Water Treatment Plant

The Water Treatment Plant is located in Ector County Texas. All of the water processed at the plant is purchased untreated from the Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD).

Odessa Water Treatment Plant Building EntranceSource of Untreated Water

Surface or lake water is received year round. The majority of the surface water comes from Lake Ivie; however, water can be received from Lake Spence and Lake Thomas. During the warm weather months, groundwater is received from a well field in Ward County.

Treatment

The surface water receives full treatment including:

  • Coagulation
  • Flocculation
  • Sedimentation
  • Filtration
  • pH Adjustment
  • Disinfection

Chemicals used in the coagulation process include alum (aluminum sulfate) and a polymer. Sodium hydroxide is used to adjust the pH of the water to ensure that it is stable, or non-corrosive. A chloramine disinfectant (combination of chlorine and ammonia) is used to ensure the bacteriological quality of the water through disinfection. The well water only requires pH adjustment with sodium hydroxide and disinfection with chloramines.

Storage of Treated Water

After treatment, water is stored on-site in covered clear wells until it is pumped into the distribution system. In addition to the water storage facilities at the Plant, there are three overhead water towers located in the water distribution system. These towers not only serve as storage facilities, but they also help enhance water pressures in the distribution system.

The Water Treatment Plant is designed to treat 50 million gallons per day (MGD), based on filter capacity. In addition, approximately 20 MGD of well water can be processed. The total amount of water treated annually is approximately 7 billion gallons.

Water Quality Standards

The City of Odessa's water supply is approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The water meets all of the Primary Drinking Water Standards established by the TCEQ and the Environmental Protection Agency to protect the public health.

The Water Treatment Plant is manned 24 hours per day by TCEQ licensed operators. In addition to the operational staff, maintenance personnel conduct preventive maintenance as well as the repairs required to ensure water can be processed and pumped into the distribution system on a continuous basis.