Fort Worth selected Kimley-Horn to design and provide construction administration for the Westside Elevated Storage Tank.
Strategic Design
Considered complex site and infrastructure challenges and incorporated diverse system improvements in the master plan
Reliability
Replaced existing infrastructure and expanded water service area to provide water to existing customers and accommodate future growth
Funding Support
Supported ECUD in navigating the Texas Water Development Board’s intricate funding process, securing a $45.8 million loan for the project
West Odessa, Texas, is a growing region in the Permian Basin. Established nearly five decades ago, the Ector County Utility District (ECUD) served the population in West Odessa through a City of Odessa direct system connection and several inline booster stations, supplying water to more than 5,000 connections. However, increased demand from population growth and aging infrastructure prompted ECUD to seek upgrades for the current system.
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Strategic Master Planning & Funding Support
Kimley-Horn collaborated with ECUD to conduct a strategic needs assessment of the current utility infrastructure and identify service gaps and opportunities for ECUD to incorporate systematic expansions. Our team then completed a joint master plan for ECUD and the City of Odessa with solutions to mitigate some of the utility district’s core challenges, including limited pumping capacity and storage, low water pressures, and a lack of fire protection. The master plan also prioritized investigating site constraints to avoid conflicts with environmental factors and oil infrastructure.
In addition to developing a master plan, Kimley-Horn helped ECUD receive competitive funding from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) for design and construction of pumping, storage, and water line improvements. Our team helped the utility district navigate the complex TWDB standards and create a compelling proposal to receive an investment loan of more than $45 million for the ECUD system upgrades.
System Improvements
Our master plan recommended a variety of improvements to ECUD’s current system that would satisfy the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and operational standards. The expansive master plan proposed changes to elevated storage, ground storage, and transmission lines within ECUD’s system and included the following immediate recommended upgrades:
- 1.0-million-gallon elevated storage tank
- 1.5-million-gallon elevated storage tank
- 17-million-gallons-per-day pump station and 4.0-million-gallon ground storage tank
- Approximately 82,000 feet of transmission lines
With the extensive upgrades to ECUD’s structure, the utility district can retire their outdated booster stations. Additionally, the recommended updates provided needed fire protection, created two pressure planes, and integrated an air gap from the City of Odessa’s system. Kimley-Horn designed the proposed improvements and provided construction contract administration.
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Expanded Water Service Area
The system expansion increases water service reliability and quality for ECUD’s existing customers and grows the utility district service area. Some West Odessa residents have no running water in their homes and have to haul their own water due to dry or contaminated household wells. To meet this basic community need, our team integrated solutions into the master plan so residents and those with dry or contaminated wells have the potential to access a more stable water source.
ECUD’s master plan was fully implemented in 2023 and the upgraded system is now operational, providing the community with lifegiving natural resources and a system that is prepared for both current and future growth.
