As a result of the City of Cleburne’s ongoing planning to ensure long-term sustainability and smart growth, the City Council approved action that will increase the City’s water capacity by 20% next year.
The West Loop Reuse Pipeline Project, which will transport treated water from the wastewater treatment plant back into Lake Pat Cleburne through a newly constructed 4.35-mile pipeline, has been awarded to a construction company.
The pipeline will increase Cleburne’s water capacity by 2 million gallons per day (MGD). Funding for the contract with Blackrock Construction is expected to come from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and 2019 water and sewer revenue bonds through the Texas Water Development Board. This project is estimated to take 270 days to complete after construction begins.
“I’m very excited about the progress being made to begin the reuse pipeline project. This is something we’ve been working on behind-the-scenes for the last few years, and I’m happy that it’s about to take shape,” said Mayor Scott Cain at the regular council meeting. “I want to make it clear that Lake Pat did what it was designed to do in this last drought—maintain serviceable water. New houses are not draining the lake, and we have several plans in place to ensure that our infrastructure serves our citizens efficiently.”
Along with the pipeline construction, the wastewater treatment plant is undergoing an expansion that will increase the facility’s average daily capacity and increase peak flow capacity for the community. Construction on the plant began in October 2021 and is expected to be complete by early 2024.
Obtaining and using water rights is also a way that City leaders have been proactively sustaining growth. Cleburne is in the process of securing a connection to water supplied by the Johnson County Special Utility District (JCSUD). In addition, solutions are currently being discussed with Brazos River Authority (BRA) to best integrate Lake Whitney water rights.
Learn more about the West Loop Reuse Pipeline and Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion projects here.