SAN ANGELO, Texas — On Tuesday, the San Angelo City Council voted to move forward with the expansion and improvements of the Hickory Water Supply project. The Hickory Aquifer Project brings water from Melvin to San Angelo.
The expansion will include drilling five additional wells for a total of 20 wells for the City of San Angelo.
“Currently it’s capable of pumping and treating eight million gallons a day and this project will expand that project to be able to pump and treat 12 million gallons per day,” COSA Water Utilities Director, Allison Strube, said.
The Hickory groundwater supply has four major elements: wellfield, groundwater storage and pumping; transmission piping and groundwater treatment using ion exchange technology. Strube said the expansion of the project will help our local reservoirs.
“Our average treatment on an annual basis is about 12.3 million gallons per day, so while this can't supply the average needs it can help supplement our reservoirs such as Ivie, Nasworthy and Twin Buttes,” Strube said. "What City Council approved today is for $8,500,881 for the well drilling and $53,010,915 for the wellfield and treatment improvements and new clear wells. This totals to $61,511,796. The number you have below includes an estimate of $350,000 from ONCOR to install electric utility infrastructure to the new wells. That is just an estimate at this point, and will be brought back at a later meeting for Council consideration."
She added this expansion will benefit the community down the road.
“Being able to keep the City and water as we grow and our population grows, we’re able to keep up with those water demands,” Strube said.
Strube said the construction will begin within the next couple of months and it will take around two years to get the wells drilled and ready to bring in the water to San Angelo.