Conroe is moving forward with a deal that could bring 22 water wells, three wastewater plants and more than 200 miles of water lines into the city’s utility system.
Conroe City Council voted unanimously Sept. 24 to move forward with buying water and wastewater systems from subsidiaries of Mid-South Electric Cooperative Association, a deal city officials said could help serve growth west of town.
The details
The resolution authorizes the city to sign purchase agreements and prepare to issue water and sewer system revenue bonds to pay for the systems. The purchase has not closed, and council will vote on the bond sale separately.
City Administrator David Willard said the systems include 22 water wells, eight wholesale contracts, more than 8,000 customers, 212 miles of water lines and three wastewater plants.
He said it would give Conroe access to an additional 2 million gallons of surface water per day and help the city serve future growth along the Hwy. 105 corridor.
“The opportunity to purchase a water [and] wastewater system of this quality and proportion does not come along very often,” Willard said.
Willard said the deal took years to reach this point.
“There have been many ups and downs in these negotiations,” he said, including a point when further talks were terminated.
Some context
Conroe has been working to increase its water capacity since a shortage led the city to halt new development in its northern area in August 2024. At an April 2025 workshop, city officials said daily water production had risen from 15.4 million gallons a year earlier to 17 million gallons.
Mayor Duke Coon said at the time that the city immediately needed six more wells. He estimated each would cost $12 million to $15 million, as previously reported.
What’s next
The agreements are subject to approvals from the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as well as the issuance of the bonds. Bond counsel said applications would go to the utility commission after the vote and the financing would return to council for approval.
Before adjournment, Mayor Duke Coon thanked the staff and council members who worked on the deal.
“It’s a historic day for our city today, and a huge step forward for the development of our water system and infrastructure,” Coon said.
