Project will produce 15,000 acre-feet of groundwater for customers by 2023
SEGUIN, Texas –The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA), New Braunfels Utilities (NBU), City of Lockhart and Goforth Special Utility District (SUD) broke ground on the Carrizo Groundwater Supply Project November 20, 2020.
The Carrizo Groundwater Supply Project is a collaboration with Alliance Regional Water Authority with each entity producing 15,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater from the Carrizo Aquifer in Gonzales and Caldwell counties near Waelder, Texas. The total combined estimate for the project is approximately $400 million, and each entity will finance its share of the cost with low-interest Texas Water Development Board SWIFT loans.
“The joint infrastructure project provides substantial cost savings on water treatment, transmission line capacity and operations allowing GBRA’s customers to save over $50 million,” said GBRA Board Chair Dennis L. Patillo.
Of GBRA’s 15,000 acre-feet per year of water produced, NBU will receive 8,000 acre-feet per year.
“Friday’s groundbreaking signals the reality of the GBRA Mid-Basin Project, which was identified as a viable resource in New Braunfels Utilities’ (NBU) Water Resources Plan, conducted in 2018,” said NBU Chief Executive Officer Ian Taylor. “This project will serve as a vital water supply and will further diversify NBU’s portfolio, which will help to meet the needs of the New Braunfels community for decades to come.”
Goforth SUD will receive 4,000 acre-feet per year and the City of Lockhart will receive 3,000 acre-feet of water.
“With the development of the SH 130 toll road and our reputation for having reliable access to water, Lockhart has begun to experience a period of rising commercial and residential growth,” said Lockhart Mayor Lew White. “Servicing the needs of our current and future residential and commercial water customers is essential to what we do in Lockhart. We are pleased to be taking part in this project and look forward to having many more years of a trusty, healthy water supply.”
GBRA’s Carrizo Groundwater Supply Project will be online in 2023, and is the first phase of the Authority’s Mid-Basin Project to develop new groundwater and surface water supplies for the fast-growing areas between Austin and San Antonio.
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About
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority was established by the Texas Legislature in 1933 as a water conservation and reclamation district. GBRA provides stewardship for the water resources in its 10-county statutory district which begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco rivers, ends at San Antonio Bay, and includes Kendall, Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, Calhoun and Refugio counties.
Patty Gonzales
Communications Manager
(512) 569-2200 C
[email protected]