Full Public Notice Project Plans Mitigation Plan
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The City of Houston (City) is proposing to expand the Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP), to bring the overall production capability of the facility to 504 Million Gallons per day (MGD). The proposed activities include the construction of a pump station, water transmission lines, treatment facilities, and associated appurtenances. The applicant is requesting permission to place approximately 64,000 cubic yards (CY) of fill material into 39 acres of wetlands for initial site grading. Additionally, nearly 30,000 CY of fill would be placed in 0.44 acre of the Lake, for the construction of the intake and pump station structures. Permanent and temporary impacts to streams include, 85 CY of fill into a stream and temporary impacts will include the discharge of 151 CY of fill material into eight streams. All temporary impacts will be restored to pre-project contours. The specific components required for the expansion include:
• As part of the expansion of the NEWPP the applicant is proposing to discharge fill material into approximately 24 acres of palustrine emergent wetlands (PEM) and 6.2 acres of palustrine scrub/shrub wetlands (PSS) within a 70-acre tract, which had previously been mechanically cleared of vegetation. Authorization for the previous land clearing activities was included in Department of the Army (DA) Permit Number 22414.
• The expansion of the footprint of the facility beyond what was previously permitted which would impact approximately 8.749 acres of palustrine forested wetlands (PFO) and 0.031 acre of an intermittent pond.
• The existing security fence will be moved approximately 150 feet outward to the property boundary and constructed within a 20-foot-wide zone that needs to be cleared for security purposes. The City plans to maintain at least a 20-foot forested wetland buffer between the fence and treatment facility.
• The construction of approximately 1.5 miles of two 96-inch-diameter raw water lines from a meter station to the NEWPP. The installation of the lines would impact approximately 0.343 acre of PFO, 0.1 acre of PSS, and 0.1 acre of PEM.
• An offshore intake and pump station will be constructed in the Lake.
• The construction of a causeway to provide access to the offshore pump station and provide support for two 96-inch-diameter raw water lines.
• Associated appurtenances and support facilities including an expansion to the electrical supply system.