Leander water treatment plant to briefly shut down for upgrades; water restrictions will be active

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Leander residents will soon have to temporarily restrict their water usage while the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BCRUA) water treatment plant goes through upgrades.

The city of Leander announced Monday it will move from Phase 2 to Phase 4 water restrictions starting on Dec. 30 ahead of the upgrades.

The BCRUA water treatment plant is scheduled to shut down on Jan. 13 and is expected to be offline for a week, according to the city. The upgrade will allow for future plant expansion that will provide Leander with an additional 12 million gallons per day (MGD) of water treatment capacity, the city noted.

The city is moving to Phase 4, which is considered a water emergency, ahead of the shutdown to ensure water usage does not exceed 9 MGD throughout the duration of the shutdown, because in the meantime, the city will rely on its smaller Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant.

The city's treatment plant capacity will be reduced from 25 MGD to 9 MGD while using the Sandy Creek plant, and using over 9 MGD could overwhelm it and result in low water pressures, boil water notices, or water outages, according to the city.

The city said Leander's average water usage in December is 11.6 MGD and 8.6 MGD in January. Over the past weekend, water usage was as follows:

• 10.5 MGD on Friday, Dec. 20
• 9.8 MGD on Saturday, Dec. 21
• 11.0 MGD on Sunday, Dec. 22

The city will move back to Phase 2 as soon as possible after completion of the upgrades, which are expected to wrap up by the third week of January.

Phase 4 water conservation

Phase 4 prohibits all outdoor watering, including handheld, per the city. Leander water customers should turn off irrigation systems and limit other nonessential uses until further notice. 

• Turn off irrigation systems completely.
• Check faucets, pipes, and appliances for potential water leaks and contact a licensed plumber to repair immediately.
• Minimize total water usage to the greatest extent possible.
• Everyday water uses like drinking, bathing, and washing clothes and dishes are still allowed. However, all other nonessential water uses should be reduced as much as possible to keep water demands low.

BCRUA upgrade details

According to the city of Leander, on Jan. 13, BCRUA contractors will shut down the plant to begin installing a 78-inch butterfly valve at the existing raw water pipeline at the end of Trails End Road.

This line transmits raw water from the lake to the BCRUA plant to be processed, which is why it needs to be shut down for the installation. Once this valve is installed, the connection from the Phase 2 Deep Water Intake can be made in the future at which point the underground tunnel line will then supply the raw water to the plant. Ultimately this line and plant expansion will supply Leander with an additional 12 million gallons per day of water. 

Customers can find more details on Leander's website and social media accounts (Facebook, X, Instagram and Nextdoor) and are encouraged to opt-in to receive local emergency notifications by registering at WarnCentralTexas.org.

City officials also will post Phase 4 signage along rights-of-way and other public areas to notify the public about Phase 4 conservation.