The massive $1.77 billion expansion of the 120-acre Northeast Water Purification Plant near Summerwood is now well into its last phase. The last update to the expansion website is dated May 23, 2023 and estimates completion in 2025. Contractors have made considerable progress since May. This satellite image is dated 6/14/23. Note the area on the far right at the eastern side of the plant. That area contains most of the new construction activity.
Landsat Photo in Google Earth from June 2023
Aerial Photos Taken 8/12/23
Compare the photos below of the Northeast Water Purification Plant taken just two months later. They were all taken on 8/12/23.
Looking SW from NE Corner of plant.Close up looking south.Wider shot looking N from SE corner of plant. White circle will contain a giant water storage tank.Looking W at entire plant. Note NE corner of Beltway 8 beyond plant and Atasocita Landfill in upper right.Looking ENEtoward Lake Houston
5X Capacity Increase Will Help Reduce Subsidence
The Northeast Water Purification Plant is designed to help ensure Houston’s water supply while reducing groundwater usage. Pumping groundwater at a rate greater than nature replaces it can cause irreversible subsidence. Subsidence has been linked to increased risk of flooding and structural damage.
The physical site above contains three major sections.
The original plant which can treat 80 million gallons per day (foreground)
First expansion phase (middle)
Second expansion phase (far end).
In May, Phase One was nearing completion and expected to be ready soon. Phase Two is the major focus of efforts now.
Because Lake Houston is so shallow, turbidity increases rapidly during rainfall events. Accordingly, the partners have incorporated both wet- and dry-weather technologies into the treatment plant, so operators can switch nimbly as needed.
Innovative treatment strategies like chlorine dioxide, ozonation and biological filtration have been proven at other Texas facilities using similar source waters. Given the broad range of raw water qualities, they will help the City preserve high-quality finished water and deliver more of it.
Majority of Water Used by Industry
Houston Public Works Drinking Water Operations (DWO) currently serves about 2.2 million people. And Harris County’s population alone is projected to expand to 5.5 million people by 2050. But serving all those extra people is only half the battle.
Many Sources Help Meet Demand, Protect from Drought
To meet demand DWO has three water treatment plants and 49 groundwater production facilities. They span four counties and 600 square miles, making Houston’s system one of the most complex in the nation.
And to feed those plants, the City of Houston owns a 70% share of Lake Livingston, a 70% share of Lake Conroe, 100% of Lake Houston and a 70% share of the future Allen’s Creek Reservoir on the Brazos River.
The variety of sources help sustain a growing population through droughts, such as the one we are in now. Corporations evaluate such factors when choosing where to expand. For more information about Houston’s water supply, check this informative history, written by Susan Smyer in 2008.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/22/2023
2184 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230812-RJR_2264.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2023-08-22 11:50:102023-08-22 11:50:11Northeast Water Purification Plant Expansion Now in Last Phase
8/21/23 (9 AM CDT) – Three named storms have formed in the Atlantic in two days and we will likely get fourth (in the Gulf of Mexico) today or tomorrow.
Tropical storms Emily and Gert formed in the Atlantic yesterday (8/20/23). Gert formed overnight. And a fourth disturbance barreling across the Gulf of Mexico toward the lower Texas Coast could reach tropical storm intensity today or tomorrow, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
2023 Summary Compared to 30-Year Average
So far this year, the Atlantic Basin has had:
An unnamed sub-tropical storm in January, that was later determined to have 70 mph max winds
Tropical Storms Arlene, Bret and Cindy in June
Hurricane Don in July
Emily, Franklin and Gert in August
If the disturbance currently in the Gulf turns into a named storm, it will become Harold – the ninth storm of the year to reach tropical storm intensity.
Normally, by this week in the hurricane season, the Atlantic Basin has five named storms. See the table below from the NHC’s Climatology page.
Progress of the average Atlantic season (1991-2020). Date upon which the following number of events would normally have occurred.
