Texas Water Development Board Offers Loan For City Water Improvements

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved a $3.2 million loan offer from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund March 26 to finance construction for improvements within San Marcos.

City officials are considering the offer but have not yet accepted it, said Nancy Hyde, administrative assistant in the capital improvements project department.

Hyde said city officials are researching all possible funding resources for improvements before making a decision about whether or not to accept the loan.

The task schedule for the improvements would call for construction to begin on May 31 and be completed by April 30, 2018, as shown in the city’s application for the loan.

The proposed funds would go toward waterline replacement in subdivisions with “aging” infrastructure, according to the application.

The borrowed money would fund the installation of additional fire hydrants throughout the city and cover construction costs for improvements in the Victory Gardens and Oakridge subdivisions. According to the application, the improvements in the subdivisions would increase water conservation levels.

Funding would go toward the Old Ranch Road 12 Bike and Pedestrian/Widening Utility Improvements Project occurring between Craddock Avenue and West Holland Street.

The loan resolution would provide funding for the replacement of water lines within the infrastructure of North LBJ Drive due to high breakage rates within that area.

According to TWDB officials, the city could save approximately $371,000 over the life of the loan by using the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

“(The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund) is an annual funding program that came about in 1997 after the safe drinking water act, so its primary goals are to help in compliance issues related to water,” said Clay Schultz, TWDB revolving fund specialist. “With that goal, I think it’s a good one.”