The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is bolstering water and wastewater projects across the state with a financial assistance program totaling more than $122 million. The funds are designed to aid the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood mitigation and water conservation projects.
TWDB is the Texas state agency tasked with collecting and analyzing water-related data. It also assists—largely through these types of financial assistance programs—with flood planning and regional water concerns.
The latest round of assistance supports projects in multiple counties. The highest-funded counties are as follows:
- Limestone County ($29,420,000)
- Cameron County ($28,750,000)
- Stephens County ($11,771,569)
- Bexar County ($11,755,102)
- Nacogdoches County ($8,932,766)
- Cooke County ($8,670,000)
- Orange County ($7,250,000)
- Hidalgo County ($6,060,000)
- Wood County ($5,500,000)
- Starr County ($3,244,000)
Limestone County’s Bistone Municipal Water Supply District will receive $29.4 million for water system improvements, including replacing 7.2 miles of steel cylinder concrete pipe and constructing a new 500,000-gallon elevated storage tank.
In Stephens County, the utility district will receive $11.8 million to replace 26,000 feet of undersized water lines and install 1,500 automated water meters. The project also includes improvements to its water treatment plant equipment.
Cameron County’s East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation was awarded $28.8 million to expand its reverse osmosis treatment plant to 7.5 million gallons per day. The project adds two groundwater wells and new reverse osmosis equipment.
Lindsay officials secured $8.7 million to expand the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The project includes replacing three manholes and implementing an asset management plan.
San Antonio will receive $11.8 million to complete a comprehensive inventory of its water distribution system and identify lead and galvanized service lines. The funding for this comes specifically from the state’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program.
TWDB lists most of these projects as being in early stages or design phases. Primary funding comes from traditional financing with significant principal forgiveness, including $8.2 million for Stephens County and $6 million for San Antonio.
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