TWDB Approves More Than $1.9B In SWIFT Water Financial Assistance

GBRA provides stewardship for the water resources in its ten-county statutory district, which begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco Rivers…

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved financial assistance in the amount of $1.9 billion in low-interest and multi-year loans from the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) program for projects across the state.

The largest amount of $1.4 billion will fund a regional water supply project for the Houston area.

Those to receive funding include the Central Harris County Regional Water Authority, the city of Houston, the North Fort Bend Water Authority, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority and the West Harris County Regional Water Authority.

The TWDB also approved financial assistance from the SWIFT program for the areas: 

– The city of Spring Valley Village will receive $2.5 million for a groundwater project; 

– The Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, Inc. will receive $15,740,000 for a water supply project; 

– The North Texas Municipal Water District will receive $300 million for a water supply project; 

– The Upper Trinity Regional Water District will receive $42,070,000 for a water supply project; 

– The town of Westlake will receive $2.1 million for a water supply project; 

– The city of McAllen will receive $6.9 million for water rights acquisition; and

– The Guadalupe Blanco River Authority (GBRA) will receive $165,855,000 for a water supply project.

GBRA provides stewardship for the water resources in its ten-county statutory district, which begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco Rivers, ends at San Antonio Bay, and includes Kendall, Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, Calhoun and Refugio counties.

Planning and resource development efforts are carefully coordinated within the broader consideration of regional and statewide water needs in order to fulfill GBRA’s primary responsibilities of developing, conserving and protecting the water resources of the Guadalupe River Basin.

SWIFT was established by the Texas Legislature and voters in 2013 to fund projects in the state water plan. SWIFT was created through the transfer of a one-time, $2 billion appropriation from the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

The $2 billion will be leveraged with revenue bonds over the next 50 years to finance approximately $27 billion in water supply projects.

This story originally published on Strategic Partnerships, Inc.