Aug 26, 2025 · Related development

Staff drop the single new plant concept; estimate falls below $1.5 billion

The City gave an update following "regular and numerous malfunctions at the plants." Staff proposed rehabilitating or repurposing parts of the Hollywood Road plant, building a smaller facility, and assessing River Road, in place of one new centralized plant. Staff said the cost would fall from a high estimate of $2-3 billion to under $1.5 billion.^[1]^[2]

Donny Hooper David Prescott

What the sources say

⚠ Sources differ
Sources give the River Road plant's construction year as 1922 or 1927. The City said it is being assessed for operational modifications and expansion for future growth.
Reported value 1[3]
Built
1,922
ABC7, May 2025 (described as 103 years old and at the end of its useful life).
Reported value 2[2]
Built
1,927
City of Amarillo news release, Sept 2025.
⚠ Sources differ
Published cost estimates for replacing or expanding the wastewater plants have changed over time. All are estimates; the City has said the actual cost will not be known until bids or the design phase.
Reported value 1[3]
Estimate usd max
$3,000,000,000
Date
2025-05-28
Up to $3 billion to replace Hollywood Road; Assistant City Manager Donny Hooper called it a rough estimate based on similar-sized facilities.
Reported value 2[1]
0
2,000,000,000
1
3,000,000,000
Revised usd max
$1,500,000,000
Date
2025-08-26
Original single-plant high estimate $2-3 billion; staff said revised approach would cost under $1.5 billion.
Reported value 3[4]
Estimate
$1,500,000,000
Total needs
$1,800,000,000
Date
2026-05-01
Rate-study coverage: a planned $1.5 billion plant within about $1.8 billion in water and wastewater needs.
Reported value 4[5]
Estimate
$1,200,000,000
Date
2026-08-06
About $1.2 billion for the full project (KFDA); a council member referred to $1 billion-$1.2 billion for Hollywood Road and River Road combined.
Reported value 5[6]
0
860,000,000
1
1,300,000,000
Date
2026-08-07
Projects of similar scope elsewhere were estimated at $860 million to $1.3 billion (Amarillo Tribune).
✓ Verified
In August-September 2025 the City moved away from a single new centralized plant toward improvements and expansion at Hollywood Road, a smaller new facility, and an assessment of River Road's functional capacity; staff estimated five to six years for the project.^[1]^[2]
✓ Verified
KFDA reported that the City's August 2025 update followed "regular and numerous malfunctions at the plants."^[1]
✓ Verified
The City said the two plants are "almost a combined 160 years old" and neither had a major upgrade in more than 20 years.^[2]

Sources

1.City of Amarillo provides update on wastewater treatment plants — NewsChannel10 (KFDA), Aug 26, 2025 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependentPage timestamp Aug 26, 2025, 9:48 p.m.; URL path dated Aug 27.
2.Addressing Amarillo's aging infrastructure: wastewater treatment plants — City of Amarillo, Sep 4, 2025 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026primarySubject-authored
3.City of Amarillo estimates $3 billion to replace beleaguered water treatment plant — ABC7 Amarillo (KVII), May 28, 2025 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependentHeadline says 'water treatment plant'; the article concerns the Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Facility.
4.Amarillo floats rate increases to meet $2B in water, wastewater needs — Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (Texas Government Insider), May 1, 2026 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependentPublished in a government-contracting newsletter run by a procurement-consulting firm. Does not name the rate-study consultant or the meeting date. Headline says $2B; body says $1.8B.
5.Amarillo receives $60M for Hollywood Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion — NewsChannel10 (KFDA), Aug 6, 2026 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependent
6.City of Amarillo awarded $60 million loan from Texas Water Development Board for Hollywood wastewater facility projects — Amarillo Tribune, Aug 7, 2026 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026newsIndependent