Texas Water Development Board approves $120,830,000 to the City of Austin (Travis, Williamson and Hays counties) for water and wastewater system improvements

For immediate release. Contact: Media Relations at 512-463-5129

AUSTIN – (October 3, 2019) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $120,830,000, consisting of a $53,000,000 loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and a $67,830,000 loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), to the City of Austin (Travis, Williamson and Hays counties). The City will use the assistance to finance wastewater and water system improvements.

By using the DWSRF and CWSRF programs, the City could save approximately $3.8 million over the life of the 2020 portion of the loan commitments. Additional savings will occur when the City closes on the other portions of the loans.

With the $53,000,000 from the CWSRF, the City will finance construction costs associated with rehabilitation and upgrades to the Walnut Creek and South Austin Regional wastewater treatment facilities. The upgrades aim to improve system efficiency and reliability, as well as reduce maintenance costs.

The $67,830,000 provided by the DWSRF will finance construction costs associated with water system improvements to the North Austin Reservoir and Ullrich Pump Station. The City will construct a replacement water facility that includes a ground storage tank and pump station, construct a new electrical building, and make other upgrades to comply with current industry standards.

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.