City of Laredo Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Expansion of South Laredo Wastewater Treatment Plant
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jan 23, 2020, 0 Comments
Courtesy Rafael Benavides,
LAREDO, Texas—The City of Laredo Utilities Department held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the South Laredo Wastewater Treatment Plant (SLWTP) to celebrate the completion of an expansion project that will increase capacity at wastewater plant from 12 million gallons per day (MGD) to 18 MGD. The increase of 6 MGD will have additional capacity for about 74,000 new residents.
The expansion includes an additional pump to the existing influent pump station, one new aeration tank, one new secondary clarifier, two new high-speed turbo blowers, three new return activated sludge (RAS) pumps, a new 48-in effluent pipeline with two concrete outfall structures and erosion control measures at Rio Grande along with a new chlorine contact basin.
The additional treatment capacity was developed to fulfill the current City of Laredo Sewer Master Plan that calls for the abandonment of the Zacate Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (ZCWTP) and diverts sewage influent flow to the SLWTP plant.
The upgrade to the SLWTP, which included engineering, materials testing services and construction, started in 2008, through various phases to meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
The project was designed by CDM Smith Engineering and constructed by Pepper Lawson Waterworks, LLC for a total cost of approximately $25 million. Funding for the construction of this project was made possible through a loan provided by Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) while engineer and materials testing services were funded through the Sewer Revenue Bonds.
“The expansion of this wastewater treatment plant will allow for future development and growth in one of the fastest-growing parts of our city – South Laredo,” said Mayor Pete Saenz. “We have undertaken ambitious goals to replace existing water infrastructure across the city and plan for future growth as indicated by current growth studies. I thank our city management and the leadership at the Utilities Department for planning ahead in a quickly-developing sector of town.”
Laredo has experienced incredible growth in the last few years, and that calls for major planning and for future development and new residents. The 2011 Sewer Master Plan estimated that the Laredo population would grow at an average annual rate of 2.6 percent per year and identified the Zacate Wastewater Treatment Plant (ZWWTP) to be abandoned as the plant is exceeding its design life and located in the flood plan.
The expansion of this wastewater treatment plant is part of the plans to meet the demand of more population and new development, especially in South Laredo, and abandonment of ZCWTP.
The plant will also be able to receive some flow from the ZCWTP when the proposed tunneling project from that plant to the existing 54-in outfall and the proposed Manadas Wastewater Treament Plant are completed and enable the City of Laredo to fully abandon the ZWWTP.
