CRMWA II: the next big water project on Amarillo's horizon

The next big water project on Amarillo's horizon: a second pipeline called CRMWA II.

The Canadian River Municipal Water Authority supplies Amarillo and 10 other cities from Lake Meredith and its Roberts County well field. CRMWA II would be a second pipeline, about 70 miles of 72-inch pipe, carrying Roberts County groundwater to the existing aqueduct and member cities, including Amarillo.

• The cost: the 2026 regional water plan puts it at $767.8 million in 2023 prices. CRMWA's general manager told the City Council in June it's about $1.2 billion, about $450 million of it Amarillo's. No published table splits the cost among the cities.
• Your bill: the City's rate consultant projected Amarillo's yearly payment to CRMWA rising from about $14.25 million in FY2026 to about $39.5 million in FY2036, from 24% to 40% of the water budget. The City's FY2026/27 budget raises its CRMWA payment by $4,965,794; the budget book doesn't say why. No per-household figure has been published.
• Where it stands: the council approved a non-binding memorandum 4-0 on June 23. Under it, CRMWA borrows to build in 2034 and the pipeline runs by the end of 2038. Every member city's council, including Amarillo's, has to approve that debt.

This series covers why the estimates differ, why CRMWA says it needs the water, and whether any of it is for Fermi.

Every figure, with the sources that disagree shown side by side: amarilloledger.com/amarillo/crmwa-ii