Millions of North Texas residents served by three major water providers have seen $852 million in savings through state funding programs over past ten years

Fort Worth, Lewisville and Wylie, Texas -- Ahead of the upcoming Texas constitutional amendment election on Nov. 4, North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) and Upper Trinity Regional Water District (UTRWD) are sharing information about Texas Proposition 4, which funds programs to meet the future water needs for Texans.

Proposition 4 would dedicate an additional $1 billion per year of the state’s sales tax revenues to water funding for each of the next 20 years and would not raise taxes on Texans.

In November 2013, Texas voters approved the creation of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT), which was created to fund water projects that provide additional water supplies for Texans during drought. More than $17.2 billion of funding has been committed to SWIFT projects since 2015, according to the Texas Water Development Board, the administrator of the program.

NTMWD, TRWD and UTRWD have borrowed from both TWDB’s SWIFT program and State Revolving Funds (SRF) to finance large infrastructure projects in recent years. The three water districts have saved an estimated $852 million in interest expenses through these low-cost financing programs since 2015.

These savings are ultimately passed on to local residents, who fund the costs for infrastructure projects through their utility bills. Collectively, NTMWD, TRWD and UTRWD provide wholesale water services for cities and utilities serving about 5.25 million residents and 170 communities across the region.

Some recent projects that have received state financing include:

• Bois d’Arc Lake: Completed in 2023, the reservoir now provides about 20 percent of the water supply for 2.3 million residents served by NTMWD. The project cost about $1.6 billion, and low-cost financing from TWDB’s State Water Implementation for Texas fund saved local residents over $230 million in financing costs.
• Integrated Pipeline: The Integrated Pipeline project allows TRWD to pump an additional 200 million gallons daily to Tarrant County and other providers in its 11-county service area, significantly enhancing water supply capacity for the region. Through low-cost state financing across multiple bond issues since 2015, the project saved local ratepayers approximately $99 million in financing costs through TWDB's State Water Implementation for Texas fund and State Revolving Funds.
• Lake Ralph Hall: Lake Ralph Hall is a new water supply reservoir under construction in southeast Fannin County near the City of Ladonia, TX. Once completed, Lake Ralph Hall will be able to provide up to 54 million gallons of water a day (including reuse) to residents served by UTRWD as well as to southeast Fannin County. Water delivery is scheduled for late 2026. UTRWD utilized various TWDB financing programs for the project, saving millions in financing costs.

NTMWD and UTRWD also provide wholesale wastewater services, and the Districts have also previously leveraged state funding for wastewater infrastructure projects.

Statements on State Water Funding Programs from Water Providers

Jenna Covington, Executive Director and General Manager, NTMWD:

“Leveraging state funding has been a critical piece of NTMWD’s financing strategy for large water and wastewater infrastructure projects in recent years. As we undertake large infrastructure projects to meet the growth in our region, we’re mindful that our region’s residents ultimately bear the costs of those projects through their utility bills. State funding programs have saved utility ratepayers in NTMWD’s service area nearly $600 million since 2015.”

Dan Buhman, General Manager, Tarrant Regional Water District:

“TRWD works every day to make sure the tap never runs dry and the water supply is affordable. Meeting the needs of our growing region will require billions of dollars in new water supply infrastructure. We rely on state funding to help our ratepayers afford these investments in our water security.”

Larry Patterson, Executive Director, Upper Trinity Regional Water District:

“New and expanded water supply infrastructure is necessary to meet the increasing need for safe, clean drinking water for the region’s growing communities. UTRWD’s construction projects include treatment plants, pump stations, pipelines, and the new Lake Ralph Hall, all of which are made possible in part through state funding that keeps costs affordable for local residents. Prop 4 does not create a new tax for Texans but dedicates an existing state revenue to the Texas Water Fund.”

About NTMWD

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) was created in 1951 as a special district of the state. Today, NTMWD is a regional wholesale provider of water, wastewater, and solid waste disposal services with a service territory covering 2,200 square miles. NTMWD serves more than 2.3 million people with drinking water, 1.6 million with wastewater collection and treatment, and 980,000 with waste management services.

About TRWD

For over 100 years, the Tarrant Regional Water District has delivered quality raw water, flood protection, and recreation to our communities. Led by a publicly elected five-member board, TRWD owns and operates four lakes—Bridgeport, Eagle Mountain, Cedar Creek, and Richland-Chambers—ensuring a safe, clean water supply for more than 2.5 million people across 11 North Texas counties. The District has built over 250 miles of water pipelines, 27 miles of floodway levees, 70+ miles of Trinity River Trails, and a 2,022-acre wetlands facility, with plans for a new 3,050-acre wetland facility, to secure the region's water future.

About UTRWD

Upper Trinity is a regional water district created by the Texas Legislature in 1989 for the benefit of cities and utilities in the Denton County area. Currently serving approximately 450,000 people, UTRWD’s mandate is to develop regional plans for water services, and to provide both water and wastewater services on a wholesale basis to cities and utilities within its service area, including all of Denton County and portions of Dallas and Collin Counties. Upper Trinity is a leader in public education regarding water conservation and water quality protection, and regularly conducts programs concerning drought tolerant landscape techniques, landscape practices and more efficient water use.