Liberty Hill AWPS

Garver is leading the design and construction of a direct potable reuse (DPR) facility to provide resiliency to the City of Liberty Hill’s (the City) overall water infrastructure system and establish water independence. Currently, the City’s drinking water supply comes from two sources: low production wells and another facility that sources their water from a nearby lake. With the community’s rising population growth, the City selected Garver to address viable solutions for increasing their water availability.

Their current wastewater system includes the South Fork WWTP releasing 4.0 MGD. An additional North Fork WWTP is forthcoming. Liberty Hill asked Garver to test and determine a DPR solution to increase their water security. The DPR facility will be sized to handle flows from both WWTPs through transmission lines between each facility with a planned build-out capacity of 8.0 MGD.

The pilot test will evaluate two treatment trains, one reverse osmosis (RO) and one non-RO, to determine which solution aligns with Liberty Hill’s current needs and meets TCEQ regulatory requirements. While RO filter treatment is a well-established treatment option, it creates a brine solution which is difficult to dispose of, and the City seeks to explore non-RO alternatives. We are working with TCEQ to test a non-RO alternative not yet permitted in Texas.

At the end of the study, we’ll create a comprehensive report and determine which treatment train will be more viable for the City. From the pilot study phase all the way through construction, we’ll be coordinating closely with the TCEQ to receive their input and review, including a 12-month effluent characterization study.

Garver partnered with a firm that specializes in DPR outreach to address community inquiries. Outreach will include stakeholder research that includes community stakeholder interviews, public opinion surveys, and focus groups. We’ll also develop a Communications Workshop with the City, create base materials and branding, and hold key briefings with key community leaders and officials to address their questions.

Additionally, we’re pursuing $50 million in federal funding for the City and will continue to provide funding guidance through the duration of the project.