City of College Station opens expanded Lick Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The city of College Station held a ribbon cutting for the newly expanded Lick Creek Water Treatment Plant on Friday.
The plant doubled its capacity from two million to five million gallons of wastewater. This was done to accommodate the city’s growing population and growing waste.
“This plant has been here since the mid-90s and so it just made sense as the development goes south, this was the plant to expand,” Water Operations Superintendent Kevin O’Neill said.
Environmental friendliness was another big theme for the expansion. Instead of relying on harsh chemicals, the plant uses methods like UV disinfection and microbe filtration.
“We’re treating a wastewater product that can safely enter the environment to help protect aquatic life and downstream water users,” Assistant Director Stephen Maldonado said.
New technology, such as a system that suctions 99% of odorants out of the air, were key aspects of the expansion.
“Some of the processes are new – that has just been developed in the last several years – that we’re using here are really expanding our treatment ability,” O’Neill said.
O’Neill and Maldonado both want to remind people not to flush things like wipes and medications in order to help keep the new equipment in good condition.
Click here to take a virtual tour of the Lick Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.
