CRMWA II: the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority's proposed second groundwater pipeline (2012-2038)

CRMWA states that before 2001 all of the water it delivered to member cities came from Lake Meredith, and that the John C. Williams Wellfield and Aqueduct began delivering groundwater in 2001. Its history page says the well field was placed in operation in December 2001, providing about 35% of the total water demand of the member cities.^[2][1]

Sources differ on the year CRMWA expanded the John C. Williams Wellfield to fill its groundwater aqueduct.

CRMWA states that the 65 million gallons per day capacity of its groundwater aqueduct is the limiting factor in how much groundwater it can deliver to member cities. In September 2025 the general manager described the system as 47 wells and 48 miles of 54-inch pipe able to bring 65 MGD of groundwater to the member cities.^[2][3]

The MOU's background section states: "In 2012, CRMWA began discussing the concept of CRMWA II with the Board of Directors and Member Cities." It describes CRMWA II as a proposed second pipeline to transport groundwater from Roberts County to the member cities.^[2]

CRMWA states that in 2012 and 2013 all of the water it delivered came from groundwater because drought affected the quantity and quality of Lake Meredith water; its history page says 2012 was the first year since deliveries began in 1968 that no water was produced from the lake.^[2][1]

CRMWA states that in 2013 it used unspent bond funds to hire an engineering firm to perform a route study and then to acquire easements for the construction of CRMWA II. The sources reviewed do not name the firm, the bond series or the amounts.^[2]

CRMWA states that in 2014 Lake Meredith began to recover, with water levels generally rising through 2020, and that "with the rising water levels and improving water quality, the immediate need to bring CRMWA II online subsided."^[2]

CRMWA's history page states that in 2015 its main pipeline (72-inch to 96-inch internal diameter) had two leaks within 30 days, and that a 2016 internal electromagnetic survey of 55 miles of pipe found segments needing reinforcement or replacement; CRMWA then bypassed three areas and placed external clamps on another 69 joints.^[1]

The MOU states CRMWA II would provide redundancy for 25 miles of 1968 pipeline that delivers 100% of CRMWA water to all member cities except Borger and Pampa, 48 miles of 2001 pipeline that delivers all of CRMWA's groundwater, and 23 miles of 1968 pipeline serving Pampa. It cites signs of deterioration in the original pressure section of the aqueduct between Lake Meredith and Amarillo as one reason CRMWA II remains needed.^[2]

The TWDB summary of the 2016 Panhandle (A) Regional Water Plan lists "Expand Capacity CRMWA II" at 24,000 acre-feet per year in 2070, serving a population of 388,000 across 3 water user groups. The 2016 Llano Estacado (O) summary lists the same strategy at 24,000 acre-feet per year, serving 478,000 across 8 water user groups.^[4][5]

The 2016 Panhandle (A) summary's largest capital-cost projects include "Expansion of Roberts County Well Field (Ogallala Aquifer) in 2024 - CRMWA2" at $250,299,000 (online decade 2030), sponsored by CRMWA. The summary does not state whether that project is the CRMWA II pipeline.^[4]

In the Region A prioritization for the 2021 regional water plans (as of November 5, 2020), CRMWA's "CRMWA II Shared Pipeline" ranked 11th with a capital cost of $301,355,000 and "CRMWA II CRMWA Pipeline" ranked 16th at $100,489,000; Amarillo's "Amarillo Well Field to CRMWA II Transmission Pipeline" ranked 64th at $92,956,000. The TWDB states a project's regional prioritization is one of the criteria it uses to rank projects seeking SWIFT funding.^[6]

The TWDB summary of the 2021 Panhandle (A) plan lists both CRMWA II pipeline projects with an online decade of 2030 and the Amarillo transmission pipeline with an online decade of 2070.^[7]

The sources reviewed for this record do not show that CRMWA has applied for or received State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) or other TWDB financing for CRMWA II. The MOU states that funding design early would increase CRMWA's ability to access state and federal funding with a shovel-ready project and that CRMWA will keep CRMWA II in the State Water Plan to maximize state funding options.^[2][6]

