Grand Prairie sets $131.5m water budget for FY2027

Grand Prairie sets $131.5m water budget for FY2027Grand Prairie has budgeted $131.5 million for water services in FY2026-27 as it supports a system carrying around 27.8 million gallons a day through 886 miles of water lines. The allocation was presented at the city’s District 6 town hall on 8 October.

The FY2027 operating budget totals $573.5 million and takes effect on 1 October 2026.

Water is the second-largest departmental budget item at $131.5 million, after the $144.4 million public-safety allocation.

City management said the water funding is intended to keep Grand Prairie’s water clean, safe and reliable.

A resident raised concerns about online water-quality figures for ZIP code 75054; no testing results or utility response were provided during the meeting.

Grand Prairie has allocated $131.5 million to its water department in the approved FY2026-27 budget, placing water services ahead of all city functions except public safety. The funding forms part of a $573.5 million balanced operating budget that began on 1 October 2026. In the budget presentation shown at the District 6 town hall, city manager Bill Hills said the allocation would support a system in which approximately 27.8 million gallons of water move through 886 miles of water lines each day. “It's a big job requiring a lot of employees, tools, and infrastructure,” Hills said in the presentation. “That's why the budget includes $131.5 million to make sure our city's water is clean, safe, and reliable.” The water allocation is narrowly below the city’s $144.4 million public-safety budget, which includes police and fire services. The budget is funded through property taxes, utility fees, service charges, grants and other revenues, although the presentation noted that some funding is legally restricted to particular projects or programmes. Water quality emerged as a resident concern in the question-and-answer session. A resident said a water-filtration company had directed him to online figures from EWG for ZIP code 75054 and described the numbers as “not good at all.” The meeting did not include a review of the cited figures, water-quality test data, treatment processes or planned water-capital works. The District 6 representative said he would speak with the staff responsible for water testing and provide a response after obtaining the relevant information. No separate water rate changes, contracts or project approvals were discussed at the town hall.