McAllen Public Utility (MPU)Departments » Water Systems

Overview

The Water Systems Division consists of (3) facilities. Plant No. 1 which was constructed in 1918 was decommissioned in 1998. This plant while small was able to supply the needs of the citizens of McAllen for many years until it was determined that it could no longer meet the increasing demands. The other Plants are the Southwest Watertreatment Plant (35.64 MGD) and the newest, the Northwest Water Treatment Plant (8.25 MGD). The plants receive its water from the Rio Grande River through canals from the local irrigation districts to our storage supply reservoirs, with total capacities of 389 MG. Operations for the Water Treatment Plants is 24 hours a day-7days a week. The division is staffed with 34 employees.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is my water treated and purified?

It is then pumped into the treatment plants for purification utilizing a conventional process which consists of the following. First, raw water is drawn from our water storage reservoirs and injected with chlorine dioxide, which is the primary disinfectant used to kill any bacteria that are present in the water; second the water then goes to the rapid mix where a coagulant is added, in this process the chemical is mixing with the water so that small particulates, dirt and other organics adhere to one another (called floc) making them heavy as they go through the flocculation process; third the water continues to flow through the sedimentation tanks where the heavy floc settles to the bottom of the tank, where it is then purged into the backwash system. In the fourth process the clarified water is then disinfected again, with chloramines. The chloramines ensure that a disinfectant residual is carried throughout the distribution system. In the fifth process the water flows into the filters where any remaining suspended solids (turbidity) is removed. The filters consist of fine coal and silica sand. TCEQ requirements for turbidity is .30 NTU’s, the filtration process at the treatment plants is regularly under .10 NTU’s. The water is then stored in storage facilities at the treatment plants totaling 11.9 MG. The final process is distributing it from the plants to elevated storage tanks (5.750 MG) and homes. The plants combined treat a total capacity of 43.89 MG. The Southwest Water Treatment Plant is recognized by TCEQ as an Optimized Water System. Meaning that turbidities are under .10 NTU’s 95% of the time.

Northwest Water Treatment PlantIs my water safe?

To ensure that our water is safe, McAllen Public Utilities operates it own water laboratory with a staff of 5. In the lab many water tests are conducted on a daily basis to ensure that our water is safe for you. Tests that are conducted routinely are bacteriological, total organic carbon, pH, turbidity, chlorine, hardness, alkalinity and temperature. The Lab is certified by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). In addition TCEQ collects samples and conducts its own testing on many samples on an annual basis. An annual report known as the Consumer Confidence Report is available for your review. This report is a detailed report on the quality of water from the previous year. The laboratory also conducts testing for many cities in the valley.

How do I receive my water?

Water is transported to homes and businesses through approximately 682 miles of pipe in various sizes. These pipes while buried underground occasionally develop leaks or breaks in the pipes. During these leaks the Water Line Maintenance Department is responsible for repairing these leaks. This department is staffed with 35 employees. In addition it is also responsible for the Backflow Prevention Program. This program ensures that industry and irrigation meters have backflow devices to prevent backflow into the distribution system.