BCRUA is moving toward having a permanent deep-water intake that can take water from the deepest locations of Lake Travis. This new project will be much more reliable in terms of withstanding the effects of drought on lake levels and be able to deliver increased capacity for the growing regional needs. The deep-water intake is being sized for 145 million gallons per day of water to be delivered from Lake Travis. The massive pump station will have six pumps that will be about 300 feet deep to reach down to the tunnel level. But then, they will pump to three different water treatment plants.
In addition to adding the deep-water intake for resiliency for BCRUA, the authority is also expanding the water treatment plant capacity. Right now, the plant is just over 32 million gallons per day. But ultimately, this plant is phased to be able to increase up to 106 million gallons per day. This water treatment plant was funded by the water development board. BCRUA also obtained a loan for the deep-water intake. The deep-water intake itself will cost about $290 million. BCRUA awarded the construction contract for the deep-water intake in June of 2022, and it is going to be a five-year project, mostly due to the length of time it is going to take to dig the tunnel.
"I'm very proud of the work that's gone into this and my colleagues’ efforts," said Karen Bondy, General Manager, Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority. "This is one of the projects that I came to BCRUA for. It's amazingly innovative, it’s going to have so much benefit, and there's so much support for it."
