Texas Water Development Board approves $14,600,000 to El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board acting on behalf of the City of El Paso (El Paso County) for a flood mitigation project

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

AUSTIN – (February 2, 2022) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $14,600,000, consisting of $9,490,000 in financing and $5,110,000 in grant funding from the Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF), to the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board acting on behalf of the City of El Paso (El Paso County). The financial assistance will allow the Public Service Board to finance the construction of a flood mitigation project.

In addition to the grant funding, the Public Service Board could save approximately $4,100,000 over the life of the loan by using the FIF program.

With the financial assistance approved today, the Public Service Board will construct a pair of detention basins to reduce flooding of major streets and increase safe traffic flow in northeast El Paso.

The approved project is 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.