Phasing Plans

The water and wastewater demand projections were used to determine the line sizes required to provide service through a given year. The phasing plan was divided into two (2) phases for both water and wastewater improvements to deliver service to the study area for a minimum of 10-years for Phase I and the equivalent ultimate capacity of the proposed line sizes found in the KFA Master Plans. Because the re-alignment of FM 2243 will be the only east-west thoroughfare to completely cross the city of Leander the study assumed that the area around the intersection of FM 2243 and Parmer would grow more densely.  The phasing plans thus focused on providing service to the area near this intersection.  

Water Phasing Plan 

Chisholm Trail Special Utility District CCN Phasing Plan 

City of Leander CCN Phasing Plan

Wastewater Phasing Plan

Water Phasing Plan

The study area is divided into two (2) regions with respect to existing Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) jurisdictions, with the region north of the San Gabriel River lying within the Chisholm Trail Special Utility District’s (CTSUD) service area, and the region to the south lying within the City of Leander’s CCN jurisdiction as delineated on the attached waterline phasing plan. 

A CCN bestows the right to provide water or wastewater service to the CCN holder for a given area. While other potential water providers have existing infrastructure within the study area, the study has assumed the City of Leander would exercise their right to provide water service to the study area within their jurisdiction. The study also assumed that CTSUD would also exercise their right to provide service to tracts north of the San Gabriel River that lie within their jurisdiction.  Should the City of Leander or the Chisholm Trail Special Utility District (CTSUD) not be able to adequately provide water or wastewater service to a given area, the landowners may opt to petition the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to be removed from the CCN area and pursue obtaining service from another provider.  However, this scenario is beyond the scope of this study. It is also possible that the City of Leander could file for dual certification within CTSUD’s existing CCN area and provide service to the region north of the San Gabriel River. 

However, this scenario was also not studied.

Chisholm Trail Special Utility District CCN Phasing Plan

Specific tracts north of the San Gabriel River have established multiple utility districts (MUD) in order to provide utility service to their residents of the tracts.  The Highland Meadows Tract (Tract 2) and the Rancho Sienna Tract (Tract 6) have established MUDs for their tracts, Williamson Liberty Hill and Williamson County MUD #12, respectively.  Tracts 2, 6, and 10 have also signed service agreements with the CTSUD; however they are not currently receiving water.  Tract 9 has executed an agreement with the City of Georgetown for water services. Tract 11, Gabriel’s Overlook Subdivision currently receives water service directly from CTSUD. 

Per conversations with John Hatchell (Interim General Manager of CTSUD), a 20-inch water line exist along SH 29.  The water line through which CTSUD previously provided water to the City of Leander has been abandoned.  CTSUD is currently upgrading water lines along US 183.  CTSUD does not currently have any plans for waterline improvements along Ronald Reagan Boulevard. Per conversations with both the City of Leander and CTSUD confirmed that their negotiations for a wholesale water agreement have been put on hold. Until these negotiations are finalized, it appears that MUD formation and service agreements with CTSUD will be the pattern. Potential MUD’s will have to rely on proximity to the 20-inch waterline along Hwy 29.  Another option is to enter into agreements with existing MUDs receiving water from CTSUD and tie into their water system. 

City of Leander CCN Phasing Plan

The main transmission line was divided into four (4) segments as presented on the Water Line Phasing Plan Exhibit included with this summary letter.  To create a base line for determining the infrastructure required to serve parcels lying within the City of Leander’s jurisdiction, the demands associated with providing wholesale service to CTSUD were ignored, under the assumption that any associated upsizing and/or infrastructure improvements would be funded through revenues generated by the wholesale agreement.  Phase I line sizes were selected to provide approximately 10-years of service prior to Phase II improvements, based upon a maximum allowable line velocity of five (5) feet per second (fps).  Segments A-B and B-C have been sized for the ultimate capacity identified in the KFA Water Master Plan during Phase I; therefore a Phase II upgrade is not needed.  Based on discussions with the City of Leander, Segment B-C is scheduled to commence construction in the summer of 2010 and be completed in December 2010. The following table summarizes the proposed transmission line phasing:

