By Kathleen Jackson
Board Member, Texas Water Development Board
Earlier this year, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved over $9 million in financial assistance for agricultural and rural projects from the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT). The TWDB anticipates the sponsoring entities of these projects will save more than $1 million through SWIFT’s cost-effective financing.
Now, we’re ready to provide additional financial assistance for SWIFT. On Dec. 1, 2015, the application period for the 2016 funding cycle of SWIFT will open. Entities will have until Feb. 5, 2016, to submit the preliminary, two-page application.
Projects listed in the approved 2016 Regional Water Plans and the subsequent 2017 State Water Plan will be eligible for SWIFT financial assistance.
In addition to the agricultural and rural projects funded in our first round of SWIFT, we approved a broad range of projects across Texas to help meet Texas’ diverse water needs, including transmission lines, wells, land acquisition, seawater desalination, brackish groundwater desalination and reservoirs.
As a Board member of the TWDB, I travel across the state to talk with communities and water providers about the financing options and technical support we can provide. I have seen first-hand the need for water projects tailored to the unique requirements of each community. As we prepare to open this next funding cycle for SWIFT, the TWDB encourages agricultural groups and rural communities to address their water needs and take advantage of the many financial options offered through SWIFT.
Our hope is that every community, particularly rural Texas, will benefit from the state’s unprecedented water development efforts. Your communities are vital to this state, and the TWDB is committed to prioritizing the needs of agricultural and rural water projects. Investing in our state’s water infrastructure over the next 50 years will help Texas agriculture continue to contribute billions of dollars into our economy and provide a bright future for Texans for years to come.
To apply for funding from SWIFT or the TWDB’s other financial assistance programs, please visit the TWDB’s financial assistance page at www.twdb.texas.gov/financial/index.asp or contact the TWDB at (512) 463-0991 or Financial_Assistance@twdb.texas.gov.
Kathleen Jackson has served as a board member for the Texas Water Development Board since March 2014. She is a registered professional engineer with a diverse background representing agricultural, environmental, industrial, and wholesale-supply interests. A native of Beaumont, Jackson has three children, sixth generation Texans, who all reside and work in Texas.