City of Houston Northeast Water purification plant (NEWPP) & Campus Tour

Please join the DBIA Houston Chapter for an exclusive project tour of the Northeast Water Purification Plant on February 23, where we will be presented with an overview of this Progressive Design-Build project, followed by a guided project tour and an optional social hour.

MORE ABOUT THE NORTH EAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT

This $1.765 billion project is being implemented in phases; the first phase increased the capacity of the NEWPP from the present 80 mgd to 160 mgd in 2021. The second phase will increase the overall facility production capacity to 400 mgd by 2024 and is the largest design-build project ever constructed in the USA.

Construction began in 2018 using a progressive design-build approach and will be completely online in 2025. This upgrade will increase the plant’s freshwater output by 320 million gallons per day. Five water providers – the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (NHCRWA), the West Harris County Regional Water Authority (WHCRWA), the Central Harris County Regional Water Authority (CHCRWA), the North Fort Bend Water Authority (NFBWA), and the City of Houston – have joined together to share the cost of this expansion project.

The Northeast Water Purification Plant expansion is a pivotal part of this conversion from groundwater to surface water. This plant treats Lake Houston water and turns it into drinking water for parts of Harris and Fort Bend counties and surrounding areas. The additional demand for surface water will be offset by the Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project, drawing water from the Trinity River and transferring it into Lake Houston. This network of surface water transfers allows the additional demands for water to be met without the use of groundwater.

The Northeast Water Purification Plant expansion includes conventional treatment processes like the existing plant that helps coagulate, settle, filter, and then disinfect the water to a quality that exceeds requirements set forth by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Additionally, an advanced oxidation process called ozonation will be constructed. Ozonation is a very powerful process for disinfecting water to help ensure that harmful organisms such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium are eliminated. Ozonation also helps eliminate taste and odor-causing compounds, improving the aesthetic quality of the water supplied by the plant.

Following is a drone video from January 20, 2020:  https://vimeo.com/434508770/ce6d2038e2

Following is the most recent drone video from January 5, 2023:  https://vimeo.com/786688540/4080cd6837

FEATURING

• Ravi Kalyatodi, PE - Project Director, – City of Houston
• Paul Vranesic, PE - Project Director, HWT – JACOBS
• Fakhruddin Sabir AIA, LEED AP - Architect of Record, HWT – F S Group Architects

TICKETS

• $15 for DBIA-SW Members
• $25 for Non-Members

Space is limited to the first 50 registrants, so please rsvp early to secure your spot on this exclusive tour.

MANDATORY ATTIRE: Please bring your own safety gloves and wear long sleeves and hard sole shoes/boots. Attendees must wear proper PPE gear including hard sole shoes/boots (no sneakers or open toe footwear), appropriate clothing (long sleeves required, no shorts, etc.), hard hat, safety glasses and safety vest. We recommend that you bring your own PPE gear. If you do not have your own PPE gear, we will provide them at time of registration for your use during the tour and must be returned at the completion of the tour.