Wastewater Services Division

Our purpose

The purpose of the Wastewater Services Division is to provide wastewater collection infrastructure and treatment capacity for the utility customers of Huntsville and the State of Texas so they can have a clean and healthy waterway for domestic and recreational uses.
 

Description of our services

Wastewater Services is responsible for the collection and treatment of the wastewater generated in Huntsville. The activities of this division are conducted within the guidelines of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and local ordinances. The Wastewater Collection Division is responsible for maintaining the collection system infrastructure including the gravity sewer lines, manholes, and lift stations. The City of Huntsville uses a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) computer system in the collection system for operational control and maintenance management. The computer system monitors various functions from the collection system, meter stations and lift stations. The Wastewater Services Collection staff installs new service connections, cleans lines, and works to reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I) in the system. Inflow is rainwater that enters into the sanitary sewer system at points of direct connection to the system. Infiltration is groundwater that enters sanitary sewer systems through cracks or leaks in the sanitary sewer pipes or manholes. When rainwater and groundwater enter the sanitary sewer system, it must be transported and treated just as if it were wastewater. This unnecessary load on the collection and treatment facilities increases costs and can cause the system to become overloaded and overflow, putting public health at risk and violating state and federal environmental regulations. Wastewater Services staff, through the efforts of the camera and repair crews, is diligently working to locate and repair sources of I&I in our collection system. The wastewater collected by the sewer system flows to and is treated at one of Huntsville’s three wastewater treatment plants: AJ Brown Plant, N.B. Davidson Plant, and Robinson Creek Plant. The Wastewater Services Treatment staff is responsible for the operation and maintenance of each treatment facility. The City’s wastewater treatment facilities play an integral role in the protection of our vital surface water resource by working to deliver quality effluent back to the environment.