League City residents could get a major new water facility without paying a dime in new debt.
City Council, led by Mayor Nick Long, voted Tuesday, July 28, to apply for a $9 million grant from the Texas Water Development Board that would fully cover a new water well, 1-million-gallon ground storage tank, and booster pump station on the city's west side. The grant, if awarded, would replace what city documents say would otherwise come from local bonds and the capital replacement fund.
The application went to the TWDB's new House Bill 500 Water Supply and Infrastructure Grant Fund, a one-time, $1.038 billion program the 89th Texas Legislature created for communities statewide, according to the TWDB. The application deadline was Thursday, July 30, two days after the council vote.
The grant requires no local match.
What gets built
The project calls for new construction on a 16-acre lot on the city's west side, according to city documents cited by Community Impact. The scope includes:
- A 1-million-gallon ground storage tank
- A 1,500-gallons-per-minute water well
- A 3,200-square-foot control building
- High-capacity booster pumps, a standby generator, and chemical feed systems
Construction is slated to begin in 2027 and wrap up in early 2031. The TWDB requires all construction closeout documents by Feb. 28, 2031.
Why the city says it needs it
The project was first identified in League City's 2018 Master Water Plan. City documents show the population is expected to grow at roughly 2.5% annually over the next decade and more than double by the anticipated 2040 buildout year. The city also faces challenges from aging infrastructure, numerous small water wells and booster stations, and pipelines that still function as both transmission and distribution lines.
What's next
The TWDB has not yet awarded the grant. Commitments are expected to begin in fall 2026, with grant closings running from winter 2026 through spring 2027. League City's $9 million request falls well within the program's $21 million per-project cap for cities with service-area populations between 10,001 and 150,000.
As we reported July 28, the grant application was one of several major items on the council's agenda that evening. The city's broader proposed capital plan totals $807 million over five years.
