McNeil Transmission Water Project

Overview

The McNeil Drive Transmission Main Project will bring increased capacity for moving drinking water from the Handcox Water Treatment Plant to customers in Northwest Austin by installing 8,500 linear feet of large pipeline along McNeil Road. The large pipeline, referred to as a “transmission main,” will be twice the diameter (72”) of the current line (36”).

The need to improve this transmission main was identified as an important update after the unexpected weather impacts of 2021 Winter Storm Uri, and through this work we will improve year-round reliability for customers, including during emergencies. After the new main line is installed the current line will be used to serve another area, called the Northwest B Pressure Zone, strengthening service there.

This project will bring some extra traffic and noise. Crews must bore 40 feet into the ground and use tunneling machines to excavate for pipe placement, and this activity will cause rumbling sounds. McNeil Road will not be shut down, but there will be lane closures.

Austin Water has identified multiple environmental concerns in the area and has stipulated that the contractor for the project take extra precautions to avoid disturbing caves and protected species.

Timeline

Project design should be completed in the spring of 2024. We anticipate construction will begin in spring of 2025 and take 24 months to complete.

Communications

Closer to the start of construction Austin Water will host a public meeting where you can learn about this project and impacts to the neighborhood. To make sure you are in the know about workflow, traffic impacts, project schedule and more, register for notifications here.