The Houston Public Works department is requesting $15 billion to fund a new water plant and wastewater system improvements in an effort to prevent what officials warn could be a "catastrophic failure," reports Houston Public Media.
Greg Eyerly, Director of Houston Water, emphasized the urgency of the project during a media briefing on Monday at the aging East Water Purification Plant, which has been in operation for 70 years.
"This treatment plant here really feeds the heart of Houston, so Houstonians depend on this water," Eyerly said, referencing the critical role the plant plays in supplying water to key sectors, including the petrochemical industry in the Port of Houston and the Texas Medical Center. "If we have a catastrophic failure ... it would have a regional and national impact to the U.S."
Houston Water currently serves more than 5 million people across the region, with the East Water Purification Plant supplying water to 2.2 million residents. However, securing funding for the massive overhaul remains uncertain. Eyerly noted that the department is actively lobbying the Texas Legislature for financial support.
"We’re in the process of doing that and putting together the plan," he said. "The more outside assistance we can get, whether that is state or federal, the less pressure it’ll put on local ratepayers to have to pay for."
The estimated cost of rebuilding and expanding the facility exceeds $4 billion. Instead of rehabilitating the existing plant, officials favor constructing a new facility to avoid prolonged delays seen in similar projects elsewhere. Eyerly pointed to Dallas, where a renovation project has stretched over a decade.
Instead of rehabilitating the existing plant, officials favor constructing a new facility to avoid prolonged delays seen in similar projects elsewhere
"We don’t have that kind of time to wait in Houston," he said.
Beyond the water plant, Houston is also addressing issues in its wastewater system. Under an ongoing consent decree with state and federal environmental agencies, the city is required to invest roughly $9 billion in wastewater infrastructure improvements by 2036. As of August, $1 billion had been spent, resulting in the prevention of more than 600 sewage overflows citywide.
Additionally, the department is seeking $480 million to tackle the city’s leaking water pipes. According to Eyerly, Houston lost 32 billion gallons of water last year—an amount sufficient to supply the entire population of Fort Worth. The requested funding would speed up repair efforts, focusing on the 6% of pipes responsible for more than 60% of water loss.
"We want to fix the worst first," Eyerly explained.
Given the significant costs involved, city officials are pursuing financial support from state and federal sources. Earlier this year, Mayor John Whitmire's office confirmed discussions with Governor Greg Abbott about selling Houston's water to the state for use in drought-stricken West Texas. However, the proposal has been met with skepticism, as experts warn that Houston itself is projected to face water shortages by 2030.
The city is currently working on a major expansion of the Northeast Water Purification Plant, worth $1.8 billion. The expansion will more than triple the plant’s output of fresh drinking water and help meet the mandate to reduce the area's dependence on groundwater. Construction began in 2018 using a progressive design-build approach and is expected to be fully operational by 2025.
