Austin Water operates its plants and facilities to provide high quality water and wastewater services that meet and exceed regulatory standards. Learn more about our facilities and improvement projects.
Water Treatment Plants
- Davis Water Treatment Plant has been in service since 1954 and has a current capacity of 118 million gallons of water per day. The plant draws water from Lake Austin.
- Ullrich Water Treatment Plant has been in service since 1969 and is the furthest downstream, located at the tail end of Lake Austin near Tom Miller Dam. It has been expanded several times to reach its current capacity of 167 million gallons per day.
- Handcox Water Treatment Plant was brought online in 2014 and has a current capacity of 50 million gallons per day. It draws water from Lake Travis in the northern portion of Austin Water’s service area.
Water Pump Stations and Reservoirs
Austin Water operates 44 pump stations and 38 water reservoirs to help move water throughout the system to meet customer demand and maintain water pressure.
- North Austin Reservoir and Pump Station Improvements Project was built in 1913 and stores potable water for customers in this area.
- Glenlake Pump Station Bypass Improvements Project will install about 1,000 linear feet of new water line and decommission the existing pump station and water tanks.
Wastewater Treatment Plants
- Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant was built in 1977 and receives wastewater flow from Austin Water’s sanitary sewer collection system, treating it before returning it to the Colorado River.
- South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant was built in 1984, but has undergone numerous upgrades and improvements to modernize treatment processes expand capacity to up to 75 million gallons per day. South Austin Regional is also a key facility in meeting Austin’s reclaimed water needs for non-potable water.
- Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant was established in the 1950s as a series of stabilization ponds to treat wastewater sludge from the City’s wastewater plants. Each year, thousands of tons of biosolids are anaerobically digested and composted with yard trimmings into an EPA-certified soil conditioner called Dillo Dirt.