Archer City officials discussed the delay of the Water Treatment Plant construction at Thursday’s city council meeting.
The project was passed in 2013, and it will cost a little more than $8,000,000. The United States Department of Agriculture is picking up some of the tab with federal grants, but the city will get a loan for $5,000,000 to pay the rest.
The water treatment system consists of two projects: a water filtering system with two water clarifiers, treating a million gallons a day, and a raw water line that will bring water from Lake Kickapoo to Archer City.
However, many residents may be wondering why the delay? George Huffman, City Manager of Archer City, said there has been a lot of engineering concerns. “We’ve had different ways that we were going to lay out part of the project. Some of it fell through, but we’re working on new ideas now,” said Huffman.
He adds this project is necessary since the city’s current water treatment plant was built in 1959. The new one will guarantee a backup system if a clarifier breaks, something the old one does not have.
The design for both projects must be turned in together to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Huffman said after the plans are complete, the TCEQ will make sure they meet federal qualifications.
The engineering outlines are expected to be finished within three months, and then bids will be taken for the project. Huffman expects the water treatment plant construction to begin late summer.
– Newschannel 6
