Utilities - Water Treatment Plant
The Water Treatment Plant Division consists of 14 employees: (1) Water Plant Superintendent (1) Assistant Water Plant Superintendent, (1) Chief Operator 1, (1) Laboratory Technician III Supervisor, (1) Maintenance Service Person, (4) Plant Operator 2, (1) Service Attendant 2, (4) Plant Operator 3, and (1) Plant Operator 4.

• Provide and deliver a safe drinking potable water with an adequate supply and pressure.
  
  

• Collect and analyze approximately 33,000 chemical and bacteriological water quality tests to assure a safe drinking water supply as mandated by the TCEQ.
  
  

• Provide customer assistance for utility related and other City department complaints, and refer the same to designated departments.
  
  

• Maintain and repair all structures and equipment to ensure proper plant operations.
  
  

• Maintain, trim, and landscape all grounds at the Main Water Plant, Reservoir, Pump Stations, Water Towers, and all other plant facilities.
  
  

• Remove and clean out settled sludge from sedimentation and flocculator basins, twice a year.
  
  

• Collect and forward samples for lead/copper, bacteriological, THM's, HAA5, TOC's, and other required parameter analysis done by the state lab.
  
  

• Maintain color coding (painting) of all Water Plant piping, pumps, and other structures and equipment.
  
  

• Monitor and record raw and treated water, electrical, and weather instrumentation for monthly operating reports to local, state, and federal agencies for continuation of a "Superior" state rating.
  
  

• Assure that a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) has been properly prepared and mailed out by July 1 to all City of Edinburg water utility customers.
  
  

• Continue Plant Optimization by setting maximum turbidity goals of 2.0 NTU's on settled water and 0.10 NTU's on individual filter water effluents as required by the TCEQ.

• Purchase additional water rights and/or allotments as specified on the Water Master Plan.
  
  

• Encourage all plant operators and staff to attend TEEX courses, monthly association and personnel staff meetings to improve their job performance and maintain and/or upgrade their state certification status.
  
  

• Comply with EPA and TCEQ rules and regulations for plant operation and maintenance, laboratory testing and reporting, and sludge disposal.
  
  

• Operate and maintain the Water Treatment Plant so as to provide the proper treatment of raw water as required by the TCEQ in order to continue to merit a Superior Public Water Supply Rating.

The Water Treatment Plant is located at 500 E. Mahl and operates 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.  The City owns and operates its own water treatment plant and distribution system.  The water plant is a surface water treatment plant with rapid sand filters.  It has a capacity of 10 million gallons per day (MGD), and the current average daily water treatment is 7.21 MGD.  The City of Edinburg has completed the construction of an additional 30 MG storage pond for the expansion of the City's 180 MG capacity raw water reservoir.  The City completed the construction of a water well system in April 2003.  The wells will serve to provide additional raw water to the City.  Tests of water taken from test wells at the site indicate that the water available can be treated and utilized.  Part of the treatment would entail mixing the pumped groundwater with the raw water currently used.  The City purchases raw water from Hidalgo County Irrigation District #2 and Hidalgo County Irrigation District #1.  The City has a pump station with a capacity of 3.1 MGD to pump water from Hidalgo County Irrigation District #2 to the raw water reservoir.  The City has upgraded the raw water line to District #2 to a total of 15.1 MGD pumping and gravity capacity in 1997.  The City also purchases treated potable water from North Alamo Water Supply Corporation (NAWSC), Sharyland Water Supply Corporation (SWSC), and from the City of McAllen.  The City's contract with SWSC allows the City to take up to 1.0 MGD, with NAWSC up to 237,000 gallons per day, and up to 2.0 MGD with the City of McAllen.  The City currently has a Superior Public Water Supply rating from the TCEQ.