West University Place City Council voted 4-1 on Monday to hire a Houston-based construction firm for the first phase of a long-anticipated improvements project for the city's aging Milton Street Pump Station, a facility built in 1957 that serves as the backbone of the city's water system. The vote authorizes a fixed pre-construction fee of $190,417 to RAVA Construction, LLC, covering design, cost estimating and planning work before any shovels hit the ground.
A Nearly 70-Year-Old Plant Reaches Its Limit
According to Community Impact, the Milton Water Plant, located at the intersection of Milton Street and College Street, is nearly 70 years old and has reached a point where it can no longer be easily expanded. The outlet reports that the Milton Street Pump Station lacks the space to increase pump capacity without taking the entire station offline, a step that would disrupt water service delivery to every West U resident. The plant's ground storage tanks are also due for replacement before 2030, per the same report.
City staff, representatives from IDS Engineering Group and RAVA presented the contract's scope to council before the vote, the report notes. Council member Kalie Rainsberger cast the lone dissenting vote; the report does not specify her reasoning. RAVA was selected from five responses the city received through its Construction Manager-at-Risk, or CMAR, procurement process, which involved publicly advertising a request for proposals in accordance with local and state laws, the article states.
What the Overhaul Would Replace
The project plan calls for replacing the plant's existing tanks with two new 2 million-gallon ground storage tanks and increasing open space at the site, while upgrading station pressure and flow to comply with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards, according to the same report. Separate project documentation reviewed by ConstructConnect describes the new dual 2.0 million-gallon tank rising at the site of an existing 1.5 million-gallon tank, with the design allowing half of the tank to be isolated at a time for future maintenance and rehabilitation. That same documentation indicates the existing 1.5 million-gallon tank would be demolished at the start of the project, with a smaller 0.4 million-gallon tank coming down once the work wraps up.
Recommended improvements outlined by Community Impact also include a new pump building with four booster pumps at the site of the existing technology administration building, new suction and distribution piping, and a new electrical building housing a motor control center, emergency backup generator and related equipment. Chemical improvements and surface water control station updates are planned as well, with demolition of the existing booster pump room to follow once the other work is finished. ConstructConnect's listing separately notes the scope includes an access drive, additional site work and a new surface water meter vault, and confirms the project is included in the city's 2026-2035 Capital Improvement Program.
Why RAVA Got the Nod
Community Impact reports that RAVA was identified as the most suitable candidate because of its experience with similar CMAR projects and its approach to minimizing impact on nearby residents. Shawn Mills, RAVA's pre-construction manager, told the outlet the firm plans to limit disruption through off-site parking, noise reduction and off-site employee staging. “We are requesting our [employees] to stage off-site,” Mills said, adding that doing so helps the crew avoid additional hazards during the work.
Under the CMAR delivery method, a construction manager or contractor commits to a guaranteed maximum price — essentially a cap on what the project can cost — and the report notes that RAVA will serve dual roles: as the city's consultant during pre-construction, and potentially as general contractor once construction begins. During pre-construction, IDS Engineering and RAVA will collaborate on design, construction phasing, cost estimates, a risk register and permitting, per the same account.
A Separate Price Tag Still to Come
Monday's vote authorized only the $190,417 pre-construction fee, and city staff said a later amendment will be required to authorize the project's final guaranteed maximum price, the article states. Once pre-construction work wraps up, staff plan to bring the CMAR construction contract — which will include that negotiated guaranteed maximum price — back to council, with the construction phase scheduled to return for consideration in April 2027.
The Milton plant work follows another major water-infrastructure investment in the neighborhood. Council previously approved a $2.4 million contract in April 2025 with ISJ Underground Utilities LLC to replace at least 2,400 linear feet of aging cast iron water line pipes between the Milton Street plant and Mercer Street, a project the same report said was expected to take nine months. At the time, Mayor Pro Tem John Montgomery said the water line project would give the city flexibility in terms of water tank location.
