidding, construction support, startup and training.

Extended discussion

The City seeks to provide resiliency to its water infrastructure system and to achieve water independence. It currently sources drinking water from low production wells and through a neighboring city that draws water from a nearby lake. Its wastewater system includes the South Fork wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), which releases four million gallons a day (MGD), and an additional North Fork WWTP, yet to be built.

The new DPR facility will be designed to handle flows from both WWTPs and will have an ultimate capacity of ten MGD.

The pilot test will evaluate a reverse osmosis (RO) and a non-RO treatment train to find the solution that best fits the City’s needs and meets Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulation requirements. RO treatment is a well-established option, but it creates a brine solution that is difficult to dispose of, and so the City wants to explore non-RO alternatives. Garver is partnering with TCEQ and the City to test a non-RO alternative not yet permitted in Texas.

At the end of the pilot test study, Garver will deliver a report detailing which treatment train is the most viable and the best fit for the City. Throughout the pilot study and all the way through construction, Garver will coordinate with TCEQ, incorporating their input and review.

Funding and public outreach support

Garver is pursuing funding for the City at both the state and federal level, and will continue to provide funding guidance throughout the project.

To build public trust and transparency, Garver has chosen Katz and Associates, a firm specializing in public outreach for DPR, as a strategic partner. Outreach will include stakeholder research, public opinion survey, and focus groups. We’ll also develop a Communications Workshop with the City, create materials and branding, and hold briefings with key community leaders and officials.