County Eyes State Water Grants for Supply Projects

Young County officials are exploring newly available state grant and loan programs that could help fund major water supply projects, Judge Win Graham and Graham City Manager Eric Garretty told commissioners during their July 28 meeting.

Judge Graham said the Texas Legislature recently approved a major water bill that sets aside billions of dollars for water infrastructure across the state.

“There’s going to be grant opportunities and low-interest loan opportunities for water projects going forward,” he said.

Mr. Garretty, who recently attended a conference with representatives from the Texas Water Development Board, said the funding pool includes $2 billion in grants available in the current fiscal year, which began in July, and another $1 billion slated for the next twoyear budget cycle.

“These grants are focused primarily on water supply issues,” he said. “As everyone here knows, we’ve been thinking about how to get water up from Possum Kingdom Lake, which I think would be a good fit for that.”

He said state officials hope to continue funding the program beyond this budget cycle, creating long-term opportunities for counties and cities to address water supply challenges.

“We’re hoping there is additional grant money available, particularly to help with water supply,” Garretty said.

County officials indicated they will review the new funding opportunities and consider applying for grants to support regional water projects.