KMUD closer to $14.8M septic plant
The Kingsland Municipal Utility District is in the final stages of designing and funding a much-needed new septic-processing facility at a cost of $14.8 million.
KMUD’s current plant, which is 20 years old, processes 10,000 gallons of sewage from customers a day, Monday through Friday. The new facility would be able to handle 15,000 to 20,000 gallons a day, up to seven days a week, due to increased storage capacity, according to KMUD General Manager J. Horry.
“The treatment capacity may not sound like that big of an increase, but we will be able to process more at a steady rate,” he said.
KMUD processes wastewater and takes in septic for Kingsland-area residents. The two operations are separate from each other.
The new septic-processing facility, which would be built next to the old plant at 241 Williamette on the outskirts of Kingsland, could be online by late 2026 or early 2027. A construction bid is expected to go out early next year.
The project will be paid for with a $14.8 million tax bond that should not directly impact rates for residents within KMUD, Horry said.
“The only increase will be in the cost of dumping the septic for the haulers, which may be funneled down to customers,” he told DailyTrib.com. “Otherwise, the residents will see no cost changes (to their rates).”
Currently, septic-waste haulers can drop off cargo for $8.25 per 100 gallons at the Williamette station. KMUD also has its own waste-hauling service for district residents at a cost of $24 per 100 gallons.
According to Horry, septic haulers are typically lined up around the corner when the current processing facility opens its doors, and storage capacity is reached by 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., leaving some tankers with no choice but to hold onto their load until later or travel as far as Austin to dispose of it.
“Currently, there are very few options for septic haulers (in the Highland Lakes) to dump their septic,” he said.
KMUD is about 95 percent of the way through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s permitting process to get the project going and 75 percent through the engineering phase.
The $14.8 million price tag is significantly higher than original estimates of $10 million to $12 million.
“(The cost jump) is just a fact of doing business. Everything is more expensive right now,” Horry said.
1 thought on “KMUD closer to $14.8M septic plant”
Comments are closed.
What Mr. Horry is not clarifying here is that all members of KMUD have a property tax rate set by KMUD against the appraised value of each individual piece of realestate a person owns.