The City's check register records 72 payments totaling $51,535,515.95 to the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority between 2022-07-21 and 2026-05-14: by fiscal year, $3,760,076.43 (FY2022, July-September only), $14,593,579.98 (FY2023), $13,932,560.59 (FY2024), $12,200,792.79 (FY2025) and $7,048,506.16 (FY2026, October 2025-May 2026 only). The register does not identify what each payment was for (water purchases, operations or debt service) and does not tie any payment to CRMWA II.^[8]

The register uses two payee names. "CANADIAN RIVER MUNC WATER AUTH" appears on 65 payments totaling $45,291,884.15 (July 2022-July 2024 by check, and January 2025-May 2026 by EFT); "CANADIAN RIVER MUNICIPAL WATER" appears on 7 checks totaling $6,243,631.80 between 2024-08-12 and 2024-12-09. The change back in January 2025 coincides with the register's switch from check numbers to EFT references; the two names are the same authority.^[8]

CRMWA states its staff has met with each member city at least twice since 2023 to discuss CRMWA II timing and what it will provide, such as increased water availability, water supply redundancy and partial infrastructure redundancy.^[2]

CRMWA's history page states that in 2025 it adopted its first formal Capital Improvements Plan to address aging infrastructure, including prioritized projects and a funding plan, and that an engineering study reported the firm yield of Lake Meredith as 16,700 acre-feet per year, compared with an original estimate of 126,000 and an estimate of 76,000 in the 1980s.^[1]

CRMWA states that at its July and October 2025 board meetings "the perfect timeline for the Member Cities varied widely," that the consensus was the project is critical to the member cities' futures, and that the meetings reinforced the need for a roundtable so a timeline could be set.^[2]

Drew Satterwhite: The September 9, 2025 council minutes record a "Canadian River Municipal Water Authority update" presented by Drew Satterwhite. As reported by the Amarillo Tribune, Satterwhite said the planned 70-mile pipeline would let CRMWA fill its original 1960s aqueduct with groundwater, bypass the original aqueduct and provide redundancy for Amarillo, and that 100% of the water CRMWA delivers to Amarillo currently passes through a pipe approaching 60 years old.^[9][3]

Member cities with more than 10,000 people appoint two CRMWA directors and smaller cities appoint one. Amarillo's appointed CRMWA directors are Johnny Mize and Roy Urrutia.^[3][10]

Drew Satterwhite: Asked by Councilmember Don Tipps about the possible effect of Fermi America's campus on CRMWA's supply, Satterwhite said CRMWA's models were not forecasting that Fermi's demand would come from CRMWA, and that it did not concern him with regard to CRMWA's Roberts County groundwater.^[3]

None of the sources reviewed for this record states that CRMWA II is planned or sized to serve Fermi America's Project Matador. CRMWA and the City attribute the need for CRMWA II to Lake Meredith's declining reliability and water quality, aging infrastructure and growing member-city demand. Coverage of the April 2026 rate study lists Fermi's water supply and CRMWA costs as separate factors.^[3][2][11]

The 2026 Panhandle Water Plan states that CRMWA plans a second pipeline (CRMWA II) providing at least 65,000 acre-feet per year, raising total capacity from the Roberts County well field to at least 130 MGD; it assumes a new 67-mile pipeline from Roberts County to CRMWA's existing system with tie-ins to Amarillo's and Pampa's systems, costed for a 72-inch pipe with final sizing to be set in design. It says the exact timing "is currently being discussed with CRMWA's member cities but is expected to occur within the next decade."^[12]

Estimate: the 2026 Panhandle Water Plan puts the cost to expand the Roberts County well field at "around $800 million," covering the CRMWA II pipeline, new wells for 80,000 acre-feet per year and well field piping, at September 2023 price levels. The TWDB's data summary of the plan lists the project "Expansion of Roberts County Well Field (Ogallala Aquifer) - CRMWA2" at $767,771,000, online decade 2030.^[12][14]