Parmer Lane Water Transmission Line

The primary source of water to the southern study area has been assumed to be the proposed transmission main that would tie into the proposed Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BCRUA) transmission main at the intersection of New Hope Road and traverse north along the Parmer Lane extension/Ronald Reagan Blvd that bisects the study area.  The first segment of this transmission line, Segment A-B, has been included in the City of Leander’s CIP to be completed by 2015.  However the construction of this transmission line is dependent on the demand.  Prior to completion of the above proposed transmission main, an interim option exists to utilize an existing waterline which runs eastward along Crystal Falls Parkway to its intersection with FM 2243.  This 24-inch waterline is fed by a 16” waterline.  The water line is 16-inches from old US 183 to approximately 1000-ft west of Toll Road 183A. The remaining 1000-ft which takes the line to Toll Road 183A becomes a 24-inch line.  Based on a line velocity of 5 fps, the estimated total capacity of this 16” waterline is approximately 2,785 LUEs.  The City Engineer estimates that there are approximately 750 LUEs currently served by the 16-inch water line.  Thus, the 24-inch water line in Crystal Falls Parkway appears to have a remaining capacity of approximately 2,000 LUEs.

Wastewater Phasing Plan

The wastewater phasing plan was based on the piping network in the Wastewater Master Plan provided by KFA.  The study area was divided into two (2) general basins: San Gabriel and Brushy Creek/Parmer.  From the basins, sub-basins were developed in order to determine the drainage boundaries based on topographic information. Wastewater interceptors were determined based on the sub-basins and sized according to the LUEs per sub-basin.  The Wastewater Phasing Plan Exhibit has been included with this letter for reference.  The exhibit outlines the various interceptors along with their sizes.  The wastewater line sizes were selected using an approach similar to the one used to size the water lines.  Phase I line sizes were selected to provide service for 10-years of growth.  Segments BCRI 1 and BCRI 2, which are scheduled to commence construction in June 2010 and completed by December 2010, will be constructed to the ultimate size identified in the Wastewater Master Plan, therefore a Phase II upgrade is not needed.  Phase II line sizes were selected to provide service, at minimum, through the year 2029.  The following table summarizes the wastewater segments and their respective line sizes for Phases I and II:

Wastewater Service Network

All properties north of the South San Gabriel River would utilize the proposed San Gabriel East Interceptors (SGEI) and Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for wastewater service.  The area north of the San Gabriel River and south of State Highway 29 is divided by a natural ridge line (the Ridge) which splits the area into two (2) basins, north of the Ridge and south of the Ridge. Tracts south of the Ridge and north of the San Gabriel River can take advantage of the natural topography and utilize gravity flow to connect to SGEI-1.  The tracts that lie north of the Ridge will have two options for obtaining wastewater service.  They will have to build another interceptor that travels southeast of the Ridge and connect into the San Gabriel WWTP or they can build a force main and pump to SGEI-1.  Prior to construction of the SGE interceptors, an interim solution for wastewater service for tracts north of the South San Gabriel River would be to construct a lift station and forcemain to pump to the Liberty Hill-LCRA wastewater system.

Properties south of the San Gabriel River would utilize the proposed Brushy Creek Interceptor.  Segment 1 of the Brushy Creek Regional Interceptor (BCRI) 1 has been constructed up to County Road 179.  The July 22, 2009 draft of this report recommended that available resources be focused on completing BCRI 1 and constructing BCRI 2 to provide wastewater service north to the intersection of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and FM 2244. On April 1, 2010 the City of Leander joined the Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater System (BCRWWS) allowing the City to tie into the Brushy Creek Regional Interceptor (BCRI). As noted above, the construction of BCRI 1 and 2 is planned to begin June of 2010 with an expected completion date of December 2010.  Developments in this area can either tie into the system via gravity flow or construct lift stations and force mains to pump directly to the interceptor. Furthermore, the City of Leander’s WWTP recently renewed their permit for the 2.25 million gallon per day (MGD) plant.  The plant is currently operating at approximately 1.1 MGD average daily flow. Once the Blockhouse Creek Interceptor is complete, approximately 335,000 gallons per day (gpd) will be diverted from the Leander WWTP which will create additional capacity at the plant. Another short term option for parcels in the Leander Service area would be to construct a lift station and force main in a central location (e.g. FM 2243 and Reagan Blvd.) and pump directly to the Leander WWTP.