This afternoon, Austin City Council members received a report commissioned to investigate the cost of halting construction on the Water Treatment Plant 4 project.
The report estimates the cost of delaying the project for five years to be $138 million. The cost rises to $206 million for a ten year delay.
At least one voice has already expressed doubts that the report will make an impact on council's debate over the usefulness of the project.
"Let the debating continue. No one will agree on #'s," Council Member Mike Martinez tweeted at a little after 2:00 PM.
In fact, the City's Auditor has already been asked to review the report to give its opinion of the numbers.
Even if everyone agrees that the estimate is accurate, some council members have different ideas of how much money should be sacrificed to "mothball" the plant. Other members, like Martinez, are strongly in favor of continuing the project as planned.
