Council is set to vote on Resolution No. 2026-R40, which would authorize the city to apply for a Water Supply and Infrastructure Grant through the Texas Water Development Board — a one-time competitive pool of roughly $1.038 billion created under House Bill 500.
The grant would fund construction of a Granular Activated Carbon system at the city’s water treatment plant. The GAC system is intended to cut disinfection byproducts, address recurring taste and odor issues, and keep the city ahead of regulatory requirements. Staff identified it as the strongest candidate for the application because design work is largely finished, and shovel-ready projects carry more weight in the scoring process.
Freese and Nichols, the city’s engineering consultant, is preparing and submitting the application at no charge. Applying does not commit the city to any spending; if the grant is awarded, staff would bring the terms and any funding recommendations back to council before the city accepts anything.
The resolution designates the city manager as the authorized representative for all application and administration matters. Assistant Utilities Director Andrea Huston and Utilities Director Michael Brinkmann are listed as the staff contacts on the item.