Number
Named systems
Hurricanes
Major Hurricanes
1
Jun 20
Aug 11
Sep 1
2
Jul 17
Aug 26
Sep 19
3
Aug 3
Sep 7
Oct 28
4
Aug 15
Sep 16
–
5
Aug 22
Sep 28
–
6
Aug 29
Oct 15
–
7
Sep 3
Nov 15
–
8
Sep 9
–
–
9
Sep 16
–
–
10
Sep 22
–
–
11
Oct 2
–
–
12
Oct 11
–
–
13
Oct 25
–
–
14
Nov 19
–
–
Greatest Threat to Houston is Fire
None of the current disturbances in the Gulf, Caribbean or Atlantic represent a threat to Houston.
The closest storm to Houston is south of Mississippi as of 9AM Tuesday morning. It will miss the upper Texas Coast and likely come ashore between Corpus Christi and Brownsville tomorrow.
NHC says that showers and thunderstorms are showing signs of organization and banding. Environmental conditions appear conducive for development. And a tropical depression or tropical storm is likely to form before it reaches the coastline on Tuesday. Formation chance is high…80 percent.
The greatest threat to the Houston area is not rain or flooding; north of I-10, we should see only about a tenth of an inch from the storm. But hot, dry conditions combined with a long-term drought have created critical fire weather conditions. A burn ban is in effect. High winds associated with the storm could spread fire quickly. So be careful. Several fires are already burning in other parts of East Texas.
Discussion of Other Disturbances
Unnamed Storm off African Coast
NHC gives the other unnamed storm off the coast of Africa a formation chance of 70% in the next 7 days.
Emily
Emily will also turn north. Its intensity will lessen into a tropical depression by Tuesday morning.
Franklin
NHC predicts Franklin will turn north and cross Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti through the middle of the week. It could produce heavy rainfall; life-threatening flash and urban flooding; and mudslides through Wednesday.
Gert
Gert is quickly unraveling. NHC expects to downgrade it into a tropical depression by Monday at 2PM.
A Record?
Is three or four named storms in two or three days a record? According to Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, it’s not. The record is closer to five or six at one time, he says. Regardless, tropical activity is heating up. The peak of hurricane season is still three weeks away – September 10th. It looks like earlier predictions of an above-average season were accurate.
In the meantime, watch out for that heat! Here’s a summary put together by Lindner of record highs on 8/20/23.
College Station: 112 (tied all time record high from 9-4-2000, broke the all-time August record high of 110 from 8-17-1903, and shattered the daily record high of 107)
BUSH IAH: 108 (broke the daily record high of 107 from 1909). This is only the 5th time since the 1880’s that Houston has reached 108. 1 degree shy of the all-time record high of 109.
Hobby: 107 (broke the daily record high of 101 in 1999).
Galveston: 97 (tied record high from 1995)
Huntsville: 112 (shattered the daily record high of 106 from 1909)
Madisonville: 108 (broke daily record high of 105 from 1948)
Sugar Land: 107 (broke daily record of 101 from 2018)
Conroe: 109 (tied all time record high from 2000 and 1925)
Tomball: 110 (shattered daily record of 101 from 1999) All time record high surpassing 108 in 2000
Wharton: 106 (broke daily record of 100 from 1911)
Brenham: 108 (broke daily record of 105 from 1948)
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/21/23
2183 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/two_atl_7d0-3.png?fit=900%2C665&ssl=1665900adminadmin2023-08-21 08:46:472023-08-21 08:46:48Three Named Storms in Atlantic in Two Days, Could Get Fourth
(11AM 8/20/23 and updated at 7PM) Here’s something you don’t often see – a tropical disturbance that could increase fire danger more than flood risk.
The 8am 7-day tropical outlook from the National Hurricane Center shows that Tropical Storm Emily has formed in the Atlantic. Separately, a disturbance lingering over the Bahamas has finally crossed over Florida and moved into the Gulf. However, the latter storm will likely miss Houston as it veers south into the lower Texas Coast and northern Mexico. That means…
8AM update on Aug 20, 2023 from NHC
Twelve hours later, another tropical storm formed in the Atlantic – Franklin. And NHC increased the chances for formation for the two orange disturbances to 70%.
