Richardson proposes $22.9 million for water, wastewater upgrades

Richardson is putting more money into the pipes and stations nobody sees, hoping to avoid the kind of water and wastewater failures that can hit homes, businesses and fire protection all at once. City staff presented a $22.9 million package for fiscal year 2026-27 to Richardson City Council on June 1, with work aimed at pipeline replacements, tank and station upgrades and manhole rehabilitation at Spring Creek.

The plan leans on two funding sources. About $7 million would come from the city’s utility fund budget, while nearly $16 million would be covered through the city’s debt capital plan for larger projects. That split shows Richardson is paying for routine system upkeep now while borrowing for bigger infrastructure needs that will last longer than a single budget year.

Eric Robison, director of public services, said the city has seen a gradual reduction in average water use since 2013, when Richardson began investing heavily in infrastructure and preventive maintenance. He said current water use now tracks with regional trends, which he pointed to as evidence that ongoing maintenance is paying off. Robison also argued that preventive work is cheaper than waiting for a failure that would cost more to fix later.

That matters in a city with more than 550 miles of water mains, 13,000 water valves and 4,000 fire hydrants. Richardson’s sewer system is just as extensive, with about 525 miles of collection mains, more than 3,900 manholes and five lift stations that are remotely monitored through the city’s SCADA system. City crews also use closed-circuit television inspections of underground water, wastewater and storm sewer mains to spot repair and replacement needs before a break or backup turns into a larger problem.

The financial stakes are already significant. Richardson spent $37,803,379 on water in fiscal year 2024, up from $35,326,744 in fiscal year 2023. City operations used 277,509,000 gallons in fiscal year 2024, compared with 246,294,000 gallons the year before. The city’s utility records also show a historical peak take-or-pay volume of 11,019,311,000 gallons in fiscal year 2001, and a fiscal year 2025 take-or-pay amount of 10,496,968,000 gallons as the city shifts to a rolling five-year usage basis.

The broader pressure does not stop at Richardson’s borders. In June 2025, the North Texas Municipal Water District told the City Council it planned more than $1 billion in infrastructure investments in 2026, including $525 million for two pipelines from Lake Texoma to the Leonard and Wylie treatment plants that would add about 90 million gallons per day of capacity by 2030. That regional buildup is unfolding alongside Richardson’s own infrastructure push, after voters approved all five propositions in the city’s $223.4 million bond program in May 2026, the largest proposed bond in Richardson history.