Austin Water is upgrading the Walnut Creek Wastewater Facility to keep up with demand

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Water is upgrading the Walnut Creek Wastewater Facility. Officials say the facility is aging and needs to keep up with demand. 

They showed what happens to water after you flush the toilet. 

What they're saying:

The facility treats 50 percent of the city's wastewater from homes and businesses.

The first step of treatment is separating the solid, inorganic matter. The next step is separating the organic matter.

"On those basins, bacteria will eat on organic matter, get heavy and settle out of the water," Ayman Benyamin, assistant director of operations at Austin Water, said. 

Anything leftover goes through a sandbox-like filtration system.

After the wastewater goes through the whole system, it looks as clear as drinking water, though it's not. Water can be reused for irrigation or returned to the Colorado River. 

Upgrade to the Walnut Creek Wastewater Facility

Dig deeper:

The facility is 50 years old and needs to keep up with Austin's growth. 

Last year, City Council approved the $1 billion project to expand and modernize it. 

"This investment is certainly critical as it supports the growth that Austin has and is experiencing," Randi Jenkins, assistant director of customer experience at Austin Water, said.

The plant can treat 75 million gallons per day, and the expansion will allow for an additional 25 million gallons per day. 

The plant has exceeded 90 percent of its treatment capacity for three months in 2024, triggering state requirements to add capacity. 

"Austin is growing. The demands have outpaced capacity," Charles Celauro, assistant director of engineering at Austin Water, said.

The upgrades will include better disinfection, odor control, and flood protection. 

"We're going to try to protect the plant from some severe weather impacts, events that we have," Celauro said.

What's next:

Services will continue as normal, since crews will do the additions first, then upgrade the existing equipment.

"We're excited about the future of this plant and the positive impact it would provide to the community," Celauro said. 

Construction will start this summer and be completed in 2031.