8PM update on Aug 20, 2023 from NHC
High winds from the storm combined with the lack of rain and dry vegetation could actually increase fire danger north of I-10.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist
Rainfall Chances for North Houston Area Slight
Unfortunately, the still unnamed Gulf disturbance will likely bring little rain to the Houston area. The 72-hour cumulative prediction from the National Weather Service shows about a quarter inch of rain south of I-10 and a tenth of an inch north of it.
As of Sunday morning, the disturbance is centered south of the Florida panhandle.
That big clear area over the southern plains and Texas is the high pressure system that has dominated our weather for the last month. It forms a barrier that will likely block the lower pressure system in the Gulf from moving north toward Houston.
High Winds, but Little Chance of Flooding
Jeff Lindner, Harris County meteorologist predicts that tropical moisture will begin to arrive along the Texas coast on Monday with offshore scattered activity increasing through the day.”
Lindner believes that I-10 will be a good dividing line between higher coastal rain chances and lower inland chances late Monday into Tuesday.
Said Lindner, “There will likely be a strong south to north rainfall gradient over the region … with rain chances in the 50-60% range near the coast, 30-40% along I-10, and generally less than 30% north of I-10.
Lindner expects wind gusts up to 30 knots on Monday and Tuesday as the storm passes. He also predicts that seas will build 5-9 feet for most offshore waters. He also predicts that tides will be elevated late Monday into Tuesday, but he doesn’t expect them to reach critical thresholds or cause any issues along the coast or in the inland bays.
Inland winds will increase Monday into the 15-20 mph range with higher gusts. Ironically, the biggest threat from this storm may be fire.
Lindner predicts that the high winds inland along with low humidity and critically dry vegetation will support an enhanced fire danger for those areas along and north of I-10. “Fires could quickly spread in these conditions,” warns Lindner.
Red Flag Warnings
At 2:39 PM, Lindner announced that red flag warnings had been issued for most counties in SE Texas including Harris, Montgomery and Liberty.
Potentially dangerous fire weather conditions will exist on Monday as the tropical system approaches. It will increase the pressure gradient across much of SE TX. Humidity values will decrease through Monday and reach below 30% during the afternoon and early evening hours.
Fuels loads are critically dry over the region, said Lindner. “Small fire will grow rapidly. Fires continue to exhibit aggressive behavior in pine areas and winds on Monday.Ccanopy crown runs will make containment lines challenging.
Fire conditions have deteriorated to those similar to August and September 2011 when several large devastating fires occurred over portions of SE and central Texas.
Extreme Drought Conditions Persist
In fact, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that the Lake Houston Area is in Extreme Drought.
What have temperatures and rainfall been compared to the 30-year average?
Temperatures so far this year have been consistently above the average for the last thirty years (green line compared to yellow line). Rainfall (blue and red bars) has been both above and below average. April and May were both above average. But June, July and August have been far below.
According to the Harris County Flood Warning System, the West Fork San Jacinto gage at US59 last received rain on July 23rd – four one-hundredths of an inch!
Obviously, this is not the time for outdoor burning! In fact, the Texas A&M Forest Service shows that most Texas counties currently have burn bans.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/20/2023
2182 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image001-2.png?fit=902%2C598&ssl=1598902adminadmin2023-08-20 11:51:312023-08-20 19:12:10Gulf Disturbance Could Increase Fire Danger
Northeast Water Purification Plant Expansion Now in Last Phase
The massive $1.77 billion expansion of the 120-acre Northeast Water Purification Plant near Summerwood is now well into its last phase. The last update to the expansion website is dated May 23, 2023 and estimates completion in 2025. Contractors have made considerable progress since May. This satellite image is dated 6/14/23. Note the area on the far right at the eastern side of the plant. That area contains most of the new construction activity.
Aerial Photos Taken 8/12/23
Compare the photos below of the Northeast Water Purification Plant taken just two months later. They were all taken on 8/12/23.
5X Capacity Increase Will Help Reduce Subsidence
The Northeast Water Purification Plant is designed to help ensure Houston’s water supply while reducing groundwater usage. Pumping groundwater at a rate greater than nature replaces it can cause irreversible subsidence. Subsidence has been linked to increased risk of flooding and structural damage.
The physical site above contains three major sections.
