Government
BY GRACIE WARHURST
City considers water, wastewater projects Ahead of the scal year 2026-27 budget, Georgetown city sta presented an $857.3 million capital improvement plan for water and wastewa- ter infrastructure at a City Council workshop on March 24. There are 16 proposed projects to construct or rehabilitate water and wastewater infrastructure in FY 2026-27, Systems Engineering Director Wesley Wright said. The big picture City sta requested $441 million for water projects, the majority of which would go toward water procurement. The capital improvement plan includes a $414.3 million initiative to pipe ground- water from a proposed site in Circleville into the Rattlesnake area. “That’s the big dollars for next year for bringing water from the east,” Wright said. Other proposed water projects include replacing meters, rehabilitating water tanks, upgrading or constructing waterlines, improving the Lake Water Treatment Plant, and expanding or replacing the Westside Service Center. Public Wi-Fi coming to Georgetown’s square Williamson County ocials are working to bring public, high-speed internet to community spaces, including Georgetown’s downtown square, according to a March 31 update to commissioners. What residents should know The county is working with the city of Georgetown to launch public Wi-Fi in the square in May, according to county docu- ments. County residents will also be able to enjoy free connectivity at the Williamson County Expo Center in Taylor. Ocials are also in the planning stages for bringing Wi-Fi to Southwest Williamson County Regional Park. The project is funded by $1.5 million in interest from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
GPD to implement license plate readers The Georgetown Police Department will begin using license plate scanner technology from Flock Safety following City Council’s approval March 10. Digging deeper The contract between GPD and Flock includes 10 xed cameras that will capture images of vehicles and store the encrypted data for 30 days, according to city documents. Flock cameras will be installed at “strategic” road locations, Police Chief Cory Tchida said. Images will help identify basic vehicle characteristics like color, make and model, as well as license plate numbers.
Proposed wastewater treatment projects
Construct Three Forks Wastewater Treatment Plant $213M San Gabriel interceptor, lift station and force main $80M
Construct Northlands WWTP $69M Rehabilitate Dove Springs WWTP $45M
SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWNCOMMUNITY IMPACT
What else On the wastewater side, the 2026-27 plan includes $415.5 million for projects, the majority dedicated to work on treatment facilities. The city also included wastewater lines and lift stations improvements, as well as other facility upgrades in the plan. What’s next The projects will still require City Council approval in the upcoming budget before the city can allocate funds to the plan. WilCo ocials adopt updated oodplain map Williamson County commissioners adopted the Atlas 14 Floodplain Mapping Study on March 24, which identies ood-prone areas to guide growth and development in the county, according to county documents. How it works The Atlas 14 study uses updated scientic rainfall data from the National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration, along with topographic information, to help reduce ood risk. Williamson County will use the study for drainage and oodplain management in the county’s unincorporated areas, according to a news release. The Texas Water Development Board accepted the study in 2025, and with recent court approval, the study can be used to regulate the oodplains and enforce permits for encroachment.
“The system does not use facial recognition and is designed specically to identify vehicles connected to criminal activity.” CORY TCHIDA, GEORGETOWN POLICE CHIEF
Williamson County 100-year event precipitation
The county’s 24-hour rainfall range has increased from 8-10 to 10-13 inches. In a worst-case type storm, this is about how much rain could fall in a single day. 10-11 inches 11-12 inches 12-13 inches
Williamson County
35
183
29
95
SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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The impact In the past decade, Williamson County has expe- rienced severe ooding, including in 2010, 2015 and 2017. Most recently, deadly oods over the July 4, 2025, weekend devastated parts of the county. The initiative to update countywide oodplain information dates back to 2021. Neighboring Travis County adopted the updated oodplain map in 2019.
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GEORGETOWN EDITION
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