Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who do I contact if I have a question or concern?
If you have a question, comment or problem please contact us.
Q. Why is the Northeast Purification Plant being expanded?
We are expanding the purification plant for two major reasons:
- To meet the additional demand for clean drinking water caused by our area’s fast-growing population, and
- To comply with the mandate to lessen our dependence on groundwater, which is the major cause of flood-inducing subsidence in the area
Q. What does the expansion entail?
The Northeast Water Purification Plant expansion includes construction of new water purification facilities on the City of Houston property adjoining the existing plant, building an intake pump station in Lake Houston, and running a larger pipeline from the lake to the plant using the existing route.
Q. How long will the construction be going on?
Construction began in 2017 and is being done in parts or modules using a progressive design-build technique bringing the new facility online in 2024. You can get information on current construction by going to Project Updates.
Q. How much will the expansion cost and who is paying for it?
Increasing the output of freshwater by 320 million gallons per day is expensive; the cost of this project will be approximately $1.765 billion. That is why 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 come together to share its cost.
Q. Will the work at the water plant affect our drinking water?
The expansion will not affect the water delivery while construction is underway. The current and new facilities will be kept separate until the new facility is ready to come online.
Q. How will traffic in the area be affected by the construction?
There will be additional truck and employee traffic in the area. Most significantly, trucks will have to cross West Lake Houston Parkway where it meets the pipeline during the construction of the pipeline and intake pump station. Traffic control officers will be on duty to help keep traffic moving safely and efforts will be made to manage work schedules to reduce our impact rush hour traffic.
Q. What hours will the construction crew be working?
The construction team’s standard work hours are 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. There will be times the team will have to start earlier than 7:00 AM due to the need to pour concrete while it is relatively cool. There will be rare occasions that Sunday hours will be necessary due to special circumstances.
Q. What is the size of the intake pump station in Lake Houston?
The intake pump station building will be 195 feet long and 105 feet wide. The platform on which the intake pump station building will be built is 247 feet long and 122 feet wide. The bridge from the shoreline to the intake pump station platform is 940 feet long and 40 feet wide.
Q. Will the trees that were taken down during construction be replaced?
Trees and shrubs will be planted along the south boundary of the corridor once the work is complete. This will likely be sometime in the 2023 to 2025 timeframe.
Q. What is being done to ensure the construction does not cause flooding in our neighborhoods?
Flood mitigation has been a critical issue for us from the start of the project. A great deal of time was spent designing the project so that it would not cause flooding during construction, nor once the project was completed. In addition, we performed a major cleaning of the culverts along Jack’s Ditch and continue to monitor the drainage in surrounding neighborhoods.
Q. What do I do if I believe the construction has caused some damage to my house?
First, we urge everyone to take photos or make a video of the interior and exterior of your home now so that if some damage occurs in the future you will be able to provide before-and-after documentation. If you believe the construction was the cause of some damage call (281) 520-3777 or send an email to newppexpansion@gmail.com for a damage claim form.