City of Kerrville to host public meeting on Elm Creek Pipeline

The City of Kerrville will host a public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at the Arcadia Theater, 717 Water Street, to provide information and answer questions about the Elm Creek Pipeline project.  The Elm Creek project is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to support a sustainable, long-term water supply for anticipated growth demands.  The project is designed to enhance operational resilience allowing greater flexibility to manage local water resources during periods of extreme droughts.

During drought conditions, the pipeline would allow the city to return highly treated, high-quality reclaimed water to the Guadalupe River upstream of the city’s drinking water intake at Nimitz Lake.  The water would blend with natural river flows and then undergo the city’s full drinking water treatment process before being distributed to customers.

The public meeting will give residents, businesses, and other community members and opportunity to learn more about the project, review project materials, ask questions, and share what information they would like the city to address as communications to continue.  The Elm Creek Pipeline builds on Kerrville’s long history of responsible water planning and stewardship of its diverse water sources, including water conservation, aquifer storage and recovery wells, and a reclaimed water program that provides about 200 – 300 million gallons annually to customers.  The project is intended to help protect natural resources, reduce reliance on the Guadalupe River and the Lower Trinity Aquifer during an extreme droughts, and help manage long-term costs for ratepayers.

The city understands that residents may have questions related to water quality and its protection.  The City of Kerrville’s Water Treatment Plant operates an on-site lab that tests water drawn from the Guadalupe River before and after treatment.  In addition, the Water Reclamation Plant currently discharges treated water into Third Creek and also conducts various testing to ensure compliance with its permit.  Both plants utilize the Public Works Environmental Lab which is accredited by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Residents can learn more about the Elm Creek Pipeline, sign up for project updates, and submit questions or comments by visiting www.kerrvilletx.gov/ElmCreekPipeline.

For more information, contact the Public Works Dept. at (830) 258-1221, or visit the city’s website at www.kerrvilletx.gov.