Granite Shoals seeks $750K state grant for water upgrades
The water tower at the Granite Shoals Blue Briar pump station is just one of the major water system upgrades the city has made in recent years. Further upgrades are needed to improve the city’s historically poor water infrastructure, and leaders are eyeing a $750,000 state grant to help make that happen. File photo
Granite Shoals has taken the first administrative step toward securing $750,000 in state grant money to improve its old and problem-plagued water infrastructure.
The City Council on Tuesday, Nov. 12, gave city administration the go-ahead to pursue a Texas Department of Agriculture Community Development Block Grant, which is awarded every two years to small, underfunded communities across the state. Granite Shoals was awarded one for $500,000 during the last funding cycle. That money was spent toward major upgrades to the raw water-intake system on Lake LBJ, one of several recent improvements to the city’s water infrastructure.
“If awarded, this grant would provide essential support for our community’s water infrastructure projects,”City Manager Sarah Novo told DailyTrib.com in an emailed response to questions.
The grant application and award process is lengthy, and the city might not see the $750,000 until late in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
If awarded, the money could go toward the following projects:
- installing a larger water tower on Valley View Lane
- refurbishing the city’s primary pump station on Blue Briar Drive
- extending a major wastewater line along RR 1431