Construction of a facility to improve water intake capabilities from Wright Patman Lake and treat up to 30 million gallons a day is expected to begin early next year, Texarkana officials said.
The project is comprised of three phases, with a cost estimate of $200 million. Phases one and two involve replacing the current water intake method at Wright Patman Lake and constructing a transmission main to transport that water to a new treatment plant.
The third and largest phase is the construction of the new plant in Hooks. This phase includes 14 miles of pipeline to connect the new plant to the existing water system.
Riverbend Water Resources District, a regional water district overseeing the project, recently received a $199.7 million loan from the Texas Water Development Board’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to finance the project.
The design phase will be finished by January 2024. Construction will then commence in May 2024, with completion expected by the end of 2026. The current treatment facility in Texarkana is no longer capable of supplying enough water to meet the region’s growing needs, officials said.