The City of Amarillo is rethinking how it manages one of its most essential but often overlooked services: wastewater treatment. After decades of relying on two treatment facilities that date back nearly a century, city officials are embarking on a long-term plan to modernize operations, keep costs in check, and prepare for the community’s future growth.
Amarillo’s two wastewater treatment plants — the River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant, built in 1927, and the Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Plant, added in 1965 — together represent nearly 160 years of combined service. Both facilities are still in operation today, despite their age, and neither has received major upgrades in more than 20 years.
City leaders now face the challenge of ensuring these aging plants can continue handling Amarillo’s wastewater needs while balancing costs, regulatory requirements, and long-term community planning.
Moving Away from a “One-Plant” Solution
At one point, Amarillo considered consolidating its wastewater operations into a single large facility. But after reviewing the condition of both existing plants, Assistant City Manager Donny Hooper said the city shifted its strategy.
“We went back in and started looking at the approach that was being taken to go to a singular plant instead of utilizing the two plants that we have because of their age; they’re very old and have aged infrastructure inside of those plants,” Hooper explained. “So in looking at that, we decided that maybe the best approach was to go back and utilize which portions of those plants that we could continue to use for the next 10 to 15 years, through renovation, through expansion, maybe adding some new components, but not one big singular plant.”
This new direction means Amarillo will continue using both River Road and Hollywood Road facilities, but in a phased approach that blends refurbishment with selective expansion. The idea is to extend the plants’ lifespans by at least 10 to 15 years, while leaving room for further improvements down the line.
A Long-Term, Phased Project
While the decision to renovate is a step forward, Hooper emphasized that this project is far from an overnight fix. The city is still in the early stages of planning and assessment.
“Some of the refurbishing may not even occur until we finish with this first five to six year phase of that, then we’ll start refurbishing or other pieces of the plant that need it,” Hooper said. “But in the meantime, we’re doing the maintenance. We’re doing the things that it takes to keep the plants alive and moving forward throughout this entire process.”
This phased model allows Amarillo to spread costs over time and keep the existing facilities running while improvements are underway. It also creates flexibility if future assessments reveal certain equipment can last longer than expected, or if new technologies emerge that could make wastewater treatment more efficient.
Balancing Costs and Compliance
One of the key drivers behind the new approach is cost. Building a brand-new, consolidated wastewater treatment plant would come with a hefty price tag — one that could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. By selectively upgrading the two existing facilities instead, Hooper said the city hopes to stretch taxpayer dollars further.
“I think it’s going to save us a tremendous amount of money as we move forward, if that’s feasible,” he said. “Part of the process we’re under right now is making sure that it is feasible by doing assessments of both the Hollywood plant and the River Road plant, and every piece of equipment that belongs in those plants. Full assessments to make sure what we can do, when we can do it, how much it is going to cost us, so we can start putting all this together.”
Those assessments will determine which components can be salvaged, which need refurbishing, and which require replacement altogether. The city is deliberately taking its time to ensure no shortcuts are taken, especially given the role state regulators play in overseeing wastewater operations.
Hooper noted that Amarillo’s wastewater treatment plants are monitored closely by state authorities to ensure compliance with environmental and health standards. “The city is deliberately taking its time through this process to ensure it meets all state requirements,” he said.
Why Wastewater Infrastructure Matters
Wastewater treatment rarely makes headlines unless something goes wrong, but it is one of the most important public services in any city. Properly treated wastewater protects public health, preserves water quality, and ensures that growing populations can continue to thrive without putting natural resources at risk.
In Amarillo, continued growth has made long-term planning for wastewater treatment even more urgent. Outdated infrastructure can strain under increased demand, making upgrades not just an issue of efficiency but also of safety and compliance.
The River Road plant, now nearly a century old, has carried Amarillo through major eras of change — from the Great Depression to the city’s modern expansion. The Hollywood Road plant, while younger, is also aging rapidly by industry standards. With neither facility having undergone a major overhaul in over two decades, city leaders say the time has come to act before problems become crises.
A Step-by-Step Path Forward
The city’s plan calls for breaking the project into stages, beginning with comprehensive evaluations of equipment and infrastructure at both plants. Once assessments are complete, the city will prioritize upgrades that deliver the most immediate benefits while preserving long-term flexibility.
Maintenance and smaller refurbishments will continue throughout the process to keep the plants operational. Larger renovations and expansions will follow, but not all at once. Instead, Amarillo intends to spread the work across multiple phases, likely spanning more than a decade.
This incremental model allows the city to keep wastewater treatment operations online without significant disruptions. It also enables Amarillo to adjust course as needed — for example, if state regulations change, or if population growth outpaces projections.
Looking Ahead
While much of the planning work remains in early stages, Hooper said the city is committed to finding a balance between cost savings, compliance, and community needs.
“This is a long process,” he acknowledged. But if successful, Amarillo will emerge with wastewater infrastructure capable of supporting the community for at least another 10 to 15 years, with room to expand well beyond that horizon.
For Amarillo residents, the work happening behind the scenes at River Road and Hollywood Road may not be visible day-to-day. Still, the decisions being made now will shape the city’s ability to manage growth, safeguard the environment, and provide reliable public services for decades to come.
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