Tunnels complete for Lake Travis deep-water intake project


Posted: Fri, 9 Jan 2026 11:17 AM - 60 Readers

By: Daniel Schwalm


The Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BCRUA) — a partnership between the cities of Leander, Cedar Park, and Round Rock — has reached a major milestone in its deep-water intake project at Lake Travis, with the mining and concrete lining of the tunnels, shaft, and suction chamber now fully complete. This underground concrete work marks a significant advancement in Phase 2 of the regional water system plan, according to updates provided by Aaron Archer, vice president of civil engineering firm Walker Partners, during a December 18, 2025, presentation to the Leander City Council. The project replaces a vulnerable floating barge system (from Phase 1, which delivers about 32 million gallons per day) with a more reliable, drought-resistant deep-water source. Construction of the pump station building — where water will be brought to the surface from the underground tunnels — and the intake maintenance building is now underway.

Once finished, the Raw Water Intake system will pump up to 145 million gallons of water per day from deep below Lake Travis's surface through a network of tunnels and pipelines to existing water treatment facilities serving the three cities. The overall Raw Water Intake is currently tracking 4-6 months behind its original February 2027 completion schedule. Related efforts include the recent substantial completion of Phase 1D water treatment plant expansions (with official completion expected in January 2026) and the start of Phase 2A treatment plant upgrades on December 15, 2025, which are projected to wrap up by June 2028 at a cost of about $98 million. This infrastructure will ensure a stable year-round water supply for the fast-growing region north of Austin.



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