Background

The city provides services related to water, wastewater collection andtreatment, and solid waste collection and disposal to its residents. Del Rio receives its water from the San Felipe Springs where it is disinfected with chlorine prior to distribution, but not treated. Due to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission’s (TNRCC) finding that the raw water supply attained from the Springs is “ground water under the influence of surface water,” it was deemed necessary that the city construct a water treatment plant to remove turbidity and bacterial contamination. In addition, the TNRCC also mandated that improvements be made to the city’s ground storage tanks, which currently leak drinking water.

Description

The main components of the project consist of:

• A new potable water treatment plant, which will have a treatment
  capacity of 16 million gallons per day (mgd). The city will
  supplement the capacity with up to 4 mgd of groundwater supply.
• Replacement of existing raw water pumping facilities.
• Replacement of existing potable water ground storage tanks.
• Expansion of the distribution system pump and transfer facilities.
• Rehabilitation of wells to provide additional groundwater supply.

Benefits

With the construction of the water treatment plant, water turbidity and bacterial contamination will be removed; hence improving water quality for the residents of Del Rio. In addition, by replacing the existing ground storage tanks, gallons of water will be saved from spilling out and surface water contaminants will be prevented from entering the stored
water supply.