San Marcos Water Treatment Plant Receives Sixth Consecutive TCEQ Award

The City of San Marcos Water Treatment Plant (SMWTP) earned the Texas Optimization Program (TOP) Award from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for the sixth year in a row, placing it among the top one percent of water treatment plants statewide.

The Guadalupe Blanco River Authority (GBRA) has operated SMWTP since 1999 and serves over 65,000 citizens of San Marcos, as well as customers in the cities of Kyle and Buda, Goforth Special Utility District, and Monarch Utilities, L.P.

“This is truly a unique accomplishment for the SMWTP and the GBRA operations staff,” said Tom Taggart, Director of Public Services. “It’s a testament to outstanding operational attention and institutional knowledge applied through admirable coordination by the plant operations staff.”

The TOP prioritizes a list of performance-limiting factors through an assessment of plant design, operational procedures, maintenance practice and administrative policies.

The overall goal is to remove potential pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) from source water used for drinking water. The TOP is a voluntary, non-regulatory program.

Kasey Belote, GBRA manager of the plant, accepted the award on behalf of SMWTP.

“This award represents the hard work and dedication of some of the best water treatment operators in the state,” he said. “Our operators are committed to maintaining exceptional water quality for the community and will continue to deliver excellent performance in all levels of service.”

The SMWTP uses surface water from Canyon reservoir to reduce the City’s pumping from the Edwards Aquifer by an average of 95 percent.