Bandera might soon witness a substantial update, although the impact may largely go unnoticed.
Stan Farmer, the recently appointed Bandera city administrator, shed light on the crucial development: “The state recommended that we move our sewer plant out of the flood zone to a different location.”
Farmer emphasized, “We’re saying, okay, if we need to move it and you’re going to make us, you need to help pay for it.”
To fund this relocation, Bandera is actively pursuing a grant through the Texas Water Development Board.
Farmer said the grant would hopefully pay for most, if not all, of the project.
“On January 29th, there is going to be a big full application we have to submit, and then shortly after that, we will find out how successful we are,” he said.
Simultaneously, the city is collaborating with the engineering firm Ardurra to design the new plant and identify a suitable location.
Ardurra, a firm specializing in waste and wastewater infrastructure engineering, has already conducted a cost estimate for the project, which amounted to approximately 15 million dollars.
Farmer noted, “It would be a total rebuild.”
Additionally, Ardurra is actively involved in assisting with the Clear Water State Revolving Fund Grant.
Farmer said the current plant would continue to run seasmless during the consturction phase.
“The other plant will still run,” he said. “We’re building a new one, and that’s not connected to the system while it’s under construction. The current one will still run like normal, so there shouldn’t be any interruption in service at all. It will probably fly under the radar.”
