The Wastewater Operations Branch (WWO) is responsible for the collection, conveyance, and treatment of municipal wastewater across the Houston area.

With a dedicated team of more than 600 employees, WWO operates and maintains:

• 38 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)
• Two wet weather facilities
• A vast collection system with 370+ lift stations
• More than 6,100 miles of wastewater pipelines, ranging from 2 to 144 inches in diameter  

Wastewater Collection System

To effectively manage and maintain Houston’s extensive wastewater collection system, WWO operates two integrated maintenance programs: 

• Customer Service Request Maintenance Program: Focuses on rapid response and resolution of customer-reported issues such as sewer backups, blockages, sinkholes, and odor complaints, ensuring public health and safety.
• Preventive Maintenance Program: Aims to proactively maintain and rehabilitate the collection system infrastructure to reduce failures, prevent sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), and extend the life of system assets. This program is a core component of the City’s Consent Decree compliance strategy.