As part of a regional water supply initiative, the City of Missouri City selected eHT to provide design and construction administration services for an expansion to the City’s existing surface water treatment plant to meet the Fort Bend Subsidence District groundwater conversion requirements.

Because of the varying raw water quality of the supply source (Brazos River), eHT determined that membrane filtration would provide the highest quality, efficiency and consistency of finished water quality in comparison to more conventional technologies during the first phase of the project. Piloting was completed via the standard piloting method both due to the variability in water quality from the Brazos River and to provide the City with sufficient operating time to become familiar with the membrane filtration treatment process. The long-term conversion plan is for an ultimate plant capacity of 33 MGD constructed in three phases with this 20 MGD project being the second phase.

The first phase was a 10 MGD facility and included features incorporated into the planning and design that allowed the plant to meet its second phase capacity of 20 MGD without constructing any major new structures. Increasing capacity to 20 MGD required the addition of a new raw water pump, additional membrane modules and a new high service pump — all to be located in Phase I structures without expansion.

The Missouri City Surface Water Treatment Plant project received the Environmental Project of the Year Award from the Texas Chapter of the American Public Works Association in the $25 - $75 Million category. The award was established to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works projects by recognizing the alliance between the managing agency, the consultant / engineer and the contractor who, working together, complete public works projects. The project also received the Small Membrane Plant Award in 2014 from the South Central Membrane Association. The award recognizes outstanding plant operations and maintenance and exemplary membrane treatment plant performance.