The City of Houston’s water resources will supply the region with water for several decades, but it is prudent to continuously identify additional sources – and water treatment methods — for future generations.
That is what City of Houston leaders did in the early 20th Century when groundwater wells were becoming depleted and causing subsidence. Nearby rivers flowing from places north of the region offered the best alternative. Houston acquired water rights in the San Jacinto and Trinity rivers, and by 1973 had created three reservoirs – Lake Conroe on the San Jacinto River’s West Fork in north Montgomery County, Lake Houston on the San Jacinto River’s East Fork in northeast Harris County, and Lake Livingston on the Trinity River near Huntsville. The water in those reservoirs is sufficient today, but it is important to plan for a time when water supplies in the three lakes could fall short of demand, particularly if the region falls into drought mode.
For example, with regional planners predicting another 2 million residents moving to Harris County by 2040, the City of Houston recognized the need to tap into the additional capacity it owns in the Trinity River.
Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project
The Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project (LBITP) is the largest raw water supply project built in Southeast Texas in the past 50 years. The LBITP transfers surface water to Lake Houston from the Trinity River located in Liberty County, Texas. It is comprised of the 500 MGD Capers Ridge Pump Station, 3 miles of Dual 96-inch Diameter Pipelines, and 23.5 Miles of Earthen Canal. A U.S Army Corp of Engineers Permit (SWG-2009-00188) was approved for the project in 2014 and construction was completed in 2020. The LBITP is currently in operation and supplying water to Lake Houston.
WHCRWA’s share of this project is approximately 70 million dollars and will increase our water demand allocation to 82 million gallons per day and a total water demand allocation of 110 million gallons of water per day.
Northeast Water Purification Expansion Project
The estimated $1.973 billion-dollar Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) Expansion Project is managed by the City of Houston (COH) and will serve the COH, WHCRWA, NHCRWA, NFBWA, and CHCRWA with each paying their fair share of the cost.
The progressive design build project will add 320 million gallons of treatment capacity to the NEWPP’s existing 80 million gallon per day water treatment plant.
WHCRWA will have a 25.76 percent cost share and 82.42 million gallons per day of treated water.
