HOUSTON, TX — The City of Houston is partnering with seven cities and water authorities to build a new southeast transmission line that will transmit up to 75 million gallons a day (MGD) of surface water from the Southeast Water Purification Plant.

The new 54-inch water line, which will be completed in 2025, will serve the City of Houston and its partners, including League City/Gulf Coast Water Authority, Clear Lake City Water Authority, City of Webster, City of Friendswood, Baybrook Municipal Utility District (MUD) No. 1, Harris County MUD No. 55, and City of Pasadena. Approximately, 10 MGD of water will be distributed to the City of Houston’s customers and its partners will receive 65 MGD of water.

The new water line will replace an aging 42-inch water line that currently runs from the Southeast Water Purification Plant to League City’s booster pump station along Highway 3 in Webster. The existing nine-mile water line, constructed in the early 1970s, is nearing the end of its expected design life.

“The City of Houston is excited to work with the co-participants and consultants in replacing this critical piece of aging infrastructure to better serve the region for the next 50 years,” said Jeff Masek, PE, CCM, City of Houston Public Works Assistant Director - Capital Projects.

The waterline will be built in four construction packages. Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), a planning, engineering, and program management firm, will serve as technical advisor, providing design and easement acquisition support services. The City of Houston has selected four firms — Gunda Corporation, Binkley & Barfield, Inc., Nathelyne A Kennedy & Associates, and Texas American Engineering, LLC — who will serve as the design engineers on the four construction packages.

“The new transmission waterline will provide additional capacity and address the long-term water needs of a region that has a seen a lot of new development in recent years and continues to grow at a rapid pace,” said Melissa Mack, PE, LAN’s Vice President.

Design will be conducted in four segments and begin in mid-to-late 2020. Construction is scheduled to start in late 2022. Per the partnership agreement, League City will finance $52.4 million of the project, City of Houston will fund $17.2 million, and Friendswood will contribute $12.5 million. More than $9.5 million will come from Webster, while Harris County MUD 55 and Baybrook MUD will commit $9.1 million and $7.5 million, respectively. Clear Lake City Water Authority will fund $9.4 million, and the City of Pasadena will allocate $47,000.