SJRA advances $55M capital plan featuring $18.6M membrane replacement

SJRA advances $55M capital plan featuring $18.6M membrane replacementThe San Jacinto River Authority is preparing to overhaul aging microfiltration membranes at its surface water treatment plant, as operational efficiencies allow the utility to freeze rates for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP) division anticipates spending $55.7 million on capital projects through fiscal year 2036, focusing on assets passing the 10-year mark.

The utility has budgeted $18.6 million to evaluate and replace the treatment plant's existing Pall microfiltration membranes.

SJRA is fast-tracking a $2.8 million replacement of a 12-inch transmission line under White Oak Creek following repeated breaks.

Despite rising raw water costs, SJRA will hold FY27 surface water rates steady, citing $2.2 million in savings from a favorable granular activated carbon bid and in-house filter maintenance.

The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) is advancing a $55.7 million 10-year capital improvement plan for its Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP) division, anchored by a major membrane replacement project at its surface water treatment plant. During a May 21 committee meeting, staff detailed the long-term infrastructure strategy, which focuses on renewing assets that were originally constructed around 2015 and are now passing the 10-year mark. The largest single investment is an estimated $18.6 million project to replace the plant's existing Pall microfiltration membranes, which are nearing the end of their 10- to 12-year useful life. Staff member Nabil Khan noted that the first phase of the project—assessing the exact remaining life of the current membranes—is underway and expected to conclude by August. Starting in fiscal year 2027, the utility will evaluate alternative membrane technologies to determine if new materials could increase throughput capacity and extend useful life without expanding the plant's physical footprint. The capital plan also includes a fast-tracked $2.8 million pipeline replacement. Following two separate breaks on a 12-inch transmission line running under White Oak Creek in August and April, SJRA took the segment out of service. The utility is currently procuring an engineering firm to design an 800-linear-foot replacement section to bypass the failure-prone pipe. Other upcoming capital initiatives include a $335,000 feasibility study for a redundant utility power source at the treatment plant, as well as multiple transmission line relocations to accommodate Texas Department of Transportation highway expansions. Despite the looming capital expenditures and rising raw water costs, SJRA will hold its GRP rates flat for the upcoming fiscal year 2027. Staff presented a proposed $70.4 million operating budget that maintains the current rate structure, even as the City of Houston implements a 2% rate increase on raw water supplies. The rate freeze was achieved through significant operational efficiencies in the treatment process. According to staff, a highly competitive bid for granular activated carbon (GAC) saved the utility approximately $1.5 million. Furthermore, the GRP division recently built a custom skid to perform filter changeouts in-house, cutting an additional $700,000 from the annual operating budget. Staff also noted that scaling up surface water production has improved chemical usage efficiency at the plant.