Texarkana pursues $21m state grant for water main replacements and AMI rollout

Texarkana pursues $21m state grant for water main replacements and AMI rolloutThe Texas utility has authorized an application to the TWDB's Water Supply Infrastructure Grant Program to upgrade undersized galvanized lines and cover recent smart metering expenses.

The Texarkana City Council authorized a $21 million grant application to the Texas Water Development Board on July 13.

The 100% grant funding would finance the replacement of aging two-inch galvanized water mains with new six-inch and eight-inch lines.

Funds would also reimburse costs incurred since June 22, 2025, for the installation of the utility's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system.

The council approved a contract with Holistic Utility Solutions to manage the application and administration process.

Texarkana Water Utilities (TWU) is seeking up to $21 million in state grant funding to overhaul aging components of its water distribution system and subsidize its transition to smart metering. During a July 13 meeting, the Texarkana City Council authorized the city manager to file an application with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) under its Water Supply Infrastructure Grant Program. According to city documents, the program provides 100% grant funding for awarded projects. The targeted $21 million would be allocated toward the replacement of aging two-inch galvanized water mains, upgrading them to new six-inch and eight-inch lines to improve distribution reliability. Additionally, the utility plans to use a portion of the grant to reimburse costs incurred since June 22, 2025, for the installation of its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system. According to the city's updated water conservation plan, the AMI deployment began in 2024 and is expected to be completed by August 2026. To support the funding pursuit, the council concurrently approved a professional services contract with Holistic Utility Solutions of Grapevine, Texas. The firm will provide grant application and management services divided into three phases. The city will pay Holistic Utility Solutions an amount not to exceed $30,000 for the project identification and grant submission phases, funded through TWU's FY 2025-2026 Texas Capital Improvement Fund. If the grant is successfully awarded, the firm will receive 2.5% of the awarded funds to cover Phase III grant administration services, which will be paid directly from the grant proceeds.