Underground milestone reached beneath Lake Travis
A major water infrastructure project serving Round Rock has cleared a key construction milestone. The Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority has completed all underground work on its new Lake Travis water delivery system, including two tunnels, each about 11 feet wide, built deep beneath the lake.
The BCRUA, formed in 2007, is a partnership between Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Leander. It treats and distributes water sourced from Lake Travis through the Lower Colorado River Authority.
Project engineers told Leander City Council late last year that the tunneling, mining, and lining work is complete, with only minor finishing touches remaining underground.
A more reliable water source during drought
Construction on the $225 million system began in 2022. Once finished, it is expected to increase the authority’s overall water capacity to 145 million gallons per day and significantly reduce vulnerability to drought.
Currently, Round Rock and the other partner cities rely on floating pump stations located in Sandy Creek Cove. While the cove is relatively deep, extended drought conditions have pushed lake levels so low that the barges were at risk of bottoming out and becoming inoperable.
The new system is designed to solve that problem by allowing water to be drawn from deep below the lake’s surface. Water will enter through a submerged intake, travel through one underground tunnel to a pump station, and then move through a second tunnel to existing treatment plants that serve Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Leander.
What it means for Round Rock’s growth
For Round Rock specifically, the project is expected to provide access to up to an additional 40.8 million gallons of water per day from Lake Travis. City officials say that added supply is critical as the city continues to grow and attract new development.
Round Rock’s executive director of public works said the additional capacity could help support the city’s water needs for the next 30 to 40 years. He also noted that regional partnerships like the BCRUA are likely to play an important role as Williamson County studies long-term water planning options.
While shared systems require flexibility, especially when cities have different growth timelines, the ability to share capacity during short-term shortages is seen as a key benefit. The new water delivery system is expected to be fully completed in 2027, reinforcing Round Rock’s long-term water security through regional cooperation.
Thanks kut.org for the scoop.
