Texas Water Development Board approves $9,880,197 to Willacy County for drainage improvement projects

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

AUSTIN – (May 6, 2021) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $9,880,197, consisting of $4,130,000 in financing and $5,750,197 in grant funding, to Willacy County. The County will use the assistance from the Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) for planning, acquisition, design, and construction of drainage improvement projects.

In addition to the grant funding, the County could save approximately $2,400,000 over the life of the loans by using the FIF program.

With the financial assistance approved today, the County will construct detention ponds, linear detention, a storm drain system, and drainage control gate structures; expand existing drainage ditches; upgrade stormwater conveyance and a stormwater lift station; and make other drainage improvements.

The approved projects are eligible for FIF funding under category 2 of the 2020 Flood Intended Use Plan. This category was designated for planning, acquisition, design, and construction activities to implement flood mitigation projects.

Passed by the 86th Texas Legislature and approved by voters through a constitutional amendment in 2019, FIF was created to provide funding for drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects.

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