The main water treatment plant in Odessa, Texas, got a major boost from a $75 million upgrade that increased its treatment capacity from 40 million gallons per day to 55 million.
For the city's drinking water system, that means more room to meet demand while relying on newer equipment across the plant.
Here's what to know
City officials said the work was designed to update plant operations and reinforce the systems that treat Odessa's water supply, Nexstar Media reported.
Once the project is completed, the water treatment facility will have the capacity for 55 million gallons per day.
Among the biggest additions was a settling basin rated for 20 million gallons per day to control water pollution, paired with newer treatment technology.
The overall package also covered the filtering complex, replacement of hydraulic piping throughout the site, and updates to electrical equipment plus chemical storage and delivery systems.
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More background
Odessa receives its raw water through the Colorado River Municipal Water District, with supplies coming from O.H. Ivie Reservoir, Lake J.B. Thomas, and E.V. Spence Reservoir.
Water treatment depends on multiple systems working together, including settling, filtration, chemical treatment, power, and controls.
Crews in Odessa replaced older hydraulic piping across the facility and updated electrical equipment along with the systems used to store and deliver chemicals, addressing several key support functions at once.
The plant's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, or SCADA, system was upgraded as well, giving operators a more modern system to monitor and control plant operations.
Because filtration is a core step in preparing water for distribution, improvements in filtration efficiency can influence how smoothly the rest of the plant operates.
The plant turns that raw water into treated drinking water for the community, and the added capacity and newer systems can help the city manage that process for households and businesses.
Where can I learn more?
Odessa isn't the only city in Texas and elsewhere working to keep its drinking water system reliable as demand rises and drought pressure builds.
• In El Paso, officials are building a drought-proof drinking-water facility to strengthen long-term supply.
• In Corpus Christi, water supply warnings showed how quickly drought pressure can escalate.
• In Potosi, residents pushed back after a $4,500 meter demand threatened water access.
• In Phoenix, officials advanced potable reuse facilities to turn wastewater into drinking water.
• In Florida, planners moved ahead with the world's largest restoration project to protect drinking water.
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