TWDB approves $120 million for Fort Worth and Round Rock wastewater expansions

TWDB approves $120 million for Fort Worth and Round Rock wastewater expansionsThe Texas Water Development Board has authorized major Clean Water State Revolving Fund packages to build a new membrane bioreactor facility in Fort Worth and expand Round Rock's regional treatment plant.

Fort Worth secured $60 million to construct a new 10 MGD water reclamation facility to alleviate overloaded infrastructure causing sanitary sewer overflows.

Round Rock received $60 million to expand its Brushy Creek East Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant from 30 to 40 MGD after nearing state regulatory capacity thresholds.

Both projects emphasize water reuse, with Fort Worth planning to reuse effluent and biosolids for irrigation, and Round Rock supporting its existing reclaimed water program.

The board also approved $4.29 million in principal forgiveness for the East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation to address PFAS and lithium contamination.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved $120 million in Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) financing on June 25 to support major wastewater infrastructure expansions in Fort Worth and Round Rock. Both municipal projects are driven by capacity constraints and feature strong water reuse components. The City of Fort Worth was approved for $60 million to construct a new 10-million-gallon-per-day (MGD) water reclamation facility on the city's west side. According to TWDB staff, Fort Worth's existing wastewater infrastructure in the area is currently overloaded, which has resulted in sanitary sewer overflows. The new facility is projected to utilize a membrane bioreactor treatment process. City plans include the reuse of both the treated effluent and biosolids to meet local irrigation needs. In a parallel move, the board approved $60 million in CWSRF financing for the City of Round Rock to expand its Brushy Creek East Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. The facility will increase its capacity from 30 MGD to 40 MGD. The expansion was triggered by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules, which require utilities to initiate planning when a plant reaches 75% of its permitted flow—a threshold the Brushy Creek facility is expected to exceed this year. The Round Rock expansion is designed to improve operational reliability and support the city’s existing reclaimed water program. During the meeting, the board noted that the CWSRF financing structure will generate approximately $17 million in cost savings for the city. In addition to the capacity expansions, the TWDB also utilized the CWSRF to target emerging contaminants. The board approved $4.29 million in principal forgiveness funding for the East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation to address elevated levels of PFAS and lithium at its Simpson Water Treatment Plant. The utility will upgrade its sludge basins and replace a gravity sludge thickener to prevent the contaminants from leaching into surface and groundwater supplies.