The funding will support an expansion of the Sunfield Water Reclamation Facility, located at 1431 Satterwhite Road in Buda. The facility serves communities east of Buda, according to a news release.
Established in 1933, GBRA is tasked with developing and conserving water resources across 10 counties along the Guadalupe River Basin—from Kendall County northwest of San Antonio to Refugio County on the Gulf Coast. The authority includes Hays and Comal counties, and as of 2022, GBRA served a population of 890,455.
The overview
The TWDB is the state agency responsible for regional and state water and flood planning, collecting water-related data, and administering financial assistance for water supply, wastewater treatment, flood mitigation and agricultural conservation projects.
The expansion aims to increase capacity from 2 million gallons per day to 4 million gallons per day to meet future water demand.
“The expansion of the GBRA plant in Sunfield will create capacity to serve not only Sunfield but also north-east Hays County," Buda City Manager Micah Grau said in an email to Community Impact. "Buda has an agreement with the GBRA to serve portions of the eastern edge of Buda as it develops, and this expansion will help meet the growing demand for wastewater service and reduce the use of septic systems. GBRA is a responsible operator, and the City of Buda is confident it will take all measures to treat wastewater to the highest standards.”
According to the project funding request, planned improvements include new systems for pumping, biological treatment, aeration, filtration, disinfection, sludge handling, and overall site and electrical upgrades.
The expansion is expected to serve an estimated population of 11,200 across 4,514 residential wastewater connections. By using the CWSRF, GBRA is expected to save about $669,000 over the life of the loan, according to the release.
The Sunfield Water Reclamation Facility, also called the Sunfield Wastewater Treatment Plant, was bought by GBRA in 2021, according to GBRA's Instagram. The system serves the Sunfield subdivision, according to the GBRA website.
Why it matters
Water concerns are mounting in Central Texas, as the TWDB’s 2026 draft regional water plan shows several counties—like Comal and Hays—may not have enough current supply to meet projected demand.
In Comal County, demand is expected to rise from 30.7% from 2030 to 2040, according to the TWDB’s 2026 draft regional water plan. Over the same period, existing water supplies are projected to decrease by 0.27%—creating a shortfall of more than 13,000 acre-feet by 2040.
The primary driver of this water demand increase is municipal water use. According to the draft plan, municipal demand in Comal County was just under 50,000 acre-feet in 2030 and is projected to rise to between 150,000 and 200,000 acre-feet annually by 2080.
The insufficiency is largely driven by increases in municipal and manufacturing water use. Municipal demand alone is expected to grow from just over 50,000 acre-feet in 2030 to more than 200,000 acre-feet per year by 2080.
The move to expand the Sunfield Water Reclamation Facility is one of many steps that GBRA will have to take in the future to expand water supplies.
Looking ahead
The project funding request also says the project schedule is as follows:
- Closing: Sept. 1
- Engineering feasibility report completion: Dec. 31
- Design phase completion: June 26, 2026
- Start of construction: Aug. 30, 2026
- Construction completion: March 31, 2029
