Texas Water Development Board approves $33,797,597 in financial assistance to the City of Wichita Falls (Wichita County) for an indirect potable reuse system

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AUSTIN - (October 21, 2014) - The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $33,797,597, consisting of a $33,545,000 loan and $252,597 in loan forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, to the City of Wichita Falls (Wichita County). The assistance will allow the City to finance planning, design, and construction costs associated with the development of an indirect potable reuse system.

The City of Wichita Falls could save approximately $6,888,994 over the life of the loan by using the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

The city has been in extreme drought conditions since 2011, and all outdoor irrigation, with the exception of once-a-week watering around home foundations, has been eliminated. The financial assistance approved by the TWDB will allow the city to develop a permanent indirect potable reuse system, which will extend the city's current supplies by treating effluent and blending it with water in Lake Arrowhead. The facility is permitted to treat a maximum of 16 million gallons per day. The development of an indirect potable reuse system will provide the City with a sustainable water source to address the on-going drought.

The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional planning, and preparing the state water plan for the development of the state's water resources. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.