Why does Austin need another treatment plant?

Population Growth

Between 2000 and 2010, Austin's population grew by 20%, and for years has ranked as one of the fastest growing major cities nationwide. This logically means water demand will increase sharply in the years to come. Growth projections for the City of Austin predict that the population will increase by 500,000 people by 2040; this is on top of the 812,025 who lived here as of April 1, 2011.

System Reliability

Austin's aging water infrastructure magnifies the problems with increased demand. With the decommissioning of the Green Treatment Plant in 2008, Austin was left with only two water treatment plants: the Davis Water Treatment Plant, built in 1954, and the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, built in 1969. Both draw water from the same source, Lake Austin, and both are decades old, which increases the risk of shutdown. WTP4 will add reliability by giving Austin Water Utility customers an additional, newly constructed treatment plant that draws from a different water source and will provide for continuous service during shutdowns and repairs for the other treatment plants.

Energy Savings and Sustainability

WTP4 is reflective of Austin's concern for conserving energy. Lake Travis's higher elevation will allow water to travel using gravity to distribute the water instead of expensive uphill electric pumps. This translates into energy savings of 20,000 megawatt hours annually, enough to provide electricity to more than 2,000 homes for a year and save up to $1.7 million per year.