Williamson County to create county-wide water group study

Possible water study in WilCo

Williamson County Commissioners took steps to make sure there's enough water to meet a growing population.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - Williamson County Commissioners took steps to make sure there's enough water to meet a growing population.

They have authorized spending $500,000 to look into ways to unify all the water providers in the county.

The backstory:

Lake Georgetown is one of the primary water sources in Williamson County, but all the water there is not enough to provide for the future growth in Williamson County. 

On Tuesday, county officials announced they will hire a consultant to create a study plan for a comprehensive county-wide water group.

"The county is not a water provider, and we’re officially not in the water business, but I think we can provide leadership in that conversation as we bring our cities and our water providers together to create a better future for Williamson County," said County Judge Steve Snell.

The $500,000 plan would help unify all the city and water districts in Williamson County.

"So it’s time to explore options for a solution. And it will be multifaceted solutions and every option will need to be on the table," said Judge Snell.

All the water providers in this new county group will remain independent. The Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority is an example of how a team up between different providers can work. It’s a partnership with Cedar Park, Leander, and Round Rock.

"All the cities in Williamson County are really excited about this big first step today for better coordination for better combined planning because, ultimately, it’s a regional problem and regional solutions are necessary," said Cedar Park Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin.

The water group could also function the way transportation projects are done in Williamson County. 

"I believe a regional approach is the best approach and if we can partner together on infrastructure, whether it be roads as we have done with cities and communities and as well now water infrastructure, it makes sense," said Commissioner Valorie Covey.

The water group will manage several different hotspots. From the economic boom currently underway in Cedar Park and Leander on the west side of the county, to the promised growth on the east side around Taylor.

"But we need to see exactly where we are, because if we don’t know where we are, it’s hard to know where we are going to," said Commissioner Russ Boles.

What's next:

The first step in the study will be assessing needs. That would be followed by solutions.

"Step three will be the funding for those solutions, whether it’s a joint effort, whether it’s a private public partnership, whether it’s a public or it’s all private, but we would like to do is to see in a regional water solution to share the cost of that to save taxpayers money across the county," said Judge Snell.

The county would like to hire a consultant for the study by next spring. The goal is to have the study completed sometime in 2027.