These giant pipes are part of a huge transformation in Corpus Christi

The City of Corpus Christi is in the middle of a massive overhaul of its main water treatment facility.

City leaders say the half-billion-dollar project is designed to increase water capacity, modernize aging infrastructure and prepare the city to handle future growth.

3News got a firsthand look during a tour of the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant.

Plant Manager William Creech loaded us onto a golf cart and drove us through the sprawling treatment facility where nearly $500 million worth of upgrades are now underway.

The plant has become one massive construction zone as crews work across the property to modernize equipment and expand capacity.

During the tour, Creech showed off enormous water pipes that will soon become a key part of the plant’s upgraded system.

“That’s the 108 inch pipeline that were actually going to be connecting to the pre-sedimentation basin back to the main junction box structure,” Creech said. “That’s our main flow after combining all of the sources of water.”

Creech said this marks the largest expansion project at the facility in decades.

“The last major project was the 1981 expansion as far as expandability to this facility,” Creech said. “Which is pretty much what you see today minus the construction. And here just lately we have added a clear well number three and all this new front end stuff.”

Peter Zanoni says the upgrades are critical as Corpus Christi prepares for future growth and rising water demand.

He says the project is transforming a plant that dates back to the 1950s into a modern, high-capacity operation.

“Now with this massive renovation and expansion of the plant, we are able to treat between 130 to 150,000,000 gallons a day,” Zanoni said. “That wasn’t the case just a few years ago.”

City officials expect the half-billion-dollar modernization project to be completed by the fall of next year.

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