The Water District and TPCO America Corp. have taken another step in the process of deciding how best to serve the 2 million gallon per day water needs of the company’s future mini mill and seamless steel pipe manufacturing operation.

TPCO has agreed to reimburse District costs for preliminary engineering studies to determine the cost of upgrading the District’s raw water supply system and expanding Plant C microfiltration capacity to accommodate the company’s needs. 

J. Schwarz & Associates Inc. will evaluate required improvements at the Odem raw water booster pump station to meet TPCO demand.  Consulting engineers will evaluate additional raw water transmission line interconnections, look at various options for providing treated water to the TPCO plant site and provide preliminary cost estimates.

James Vickers of Separation Processes, Inc., the engineer who has guided Plant C original design and two expansion projects, will look at TPCO treatment requirements, develop expansion alternatives and provide preliminary cost estimates.

Don Roach, District assistant general manager, said the preliminary engineering work is scheduled for completion by the end of June.

TPCO, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tianjin Pipe Corp., announced plans in 2009 to construct a $1 billion mini mill and seamless steel pipe plant.  Once air permits for the plant were approved in 2010, the company purchased a 252-acre site located on the east side of State Highway 35 and north of State Highway 361.

The Water District has a long history of working with industrial water users and provides various grades of treated water and untreated water to industrial customers under long-term contract. Water rates are set by the District Board of Directors based on the cost of production and delivery. Industrial customers pay the full cost of producing and delivering the grade of water they require.

Learn more about TPCO (here).