Royal Oaks Booster Pump Station

Built on the former site of a general aviation airport, Royal Oaks is an 875-home, golf course community located within the City of Houston that independently maintains its own water, sanitary sewer, and drainage systems. The city’s requirement to isolate its water source from the community’s system severely reduced water pressure delivered to residents. IDS Engineering Group collaborated with the city to determine that the community could pressurize its own system – transforming this restriction into an advantage.

This project resolved the pressure problem and realized net annual operational savings of $150,000, because of a lower water rate charged to customers with an air gap between the city’s source and isolated distribution systems. This inventive partnership improves community water service without raising taxes. With buildings featuring brick and gable-end roofs, lush landscaping, an ornamental gate, and brick walls matching the community’s existing walls, the project also proves that public works can be visually appealing.

This project received the 2013 ACEC Gold Medal award in the wastewater category.