WIN 2001 bond Project Update

The Water Infrastructure Needs 2001 Project (WIN2001) being funded under the Texas Water Development Board’s Water Supply Account loan program is continuing to progress.  The improvements program consists of seven (7) proposed construction contracts.  The proposed contracts are listed below:

Of the seven (7) proposed construction contracts, six are complete and one is  under construction. 

  West Water Plant.  The West Water Plant , a 2.4 million gallon per day facility, is on now on line. The new upgraded capacity is sufficient to replace the existing HEW and Oak Island surface water treatment plants.  The HEW and Oak Island plants have been abandoned.  This new facility uses a chloramine disinfectant process, which reduces the Trihalomethane by-product.  The THMs for the 1st three quarters of 2006 are reported at levels well below the Maximum Contaminate Level of 80 ppm.  However, the running annual average for the 1st quarters of 2006, includes the previous quarterly samples from the abandoned water plants.

The remaining projects include:

Winnie Water Treatment Plant.  The Winnie Water Treatment Plant includes construction of a new surface water treatment plant on the site of the existing Winnie plant.  The plant will have a capacity of 2.4 million gallons per day.  The existing treatment plant units will be abandoned in this project.  The water plant is on line leaving the demolition of the old units to complete the project..  This new facility uses a chloramines disinfectant process which reduces the Trihalomethane by-product.   This project is 99% complete.

 

Other Construction News

Some of our projects have been completed with a substantial savings to the District.  We have received approval for those savings to be applied to the design and construction of a new elevated storage tower in Stowell.  The new storage tank will increase the capacity from 75,000 to 150,000 gallons and the bid has been awarded to Phoenix Fabricators.  The old tower has been demolished and construction has begun on the new one.

INFORMATION ABOUT TRIHALOMETHANES

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) are a by-product of chlorinating water that contains natural organics.  The water of Southeast Texas has always had these organics derived from decaying plant materials and thus, we have probably always had TTHM in our chlorinated water.  An EPA survey discovered that trihalomethanes are present in virtually all chlorinated water supplies.  Many years ago, the EPA required large towns and cities to reduce the TTHM levels in potable water.  Recent changes in the national drinking water quality standards now require that water treatment systems in smaller towns reduce TTHMs.  TTHM s do not pose a high health risk compared to waterborne diseases, but they are important water quality issues.  The EPA Rule states that the Maximum Contaminate Levels (MCL)  the TTHMs are based on lifetime exposure over 70 years at the indicated level and are measured as annual running averages.  These MCLs must be exceeded continuously year after year for 70 years for the water to be considered unsafe.