The 2026 plan states that Amarillo "considered partnering with CRMWA to move its Roberts/Ochiltree water through the CRMWA II pipeline but ultimately decided to pursue developing the water independently," and that "the former joint CRMWA and Amarillo CRMWA II pipeline will now be developed individually." It puts Amarillo's current delivery capacity from CRMWA at 42,987 acre-feet per year, which CRMWA intends to increase with CRMWA II.^[12]

The Panhandle Water Planning Group adopted the 2026 plan on September 24, 2025, and the TWDB Board approved the adopted 2026 regional water plans on January 22, 2026. The TWDB's Region A data summary lists "Expand Capacity CRMWA 2" at 10,720 acre-feet per year in 2080; its Region O summary lists the same strategy at 18,699 acre-feet per year.^[12][13][14]

The agenda for CRMWA's January 21, 2026 board meeting in Plainview lists item 13, "CRMWA II Right of Way Update," and item 20, "Round Table Meeting to Discuss CRMWA II," for consideration and possible action.^[15]

CRMWA states that at the January 2026 roundtable each member city discussed its water supply needs and timing and when CRMWA II should come online; that the parties discussed critical projects such as reinforcing existing pipe under Lake Tanglewood, highways and railroad crossings, to be done and funded before a CRMWA II debt issuance; and that the parties reached consensus on a path forward.^[2]

CRMWA's history page states that in 2026 "the Board of Directors unanimously voted to move forward with a plan to build a new wellfield and pipeline that would be online in the year 2038." The page does not give the meeting date, and no CRMWA minutes were found online.^[1]

The agenda for CRMWA's April 8, 2026 board meeting lists item 5, "Discussion and possible action related to the Authority's Capital Improvement's Plan"; item 6, "Approve budget for FY 2026/2027"; and item 12, "CRMWA II Update." The actions taken were not found.^[16]

Projection (rate study, as reported): the City purchases wholesale water from CRMWA and pays an allocated share of CRMWA's annual debt service; its annual CRMWA cost of $14.25 million in FY2026 is projected to rise to about $39.52 million in FY2036, going from 24% to 40% of the water budget. NewGen expected budgeted CRMWA capital costs to ramp up beginning in 2027 to phase in future CRMWA II costs, with additional debt anticipated for CRMWA II in 2034.^[11][18]

Chris Ekrut (NewGen Strategies and Solutions): Ekrut said the future water supply from CRMWA was then anticipated around 2033-34, "but we will be seeing costs increases as soon as 2027, so we have to factor that in."^[11]

The April 14, 2026 minutes record item 6.1, "Presentation of Water & Wastewater Rate Study," with City Manager Grayson Path introducing Chris Ekrut of NewGen Strategies and Solutions, LLC. The agenda packet for that meeting does not include the presentation slides.^[17]

Item 6.5: on a motion by Councilmember David Prescott, seconded by Councilmember Les Simpson, the council approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Amarillo and CRMWA 4-0 (ayes: Cole Stanley, Tim Reid, David Prescott, Les Simpson; absent: Don Tipps). The item asked the council to authorize the Mayor to execute the non-binding MOU, as ten other member cities were also asked to do.^[19][2]

The City's agenda summary says the need for CRMWA II is driven by the long-term decline in Lake Meredith's reliability and water quality, aging infrastructure and growing demand; that CRMWA II would raise CRMWA's groundwater delivery capacity from 65 MGD to 112 MGD; and that the MOU reflects consensus reached at a January 2026 member-city roundtable.^[2]

The agenda item's funding summary states: "The City of Amarillo annual contribution will increase to help prepare our budget over time for the eventual large CRMWA II construction costs. Our increase payments between now and construction will go towards our share of any CIPs that CRMWA builds that the City of Amarillo benefits directly from, as well as designing the CRMWA II project to make it ready for construction." It gives no dollar amount.^[2][21]

