Denton water-plant expansion carries $628 million estimate

Denton’s planned Ray Roberts Water Treatment Plant expansion carries a reported $628 million construction estimate. A quarterly project update presented to the Public Utilities Board on Oct. 19, 2026, described an expansion designed to add 20 million gallons per day of treatment capacity.

The board agenda listed the update as a report and discussion, not an approval or contract award. The estimate is not a final project cost or an awarded construction price.

Estimate and financing are different figures i

Dividing the $628 million estimate by the planned 20-million-gallon-per-day capacity addition gives about $31.4 million per million gallons per day. That is a scale comparison, not a price per unit of treatment capacity: the reported project includes low-pressure membrane treatment and related plant and pumping infrastructure.

The financing is separate. On May 7, 2024, Denton City Council authorized the City Manager to sign documents for a $195.845 million application to the Texas Water Development Board’s SWIFT program. On July 23, 2024, TWDB approved a separate $195.845 million multi-year financing commitment for the water-supply project, including planning, acquisition, design and construction. The TWDB resolution describes utility-system revenue as security for repayment and makes the commitment subject to conditions. The commitment is not established as covering the full construction estimate.

TWDB’s 2024 financial review for the funding request listed current and projected water rates of $55.44 at average residential use of 8,365 gallons per month. These are historical review figures, not a guarantee of future bills or the current 2026 rate.

Design and construction dates remain projected i

The project was reported to be in preconstruction, with 60% design plans targeted for January 2027. Construction was projected to start in the second quarter of 2027 and finish in the second quarter of 2032. Those are planned milestones, not confirmed dates.