Water Treatment Plant Pilot Study Enters Final Phase

Olney’s long-awaited water treatment plant project has reached a major milestone after years of planning, financing and regulatory review.

The City completed Phase 2 of its membrane pilot study on June 19 and is now entering the third and final phase of testing, a 30-day trial that Public Works Director Michael Jacoba described as the portion most closely scrutinized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

“This is what TCEQ looks at really hard,” Mr. Jacoba said.

The pilot program is designed to determine which membrane filtration technology will best treat Olney’s water as the City prepares to replace portions of its century- old water treatment plant. The project has been under development since 2020 and is considered one of the largest infrastructure investments in the City’s history.

The pilot study began earlier this year with three vendors—DuPont Water Solutions, Aria Filtra and Purifics—testing mobile membrane systems using Olney’s raw water supply. Since then, the field has narrowed to two finalists: DuPont Water Solutions and Aria Filtra.

According to Mr. Jacoba, Phase 1 involved testing untreated source water without added chemicals. Phase 2 used water from Lake Cooper that had already undergone coagulation and sedimentation treatment through the City’s existing system. The newly launched Phase 3 will operate continuously for 30 days and generate the performance data required by state regulators.

Once testing is complete, engineers will submit the results to TCEQ, which will use the data to help guide final plant design. After the design is completed, it must be submitted to TCEQ for another review before construction can begin.

The pilot study’s completion will also set the stage for one of the most important decisions facing city leaders: selecting the membrane technology that will become the heart of the new treatment facility.

Mr. Jacoba said the City Council will ultimately choose between DuPont Water Solutions and Aria Filtra after reviewing the pilot results and engineering recommendations.

At the same time, city officials are considering a significant change to the project itself.

New City Administrator Andy Wolfe, who previously oversaw construction of a water treatment plant in Colorado, has suggested relocating the proposed facility from its previously planned site on Lake Olney Road to a location closer to town. Mr. Jacoba said he supports the idea.

“That’s what we are thinking about doing, and I think it’s great,” Mr. Jacoba said.

Among the locations under consideration is property along Gray Street near the City’s existing pump station and 500,000-gallon ground storage tank. Locating the plant closer to existing infrastructure could potentially simplify operations and reduce future maintenance costs.

If the final testing phase proceeds successfully and TCEQ approvals follow, Olney could soon move from studying membrane technology to designing—and eventually building—the water treatment plant that city leaders hope will serve residents for the next half century.

The City issued $13.5 million in revenue bonds in 2022 to pay for a new traditional water treatment plant. When bids for that design came in over budget, the City paused the project to consider other avenues to complete the urgently needed plant. In the meantime, those bonds have earned an additional $1 million. The proposed membrane plant is expected to cost $7 million-$10 million, city officials said last fall, leaving additional funds for other water-related projects.