Wastewater Department
Richard Scott
Department Manager: Richard Scott has been with the City of Big Lake since 2009
Others in the Department: Robert Marquez, Edward Marquez and Juan Guerrero
Contact information
(325) 884-2511
(325) 884-2012 After Hours
About Our Wastewater Treatment Plant...
The purpose and function of the Wastewater Treatment Department is to receive and treat the spent water from a community containing the wastes from domestic, industrial, or commercial use, as well as the surface water runoff and groundwater which may enter the system through infiltration.
The Big Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant is an activated sludge process. The activated sludge process is an aerobic biological process in which microorganisms grow by using oxidizable material in the wastewater as food. The microorganisms are recycled to the treatment phase in order to increase the rate of reaction. The sludge is extracted from the water, processed and dried to be disposed of. The remaining water is treated and reclaimed to the water basin.
Wastewater samples are collected and analyzed daily to verify compliance with state and federal requirements. Monitoring of the plant and equipment is done on a 24 hour daily basis utilizing computer equipment.
Currently the wastewater treatment plant utilizes three basins with approximately 11 Million gallons of wastewater processed on a monthly basis. In the presence of continued growth in population and requests for City services, the City is undergoing an 6.5 million dollar expansion of the wastewater treatment plant which is expected to be completed by early 2022. Upon completion of the expansion, there will be a total of five basins capable of processing 16 to 18 Million gallons on a monthly basis.
Some additional information you might find helpful....
All water accounts both inside and outside city limits will have automatic wastewater fees applied.
Please do not flush trash down the toilet
Please do not flush chemicals of any nature down the toilet
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the base Wastewater rate?
Inside City limits Residential Base Rate is $25.00, and Commercial Rate is $78.00.
Outside City limits Residential Base Rate is $40.00. Commercial Base Rate is $100.00 and Usage Rate is $1.0 per 1,000 gallons of water usage.
RV and Mobile Home Parks Wastewater Rates: Commercial Base Rate $78.00; Each RV connection Base Rate is $12.50; Each Mobile Home connection Base Rate is $19.00.
Will the City flush my sewer line?
The City will provide 2 sewer cleanouts per year at no cost to residents. For additional sewer cleanouts, see the full Utility Services and Fee Structures by visiting the Ordinances page.