In May, Phase One was nearing completion and expected to be ready soon. Phase Two is the major focus of efforts now.
Together the first and second expansions will produce 320 million gallons per day, bringing the total treatment capacity to 400 million gallons.
Plant Will Handle Wide Range of Turbidity
Because Lake Houston is so shallow, turbidity increases rapidly during rainfall events. Accordingly, the partners have incorporated both wet- and dry-weather technologies into the treatment plant, so operators can switch nimbly as needed.
Innovative treatment strategies like chlorine dioxide, ozonation and biological filtration have been proven at other Texas facilities using similar source waters. Given the broad range of raw water qualities, they will help the City preserve high-quality finished water and deliver more of it.
Majority of Water Used by Industry
Houston Public Works Drinking Water Operations (DWO) currently serves about 2.2 million people. And Harris County’s population alone is projected to expand to 5.5 million people by 2050. But serving all those extra people is only half the battle.
Many Sources Help Meet Demand, Protect from Drought
To meet demand DWO has three water treatment plants and 49 groundwater production facilities. They span four counties and 600 square miles, making Houston’s system one of the most complex in the nation.
And to feed those plants, the City of Houston owns a 70% share of Lake Livingston, a 70% share of Lake Conroe, 100% of Lake Houston and a 70% share of the future Allen’s Creek Reservoir on the Brazos River.
Lake Livingston supplies water to Lake Houston and the Northeast Water Purification Plant through the Luce Bayou Inter-Basin Transfer Project.
The variety of sources help sustain a growing population through droughts, such as the one we are in now. Corporations evaluate such factors when choosing where to expand. For more information about Houston’s water supply, check this informative history, written by Susan Smyer in 2008.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/22/2023
2184 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Three Named Storms in Atlantic in Two Days, Could Get Fourth
8/21/23 (9 AM CDT) – Three named storms have formed in the Atlantic in two days and we will likely get fourth (in the Gulf of Mexico) today or tomorrow.
Tropical storms Emily and Gert formed in the Atlantic yesterday (8/20/23). Gert formed overnight. And a fourth disturbance barreling across the Gulf of Mexico toward the lower Texas Coast could reach tropical storm intensity today or tomorrow, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
2023 Summary Compared to 30-Year Average
So far this year, the Atlantic Basin has had:
If the disturbance currently in the Gulf turns into a named storm, it will become Harold – the ninth storm of the year to reach tropical storm intensity.
Normally, by this week in the hurricane season, the Atlantic Basin has five named storms. See the table below from the NHC’s Climatology page.
Date upon which the following number of events
would normally have occurred.
Greatest Threat to Houston is Fire
None of the current disturbances in the Gulf, Caribbean or Atlantic represent a threat to Houston.
The closest storm to Houston is south of Mississippi as of 9AM Tuesday morning. It will miss the upper Texas Coast and likely come ashore between Corpus Christi and Brownsville tomorrow.
NHC says that showers and thunderstorms are showing signs of organization and banding. Environmental conditions appear conducive for development. And a tropical depression or tropical storm is likely to form before it reaches the coastline on Tuesday. Formation chance is high…80 percent.
The greatest threat to the Houston area is not rain or flooding; north of I-10, we should see only about a tenth of an inch from the storm. But hot, dry conditions combined with a long-term drought have created critical fire weather conditions. A burn ban is in effect. High winds associated with the storm could spread fire quickly. So be careful. Several fires are already burning in other parts of East Texas.
Discussion of Other Disturbances
Unnamed Storm off African Coast
NHC gives the other unnamed storm off the coast of Africa a formation chance of 70% in the next 7 days.
Emily
Emily will also turn north. Its intensity will lessen into a tropical depression by Tuesday morning.
Franklin
NHC predicts Franklin will turn north and cross Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti through the middle of the week. It could produce heavy rainfall; life-threatening flash and urban flooding; and mudslides through Wednesday.
Gert
Gert is quickly unraveling. NHC expects to downgrade it into a tropical depression by Monday at 2PM.
A Record?
