Texarkana approves $2.5 million to combat elevated non-revenue water levels

Texarkana approves $2.5 million to combat elevated non-revenue water levelsTexarkana Water Utilities is targeting its high water loss—currently 36% above the state average—with a two-pronged approach featuring a new data analytics dashboard and a major 24-inch water looping project.

The City Council approved a $427,500 contract with Holistic Utility Solutions for Phase II of its NRW reduction program, focusing on data integration and pressure monitoring.

A $2.13 million contract was awarded to Kampco, Inc. for the Water Looping Phase II project to install 3,600 feet of 24-inch water line under a local railyard.

TWU Executive Director Gary Smith noted the utility's water loss is significantly above the Texas average, largely due to aging meters and excessive system flushing.

The new analytics dashboard will integrate SCADA, AMI, and hydraulic modeling data to optimize flushing and identify pressure drops in real time.

Texarkana Water Utilities (TWU) is escalating its efforts to rein in non-revenue water (NRW) after discovering its water loss rate is 36% higher than the Texas average. During the March 9, 2026, City Council meeting, officials unanimously approved two major contracts totaling more than $2.5 million to address the root causes of the utility's water loss: aging infrastructure and excessive system flushing. The council authorized a $427,500 contract with Grapevine-based Holistic Utility Solutions for Phase II of the city's NRW Reduction program. According to TWU Executive Director Gary Smith, Phase I of the initiative successfully identified unbilled and misbilled accounts, increasing annual revenue by $65,000. Phase II will deploy advanced analytics to monitor the system dynamically. "We're going to install pressure sensors throughout our system, water sampling stations throughout the system for residuals water quality, and we're going to meter all our flushers," Smith told the council. This field data will be integrated with the utility's SCADA system and newly installed advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) into a centralized dashboard. The dashboard will allow operators to identify pressure drops and areas of excessive flushing in real time. To physically address areas requiring high flushing volumes, the council also approved a $2.13 million contract with Arkansas-based Kampco, Inc. for the Water Looping Phase II project. The contractor will install approximately 3,600 feet of 24-inch water line connecting West Broad Street to South State Line, boring under the Texas Viaduct and a local railyard. Smith explained that the South State Line area currently requires high volumes of flushing during the spring, summer, and early fall to maintain water quality. The new looping project is designed to reduce water age, increase residuals under pressure, and significantly decrease the need for flushing, which will concurrently improve water pressure and quantity for southern Texarkana. Both projects will be funded through the utility's 2025-2026 Texas Capital Improvement Fund, with the city's portion of the Holistic Utility Solutions contract capped at $260,048.25. The AMI meter replacement project, which addresses the other major contributor to the city's NRW, is currently underway and expected to be completed this summer.