Rest assured, when you go to the sink to pour yourself a glass of water, what comes out of the faucet is clean, safe, and meets strict state drinking water standards for pressure, distribution, and even taste. It’s also a huge cost-saving to League City residents. A gallon of tap water costs you less than a penny compared to an average of $0.64 per gallon of bottled water purchased at the store.
National Drinking Water Week May 7-13
The responsibility of controlling and monitoring water pressure and quality, maintaining pumps, pipes, and other equipment, and distributing water to over 115,000 residents throughout League City belongs to the Water Production Department. As part of National Drinking Water Week, we’re recognizing the men and women in this department who work 365 days a year —including weekends and holidays—to ensure there is never a break in the delivery of clean and safe water to League City homes and businesses.
Where Does Our Water Come From
League City purchases water from two main entities—the Gulf Coast Water Authority and the City of Houston. The water from the GCWA comes from the Brazos River in Galveston County while water from the City of Houston comes from the Trinity River in Harris County. Before arriving in League City, both sources of water go through a series of treatments and tests to make the water potable, or safe for human consumption. The potable water is then transported via a series of large pipelines to a variety of League City facilities before being distributed to homes and businesses or stored in elevated tanks.
Watch the video below to learn more about the day-to-day operation of the League City Water Department and visit www.leaguecity.com/water.
What’s in the Pipeline?
Over the next 20 to 30 years, League City is predicted to double in population, which will require an increase in raw water supply, surface water treatment capacity, and the conveyance of water to homes and businesses. On-going and future projects are currently underway to prepare for this growth. They include:
- Upgrading and replacing the nearly 50-year-old Southeast Transmission Line (SETL) which conveys the City’s primary drinking water supply from the Southeast Water Purification Plant (SEWPP) located near South Houston to the City’s SH3 Booster Pump Station in Webster. The new pipeline—which is currently under design— will increase in diameter from 42 to 54 inches. Construction of the line is expected to begin in 2026.
- Construction of a 36-inch water line from the City’s SH 3 Booster Pump Station to the South Shore Booster Pump Station. Work on this project will be completed in 2024 and will provide a third major water supply to cross Clear Creek, further increasing system redundancy.
- Negotiations and financial support to the City of Houston to expand its Southeast Water Purification Plant (SEWPP). This project provides the treatment capacity required to deliver the 20 MGD of raw water capacity secured from the City of Houston in 2019 and is expected to sustain the City’s potable water supply through build-out.
- Construction of two additional groundwater wells for emergency and supplemental supply.