Is three or four named storms in two or three days a record? According to Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, it’s not. The record is closer to five or six at one time, he says. Regardless, tropical activity is heating up. The peak of hurricane season is still three weeks away – September 10th. It looks like earlier predictions of an above-average season were accurate.
In the meantime, watch out for that heat! Here’s a summary put together by Lindner of record highs on 8/20/23.
College Station: 112 (tied all time record high from 9-4-2000, broke the all-time August record high of 110 from 8-17-1903, and shattered the daily record high of 107)
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/21/23
2183 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Gulf Disturbance Could Increase Fire Danger
(11AM 8/20/23 and updated at 7PM) Here’s something you don’t often see – a tropical disturbance that could increase fire danger more than flood risk.
The 8am 7-day tropical outlook from the National Hurricane Center shows that Tropical Storm Emily has formed in the Atlantic. Separately, a disturbance lingering over the Bahamas has finally crossed over Florida and moved into the Gulf. However, the latter storm will likely miss Houston as it veers south into the lower Texas Coast and northern Mexico. That means…
Twelve hours later, another tropical storm formed in the Atlantic – Franklin. And NHC increased the chances for formation for the two orange disturbances to 70%.
Rainfall Chances for North Houston Area Slight
Unfortunately, the still unnamed Gulf disturbance will likely bring little rain to the Houston area. The 72-hour cumulative prediction from the National Weather Service shows about a quarter inch of rain south of I-10 and a tenth of an inch north of it.
As of Sunday morning, the disturbance is centered south of the Florida panhandle.
That big clear area over the southern plains and Texas is the high pressure system that has dominated our weather for the last month. It forms a barrier that will likely block the lower pressure system in the Gulf from moving north toward Houston.
High Winds, but Little Chance of Flooding
Jeff Lindner, Harris County meteorologist predicts that tropical moisture will begin to arrive along the Texas coast on Monday with offshore scattered activity increasing through the day.”
Lindner believes that I-10 will be a good dividing line between higher coastal rain chances and lower inland chances late Monday into Tuesday.
Said Lindner, “There will likely be a strong south to north rainfall gradient over the region … with rain chances in the 50-60% range near the coast, 30-40% along I-10, and generally less than 30% north of I-10.
Lindner expects wind gusts up to 30 knots on Monday and Tuesday as the storm passes. He also predicts that seas will build 5-9 feet for most offshore waters. He also predicts that tides will be elevated late Monday into Tuesday, but he doesn’t expect them to reach critical thresholds or cause any issues along the coast or in the inland bays.
Inland winds will increase Monday into the 15-20 mph range with higher gusts. Ironically, the biggest threat from this storm may be fire.
Lindner predicts that the high winds inland along with low humidity and critically dry vegetation will support an enhanced fire danger for those areas along and north of I-10. “Fires could quickly spread in these conditions,” warns Lindner.
Red Flag Warnings
At 2:39 PM, Lindner announced that red flag warnings had been issued for most counties in SE Texas including Harris, Montgomery and Liberty.
Potentially dangerous fire weather conditions will exist on Monday as the tropical system approaches. It will increase the pressure gradient across much of SE TX. Humidity values will decrease through Monday and reach below 30% during the afternoon and early evening hours.
Fuels loads are critically dry over the region, said Lindner. “Small fire will grow rapidly. Fires continue to exhibit aggressive behavior in pine areas and winds on Monday.Ccanopy crown runs will make containment lines challenging.
Fire conditions have deteriorated to those similar to August and September 2011 when several large devastating fires occurred over portions of SE and central Texas.
Extreme Drought Conditions Persist
In fact, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that the Lake Houston Area is in Extreme Drought.
What have temperatures and rainfall been compared to the 30-year average?
Temperatures so far this year have been consistently above the average for the last thirty years (green line compared to yellow line). Rainfall (blue and red bars) has been both above and below average. April and May were both above average. But June, July and August have been far below.
According to the Harris County Flood Warning System, the West Fork San Jacinto gage at US59 last received rain on July 23rd – four one-hundredths of an inch!
Obviously, this is not the time for outdoor burning! In fact, the Texas A&M Forest Service shows that most Texas counties currently have burn bans.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/20/2023
2182 Days since Hurricane Harvey