Texas Proposition 4 would provide $20 billion for water infrastructure projects

BELL COUNTY, Texas (KWTX) - Today marks the start of early voting and this year in Texas there are a total of 17 state propositions voters will have to decide on.

One of those is Proposition 4, which if passed would provide $20 billion dollars for water projects over the next two decades.

Something Ricky Garrett, the Manager of the Water Control Improvement District #1, says is needed in Central Texas and across the state.

“We’re in desperate times really as a water supply industry,” Garrett explained, adding that they alone serve 300,000 people every day… and that’s just in Bell County.

“We bring water in from lake Belton and lake Stillhouse, we treat it to be potable, and then we send that off to our customers,” Garret shared.

That infrastructure is key to the quality of the water and its distribution, but like anything it has to be kept up with.

According to Garrett, “that’s just an ongoing cost that’s gotten more and more costly over the years”.

Resulting in aging water infrastructure throughout the state, something District 56 Texas House Representative Pat Curry says needs to be addressed.

“Counties throughout Texas are in serious need of water and especially in the future, you can’t grow without water,” Rep. Curry shared.

To try and address this issue two of the Bell County WCID’s water plants, built in the 50s and 60s, are undergoing major improvements.

“The concrete and steel is good, but all the components need to be replaced,” Garrett said, “it’s costing about $100 million for all the improvements that we’re doing”.

Which is being paid for by the rate payers of the customers they serve. “Our rate payers have already invested quite a bit in the upgrade of this plant and there’s additional need for water supply,” he explained.

But if passed, Rep.Curry says Proposition 4 would mean $1 billion set aside every year in the Texas Water Fund, to be used for water projects.

“Fix infrastructure that’s broken that has not been fixed, to bring in new water sources, and to move water throughout the state so that we can take care of the state of Texas,” Rep. Curry shared.

Helping ensure we can meet the demand for water as the state continues to grow, and all without increasing taxes.

“Proposition four allows the state of Texas to spend excess money, not new tax money, on the water infrastructure and water security for the future of Texas,” he explained.

Early voting goes until October 31st, which is next Friday, and election day is the following Tuesday on November 4th.

Copyright 2025 KWTX. All rights reserved.