Schertz Seguin Local Government Corporation

CHALLENGE

At the turn of the twenty-first century, the Cities of Schertz and Seguin were facing the challenge of a rapidly growing population plagued by inadequate water supplies. In the spirit of regionalism and cooperation, the two Cities formed the Schertz Seguin Local Government Corporation (SSLGC) to solve the water shortage problem together in a more cost effective way. The SSLGC selected Walker Partners to guide them through the planning and design of an expanded water well field system in Gonzales and Guadalupe Counties in conjunction with associated collection system, transmission mains, and water treatment plant.

SOLUTION

The first issue to be addressed was that of the water supply. The decision was made to expand the existing supplies from both Gonzales and Guadalupe groundwater options. This provided the most reliable and cost effective long-term supply for both Cities.

The Gonzales well field production was expanded from 12,500 acre-feet annually to 20,000 acre-feet annually for the Cities of Schertz and Seguin. The project consisted of permitting, siting, preliminary and final design, and the construction of four Carrizo Water Wells in Gonzales County, bringing the total number of wells in the SSLGC Gonzales well field to 12.

The new Guadalupe well field provides additional groundwater supplies from Guadalupe County to SSLGC. Consisting of eight 500-GPM wells, the new well collection system was tied to a new 6-MGD iron and manganese removal water treatment plant. The well field collection system was comprised of approximately 37,000 linear feet of 16-inch and 20-inch diameter water pipeline. The new water treatment plant designed by Walker Partners has three gravity filters, on-site chlorine generation, and is expandable to 12 MGD to provide for potential future water supplies from Wilson County.

In addition, Walker Partners designed an 18-MGD expansion to the regional potable water Iron and Manganese removal and treatment facility serving the Cities of Schertz, Seguin, Selma, and Universal City. Due to rapid growth in the area and to meet the increasing water demands, additional treatment and pumping capacity was needed on an accelerated schedule. The project required detailed analysis for the successful blending of Carrizo water with water from both the Edwards Aquifer and surface water supplies. The facility was designed, constructed, and placed on line within 12 months of executing the engineering agreement. Walker Partners condensed the project schedule greatly by having SSLGC pre-order pumps, mechanical equipment, and other items with long “lead” times while final plans were being developed. 

The project also included the construction of new 2.0 and 5.6 million gallon ground storage facilities for the wholesale water supply, bringing the total storage of the wholesale system to 11.6 million gallons. The ground storage facilities were needed to allow SSLGC to meet the peak water demands of the Cities of Schertz and Seguin. Walker Partners provided surveying, soils testing, environmental studies, easement preparation and acquisition services, regulatory compliance, public relations, and coordination among participating entities, in addition to final design, bid and construction phase services, and resident project representative services, all of which were accomplished under a fast-track schedule.

VALUE

Walker Partners evaluated a complex system of groundwater supplies, transmission mains, tanks, and treatment plant needs in order to supply the increasing demands of the Cities of Schertz and Seguin and other adjacent communities. Reliable drinking water supplies are essential to the long-term growth and sustainability of Texas communities. Those of us who have spent our entire lives in Texas know all too well the periods of long-term drought we must endure. Our team developed and designed not only a long-term drought contingency solution, but we designed the optimum system to meet the communities’ future water demands in the most cost effective manner. Walker Partners added increased value by providing all services under one roof, which proved to be the most expeditious way to meet the schedule and budget while providing the most cost effective and innovative solutions for both Schertz and Seguin.

Facing a water shortage, the Cities of Schertz and Seguin joined forces to expand their water well field system. The new system not only met the immediate needs of the communities, but also looked ahead at their growing population and protected them from possible droughts in the future. 

completion date: 2016

location: SCHERTZ, TX | SEGUIN, TX