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Granbury wins $57.8 million Water Development Board grant for new treatment plant
Summary
Granbury City Council and staff announced a $57.8 million award from the Texas Water Development Board to help fund a new $100 million water treatment plant serving the city.
Granbury city officials announced on Oct. 7 that the Texas Water Development Board has awarded the city $57,800,000 for water and sewer infrastructure, including a new water treatment plant.
City Manager Chris (City Manager) presented the award during the council meeting and called it “the largest grant receipt that I’ve ever received in my professional career.” He said the grant covers roughly 57.8% of a project the city estimates at $100 million to build a new water treatment plant behind the police department that will desalinate water for the municipal system.
Why it matters: The city adopted a 10-year capital improvement plan for water and sewer infrastructure about two years ago; officials said the plan carried a $250 million price tag and that this grant markedly reduces the city’s share for a major plant component. City staff and the consultant team at EHT Engineering and associated partners led the pre-application work that qualified Granbury for the award.
Details and next steps: Chris said staff and consultants prepared an in-depth pre-application and were then invited by the Water Development Board to submit a full application; because Granbury was the only government entity in the state to apply for this particular funding round, the city received the full amount, he said. Council and staff said the city will rely on EHT and its finance team to maintain compliance with Water Development Board requirements as funds are spent.
Council members asked staff to place the project and funding details into upcoming budget and capital planning work. City staff gave an initial order-of-magnitude comparison to the city’s annual budget: the city’s $68 million annual budget means the grant equals about $5,000 per resident by the city manager’s calculation.
Quotes: “This is truly a generational once in a lifetime grant opportunity,” City Manager Chris said during the presentation.
Ending: Staff said the Water Development Board’s procedural and compliance requirements will guide future reporting and that the city will return to council with project contracts, design and construction steps and budget amendments as needed.
