Leakey Wastewater Treatment Plant

Beginning in 2009, the Nueces River Authority (NRA) began planning, funding, and design efforts with the Texas Water Development Board to protect the water quality of the Frio River on behalf of the residents of the City of Leakey, Texas, and its surrounding areas.

MRB Group was selected to serve as a sub-consultant to Naismith Engineering, Inc. (NEI) to design the wastewater treatment plant. Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) provided $35 million in funding for the planning, land acquisition, design, and construction of the WWTP, ponds, irrigation system, collection system, and lift stations.

The residential hook-ups on private property were funded by USDA-RD, an estimated $7.2 million.

Wastewater disposal is accomplished by land application on property owned by the NRA. The treatment process is a continuous flow Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) which includes mechanical screening, grit removal, provisions to add tertiary filters if needed, chlorine disinfection, a chlorine contact chamber, and sludge dewatering. Initially, the facility will operate at an interim phase of 250,000 gallons per day (gpd). Ultimately, the project calls for a facility with a capacity of approximately 360,000 GPD. The project also included backup power generation and associated site improvements.

The rectangular configuration of the SBR basins allows for cost-effective expansion of basin capacity using a common wall construction. The elimination of circular clarifiers by using SBR technology results in lower costs and a more compact site layout.

Big Idea

Protect the water quality of the Frio River