The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved $880.76 million in state financing support for the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) to proceed with a significant expansion of its regional water system. The funds, provided through the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) program, will pay for critical system improvements planned to provide long-term water supply for one of the fastest-growing regions of the state.
The funding given for funded aid is $239 million for upgrade of water system and $641.7 million for constructing a larger water system project. NTMWD will save more than $51.5 million in borrowed money costs over the loan terms with the utilization of SWIFT.
Pump Station and Pipelines to Increase Capacity
The funds will be employed to construct a second high service pump station at the Leonard Water Treatment Plant, which will allow the district to deliver as much as 175 million gallons of treated water per day. The capacity is needed to meet increasing demands of homes and businesses across NTMWD’s nine-county service area, which includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, and Rockwall counties.
In addition, the project entails the construction of two big pipelines for conveying raw water from Lake Texoma:
One pipeline will have a length of 27 miles
The other will have a length of 9 miles
Both will be constructed using 84-inch pipe to ensure high-volume capacity since water is being piped to treatment and distribution plants.
Construction on an Ongoing Multi-Phase Program
It is the result of NTMWD’s long-term effort since decades to expand the water supply facilities by way of the Bois d’Arc Lake initiative.
The planning began in 2017 when TWDB awarded the district $713 million to build Bois d’Arc Lake, a new surface water supply that will be used to meet expanding regional demands. NTMWD that same year received $404 million to begin construction on the Leonard Water Treatment Plant, its initial pump station, and treated water pipeline.
In 2023, the district was funded another $532 million by TWDB for Phase 2 of the project, including a raw water pump station, expanded treatment capacity, and storage facilities at the Leonard plant.
The additional funds now enable NTMWD to complete Phase 3, adding more system capacity and reliability for the ensuing few decades.
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Phase 3 Timeline
NTMWD has a multi-year construction plan set in place:
Engineering feasibility complete: March 19, 2018
Design closing: October 1, 2025
Financial close: November 1, 2025
Construction commencement: November 20, 2025
Projected completion of the project: February 28, 2030
Texas Water Development Board continues to be a leader in financing vital water infrastructure across the state. Programs, such as SWIFT, and its related funding, SWIRFT, help deliver cost-saving solutions in supporting utilities like NTMWD to provide for growth while delivering long-term reliability in water supply.
Rapid Regional Growth Driving Urgent Infrastructure Needs
The service area of the North Texas Municipal Water District is experiencing some of the fastest population growth in the country. While the District projected in 2017 that it would grow from 1.75 million in 2020 to 3.7 million in 2070, current trends show the expansion is hurtling forward even faster than anticipated. And the TWDB funding for NTMWD Phase 3 is direct response to this.
From 2020 to 2024, the District’s counties of service—most notably Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall—have seen hundreds of thousands of new residents. Collin County alone saw over 145,000 additions to their population, sending them up to about 1.2 million. Denton County hit over 1 million, and Kaufman and Rockwall counties each saw over 25% growth over four years.
This rapid expansion is not only occurring in counties—cities like Princeton, Celina, Frisco, and McKinney are some of the nation’s fastest-growing communities. Princeton’s population grew by nearly 33% in just one year, and Celina grew more than three times bigger since 2020.
These drastic shifts are placing unprecedented pressure on NTMWD’s existing water system. Phase 3 expansion of the Bois d’Arc Lake project, with which it is financeable through the recent $880 million SWIFT approval, will accommodate this increase by enormously increasing treatment capacity and delivering water more efficiently across the region.
TWDB SWIFT funding for NTMWD Phase 3: Project Factsheet
Funding
Total SWIFT Funding: $880.76 million
System Upgrades: $239 million
New Construction: $641.7 million
Estimated Savings: $51.5 million in borrowing costs
Funding Source: State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT)
Key Infrastructure Components
Leonard Water Treatment Plant Expansion
Second high service pump station
Capacity increase to 175 million gallons per day
Raw Water Pipeline System
27-mile pipeline from Lake Texoma
9-mile pipeline from Lake Texoma
Both pipelines: 84-inch diameter for high-volume capacity
Population Projections:
2020: 1.75 million residents
2070: 3.7 million residents (projected)
Current growth exceeding original projections
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