Frequently Asked Questions

Water Resource Recovery Facilities provide continuous wastewater treatment to meet water quality limits stated in the TCEQ issued permit prior to discharging into a body of water. These facilities are a critical element in maintaining the health of our watersheds and the public. NTMWD is voluntarily implementing a watershed protection plan to further safeguard the Lavon Lake watershed with increasing urbanization in the area. 

Currently, 700,000+ people are served in our northern service area by two existing facilities and projected growth will exceed the existing facilities serving Collin County in the very near future.

Protecting water resources and preserving the natural environment is a high priority. Similar NTMWD facilities operate in this same manner and discharged water is typically of higher quality than naturally existing water in creeks and streams. As our team determined the location of the facility and its outfall location, a site was selected to minimize impacts on area streams and Lavon Lake. The Sister Grove RWRRF facility is being built to maintain the natural surroundings at the outfall location.

As the project continues, NTMWD will:

• Meet or exceed all local, state, and federal environmental protection requirements from design through operations
• Engage and inform area communities throughout facility planning, construction, and operation
• Treat recovered water resources to high quality in compliance with TCEQ requirements
• Include advanced treatment and odor control technologies

NTMWD is building the new Sister Grove RWRRF to serve one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. As part of our commitment to being a good neighbor to our northern service area, the plant is centrally located within the 1,000-acre site, with additional screening of visible structures and facilities with landscaping and berms. The plant is also designed to mitigate and minimize local impacts to odor, noise, or light from the facility. 

Advanced treatment and odor control technologies will be implemented, and noise will be addressed through the use of sound enclosures or dedicated buildings around specific equipment and processes. 

The facility’s lighting plan will incorporate modern LED technology, specifically warm-white lighting, downward-facing fixtures, and motion-activated noncritical lighting, all aimed at minimizing the impact of lighting on the surrounding areas.