FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — In a proactive move to enhance the reliability and capacity of the region’s water system, two vital infrastructure projects are currently underway: the surge tank expansion and the installation of a new 54-inch pipeline to replace an aging 48-inch line. Together, these projects will address critical components of the water treatment and distribution network that serves Texas communities Fort Cavazos, Copperas Cove, Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville and the 439 Water Supply Corporation.
“These two projects represent about two-thirds of where our treated water goes,” said Ricky Garrett, general manager of Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1. “With those out of service, our available capacity is greatly reduced.”
Garrett explained upgrading the infrastructure is vital not only for current needs but for the demands of tomorrow. The new 54-inch steel pipeline will offer significant reliability improvements over the previous line, which has had repeated issues through the years.
“It’s going to be 100% more reliable,” Garrett said. “At the surge tank site, the upgrade is even more substantial. The facility will now include a new 3 million-gallon tank alongside the two existing half million-gallon tanks.”
He added the expansion will increase available reserve storage during maintenance or emergencies from a million gallons to potentially as much as four million gallons.
“We appreciate the great job WCID does in taking water from Belton Lake, treating it and delivering it so that our residents, Soldiers, units and families have fresh, clean drinking water that helps us with quality of life and to support our training,” said Brian Dosa, director of Public Works. “This project is important because it is going to help make sure that we can do that now and into the future.”
Water demand fluctuates widely with the seasons. In February, the average daily water usage for the Central Texas region serviced by WCID-1 is approximately 25 million gallons. By midsummer, that number can surge to as high as 60 million gallons per day. “As outdoor use rises with warmer weather, conservation becomes more important,” said Garrett. “We’re encouraging residents to adopt water-saving practices now to avoid more drastic measures later — like unplanned and long duration outages and boil water notices.”
With the final phase of construction approaching, residents are being asked to do their part. Connecting the new surge tank and pipeline to the existing system will require a planned water cutoff and impacted communities doing their part to reduce water consumption by at least 30% for several days during that transition.
“While the main 48-inch line is out, we’re relying on alternate lines — a 24-inch, a 30-inch and a 21-inch that serves Belton exclusively,” Garrett said. “Those will carry the entire plant’s output during the shutdown.”
Garrett explained water reliability isn’t just about convenience, it’s critical to emergency services, hospitals, fire suppression and more.
“This time of year … there are all kinds of outdoor water use,” Garrett said. “We’re going to be asking to avoid that for three or four days, while we make these connections. I would urge everyone to think about their neighbor — think about the hospitals and the emergency services.”
At an investment of nearly $12 million, these projects represent more than infrastructure, they’re a promise of resilience for decades to come.
“We are asking everyone to do their part to conserve for a three-to-four-day period towards the end of May, when we make those connections and can see the benefit of this investment,” Dosa said. “It’s our job to think not only about today but to think about the future … to position ourselves to provide quality drinking water, not just in 2025 but in 2045, 2050 and into the future.”
Annually, Fort Cavazos implements Stage 1 of its Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan beginning May 1 until Oct. 1 to support the installation’s water and energy conservation programs. The goal of Stage 1 is to reduce the daily water usage by at least 5%, and requires all Soldiers, civilians and contractors who work or reside on Fort Cavazos to implement the following conservation measures:
• No watering of any type of landscaping between the hours of 11 a.m.–6 p.m. daily. No water runoff allowed from areas being watered.
• Minimize the use of water for irrigation of landscaping and vehicle washing and do not waste potable water.
• No use of potable water to wash driveways, sidewalks or buildings for general cleaning.
• Report all water leaks to Directorate of Public Works at 254-287-2113.
• Exceptions may be authorized by the director of Public Works or garrison commander for certain activities (e.g., spill response, contract actions, etc.).
Once the 48-inch shutdown is confirmed, details regarding the specific time, updates and elevated Fort Cavazos’ Stage 4 conservation measures will be posted on facebook.com/fortcavazosarmy.
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