NTMWD Ribbon Cutting Celebrates New Leonard Water Treatment Plant
Ribbon Cutting Celebrates New Leonard Water Treatment Plant
New plant is treating water from Bois d’Arc Lake for the NTMWD service area
Fannin County, TX (May 19) — The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) officially celebrated the commissioning of the Leonard Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Fannin County, TX, with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The facility treats water from the recently completed Bois d’Arc Lake, the state’s newest major reservoir in over thirty years, located 35 miles northeast in the same county.
NTMWD owns and operates the plant on a 1,000-acre tract just west of Leonard, TX. Treatment of Bois d’Arc Lake water began in March and undergoes a rigorous, multistep process including state-of-the-art ozone and biological filtration technology. Six massive pumps help convey the treated water to the District’s transmission system through a connection point in McKinney, TX. The plant will initially treat up to 70 million gallons of water per day (MGD) and is master planned for future expansions of up to 280 million gallons per day. The design of Phase 2 is underway, with expected completion in 2028 for an additional 70 MGD.
The event was attended by the NTMWD Board of Directors, key staff, and contractors vital to the plant’s planning, permitting, and construction. Guests gathered at the Leonard WTP Operations Center to commemorate the plant’s completion and hear remarks from NTMWD Executive Director and General Manager Jenna Covington, NTMWD Board President Jack May, along with representatives of several contractors directly involved in the plant’s construction. A ceremonial ribbon cutting concluded the presentation, and visitors were invited to tour the plant and fill up a commemorative glass of treated Bois d’Arc Lake water on tap.
“The construction of this plant took many years and hundreds of people,” said Covington. “We are grateful for their hard work and dedication to making this plant a reality so it can serve future generations of North Texans.”
The continued surge in growth of North Texas underscores the need for additional water supplies and associated treatment facilities to prepare for the future. This is NMTWD’s seventh water treatment plant, and it joins the other facilities in the District’s regional system that are critical to meet the needs of North Texans today, plus the estimated 55,000+ people moving to NTMWD’s service area each year.
“This plant is integral to providing treated water to the regional system, delivering the highest water quality possible for the communities we serve,” said Adam Baugh, Leonard WTP Supervisor. “Our team has been training and testing the plant for months before delivering water to North Texans, and we couldn’t be prouder to be fully operational.”
Baugh and an initial team of 15 operators are tasked with keeping all aspects of the plant functioning effectively and efficiently. Like all NTMWD’s water treatment plants, the Leonard WTP is staffed 24/7/365.
“Successful operations at the Leonard Water Treatment Plant is another major milestone in our ongoing efforts to provide water supplies to those we serve,” continued Covington. “We remain committed to responsible stewardship of our shared resources and vigilant in our responsibility to protect public health and the environment in North Texas.”
For more information about Leonard Water Treatment Plant and Bois d’Arc Lake, visit www.BoisArcLake.org.
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About NTMWD
The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) was created in 1951 as a special district of the state. Today, NTMWD is a regional wholesale provider of water, wastewater, and solid waste disposal services across ten counties – a service territory covering 2,200 square miles. NTMWD serves over two million residents with drinking water, more than 1.4 million people with wastewater collection and treatment, and about 930,000 people with solid waste management services.