The MOU, made under the Interlocal Cooperation Act among CRMWA and the cities of Amarillo, Borger, Brownfield, Lamesa, Levelland, Lubbock, O'Donnell, Pampa, Plainview, Slaton and Tahoka, states the parties agree CRMWA II should be operational by the end of 2038; that construction would take about four years, requiring CRMWA to issue construction debt in 2034; that CRMWA should increase its Capital Improvements Plan budget each year starting October 1, 2026 and use it for critical infrastructure improvements and CRMWA II design, prioritizing the critical improvements; and that CRMWA will discuss CRMWA II and the CIP at each April board meeting at a minimum. The MOU is non-binding, takes effect on the date of the last signature and lasts until CRMWA II is operational.^[2]

The MOU states that each member city has rights to a defined allocation of CRMWA's water supply and system capacity, and that "each Member City's city council is required to approve CRMWA's debt issuances."^[2]

Drew Satterwhite: Estimate: presenting to the council, CRMWA General Manager Drew Satterwhite put the cost of CRMWA II at about $1.2 billion, of which about $450 million would be the City of Amarillo's portion, and estimated that Amarillo uses about 55% of CRMWA's supply. He said the project would include 70 miles of 72-inch pipeline, additional wells and two pump stations, and would take about eight years to complete if all member cities approve.^[20]

Cole Stanley: Mayor Cole Stanley said the existing line is "a six-foot pipe that's concrete that's underground under high-pressure conditions and it's over 50 years old and it is a single point of failure," and that "having an alternate line and opening up the additional well field and capacity is what the future of Amarillo needs."^[21]

Cost estimates for CRMWA II differ by source, date, price basis and scope.

Sources describe the CRMWA II pipeline length and number of pump stations differently.

In the FY2026/27 budget book (after council review, September 24, 2026), the Surface Water Treatment cost center's line "SC78000 - Pmnt to CRMWA - M" shows actual spending of $7,216,296 (FY2022/23), $7,640,941 (FY2023/24) and $6,489,367 (FY2024/25), a FY2025/26 budget of $9,250,955 (revised estimate $9,000,000) and a FY2026/27 budget of $14,216,749, an increase of $4,965,794 over the FY2025/26 budget. The book does not state the reason for the increase.^[22]

The same budget book lists $4,021,325 in FY2026/27 debt service (principal $3,513,882, interest $507,443) on the City's share of CRMWA refunding bonds (2017, 2020 and 2023 series), paid from the water and sewer system, with $12,677,194 outstanding; the schedule shows these bonds retired by FY2031.^[22]

David Prescott: At the September 29, 2026 meeting, after Mayor Cole Stanley asked that the council consider a rate decrease if the pending rate study finds the 11% fee increase is not needed, Councilmember David Prescott said he was concerned about large upcoming water expenses, such as a new CRMWA pipeline.^[23]

The City described the FY2026/27 11% water and sewer fee increase as 8% for capital improvements and 3% for debt service on the Hollywood Road wastewater loan. None of the sources reviewed for this record states that any part of that increase is for CRMWA II, and none shows a separate CRMWA II charge to Amarillo utility customers.^[23][2][11]

CRMWA's board agendas page lists a regular meeting on October 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Plainview Country Club; no agenda was linked when retrieved on October 11, 2026; an agenda was linked by October 14, 2026.^[24][25]

The posted agenda for CRMWA's October 14, 2026 regular board meeting (10:00 a.m., Plainview Country Club/Convention Center) includes item 15, "Discussion and possible action on all matters incident and related to CRMWA II and the purchase of easements"; item 19, on "energy and industrial developments projects over CRMWA's groundwater rights"; item 10.c, possible action setting 2027 water allocations; item 17, potential litigation regarding easement rights on the Slaton Lateral pipeline; and an executive session that may cover items 12 through 19. ^[25]

As of October 14, 2026 no minutes or news report of actions taken at the October 14 CRMWA board meeting had been located. ^[25]

Projection: the MOU's timeline would require CRMWA to issue debt to construct CRMWA II in 2034; the rate consultant likewise anticipated additional debt for CRMWA II in 2034. Under the MOU, each member city council, including Amarillo's, must approve CRMWA debt issuances. The MOU is non-binding and states plans could change with drought, infrastructure conditions or demand.^[2][11]

Sources give different target dates for CRMWA II to be in service.