You need a company that has experience and expertise
We tend to take water for granted. We don’t think about how it comes to us, why it is safe to drink or use, or why it has no unsightly color or unpleasant odor. On the other hand, if anything goes wrong with our water—well, then it’s hard to think about anything else.
In the context of growing demand for water, increasing frequency of droughts, and tightening compliance standards, it is crucial to rely on the right water company.
Houston-based AUC Group has been earning the trust of customers for over half a century.
Our reliable water and wastewater treatment systems stand the test of time. But our treatment systems are only part of what makes AUC the region’s go-to water company. We have also developed the most innovative and flexible financing options in the market and phased installation strategies that remove cash-flow bottlenecks and slash the total cost of your project.
Start by identifying your specific water treatment needs.
Whether you’re dealing with the unique challenges of an industry or are a community decision-maker, understanding your requirements is the first step in choosing a water treatment company.
Communities seeking solutions should emphasize long-term sustainability. This involves not only meeting immediate needs but also considering the future impact of chosen water treatment methods on the environment and the well-being of residents. Decentralized solutions, for instance, combine efficiency with sustainability by siting scaled plants right where they are needed.
For wastewater treatment, you also need scalable solutions. If you can’t easily expand a plant as neighborhoods grow, such expansion may be very expensive—even impossible, forcing you to completely replace a plant. Newer modular wastewater treatment plants like those that AUC provides can scale up cost-effectively. You just seamlessly add phases as you need them.
To achieve high sustainability, look to technologies that produce effluent of high enough quality for non-potable reuse. Such reuse can substantially increase the amount of water that is effectively available. For one thing, it means that precious drinking water is not expended on applications for which non-potable effluent suffices—things like landscape irrigation and topping up water features.
In industry, requirements for water depend on the application. Where will the water be used? In cooling towers, washing machines, food processing systems, HVAC systems?
You also have to think about influent parameters and discharge compliance. Some industries need to cope with large volumes of water. As in the case of commercial buildings and warehouses, which are bound to save money if it establishes a system to reuse water for non-potable applications.
Get help from experts who know all about the technological alternatives and the regulatory landscape you are confronting.
Consider the regulatory landscape governing your industry.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) enforces strict environmental regulations. You should review them carefully during the earliest stage of planning. Small missteps in the application process can lead to costly months-long delays. You want to work with a water company with expertise in helping engineers navigate the TCEQ’s approval process.
Technology can also affect the speed of approval. For example, AUC provides the membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology that TCEQ fast-tracks. It takes traditional projects an average of 12 to 18 months to gain approval; MBR plants are often approved in just five months.
Consider what technologies a water treatment vendor offers.
AUC provides a comprehensive range of water treatment solutions, including multimedia filtration, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis. Each technology serves specific needs, with multimedia filtration offering versatile particulate removal, ultrafiltration providing high-quality water by removing fine particles and pathogens, and reverse osmosis ensuring exceptional purity by removing dissolved solids. When selecting a technology, factors such as space constraints, regulatory requirements, and cost-effectiveness should be considered.
While wastewater treatment technologies like MBR excel in producing high-quality effluent with minimal space requirements, alternatives like conventional activated sludge may be more cost-efficient in certain situations. Vendors should possess a deep understanding of the advantages and limitations of each technology to guide clients in making informed decisions that best suit their needs. AUC, as a trusted water treatment provider, offers expertise across various technologies, from modular package plants to advanced membrane processes, ensuring clients receive tailored solutions that meet their specific water treatment requirements.
Look for flexible financing options.
The traditional agreements that most vendors offer require the full expenditure of capital upfront to fund the final completed capacity. But AUC’s flexible timeline-based leases and build-own-operate financing address this common problem, offering a flexible approach that often saves our customers millions.
A good example is a master-planned community in Harris County that needed a 600,000 GPD wastewater treatment plant. Until AUC came along, the lowest bid they received was $8 million. By providing a five-year timeline-based lease and installation in phases, AUC made it possible for this master-planned community to start small and add capacity as needed.
Thanks to this arrangement, the developer was able to divide its capital expenditure into manageable sums at comfortable intervals, gaining five years of breathing room and dramatically lowering the total cost of the project. The total cost of the project was now $2 million.
Bottom line: $6 million in savings.
AUC for Houston Water and Wastewater Treatment
Our distinctive approach — combining cutting-edge technology, innovative delivery, and a commitment to tailored solutions — sets us apart in the Houston-region water sector. Our financing options have saved many projects here. Instead of giving up on a difficult water treatment project, contact AUC to explore the many flexible options that can make it happen.
