MIDLAND, TX (KWES) - Last week, the City of Midland signed a 2-year contact with Enprotec, Hibbs & Todd, which is one of the on-call engineers that were selected in 2016.
The engineering team, will be measuring rainfall, for the next 12 months.
"So, we know how much wastewater comes in, where it comes in at, but we don't know how much rain water is going in," said Laura Wilson, Utilities Director for the City of Midland.
The city says normally they service about 10 million gallons of waste water. Which is okay, but once rainfall comes into being a factor, the rainwater and wastewater nearly triples.
"During a rainstorm I can get over 30, and so when you are putting in 30 million gallons a day through a plant that normally only handle 10 million gallons a day it can handle it, but it's better not too," said Wilson.
To help see just how much rain water is rising, the water peaks or water levels the city is installing about 15 water flow meters.
"What those flow meters will do will calculate, will measure the water flows during dry weather, and then we will also be collecting rain fall data. We will be measuring during rainfall events," said Sage Diller, PE, Associate Vice President, Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc.
One of the main concerns to why they are doing this is avoiding having to expand the water waste facility.
"When you get your peaks higher, that's when the state looks at you and says you need to increase the size of your plant. So the best way to keep our plant to having to go through expansion is to keep the amount of flow going at a reasonable level," said Wilson.
But residents shouldn't get too excited to spot a water flow meter themselves. The meters will be collecting rainfall under man holes. So, in other words you will probably drive over one and not even know it.
