In November, Texans will vote on one of the state’s most significant infrastructure measures ever, a $20 billion program to establish long-term water supplies for communities that are facing drought and infrastructure needs. The amendment is officially called Proposition 4. 

The amendment to the state constitution would direct annual state revenue to provide a suite of water-related projects, including drought mitigation, flood control, and system modernization.

If passed, the bill would direct $1 billion a year in surplus state sales tax revenue, beginning in 2027, and authorize $2.5 billion available immediately for existing programs through the Texas Water Fund. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) holds responsibility for administering the fund, which would assist in the augmentation of new water supply development through new reservoirs, desalination, wastewater reuse, and repairs for aging infrastructure. 

According to water experts and policy experts, the state needs to be prepared to invest $154 billion over the next 50 years due to a growing population demand and a growing water infrastructure deficit.

Advocates of the proposal have termed it a "Texas-sized investment" in the future of Texas. This would expand on the infrastructure started by Senate Bill 7 and House Joint Resolution 7, allowing the TWDB to increase the types of projects that can receive funding, like flood control, turning salty water into fresh water, and saving water for farming. The bill also provides for oversight, and a legislative committee will monitor the board's use of funding.

“This amendment ensures Texans can depend on safe, reliable water systems for decades to come. Without it, our infrastructure risks falling further behind,” explained Jeremy Mazur, director of infrastructure policy for Texas 2036, at a recent education forum discussing Prop and its potential impact.

Environmental activists have expressed support for the plan’s focus on pipe rehabilitation, flood resilience, and efficiency programs, but warned against elevating the construction of new reservoirs at the expense of conservation-first approaches. 

Reports show the state loses billions of gallons of treated water per year to aging and leaking pipelines - a well-documented issue in other U.S. cities such as Houston, where even critical systems need to be replaced now.

Besides that, the project fits into a bigger state plan that was established earlier this year to prepare for frequent droughts and population growth. Texas intends to invest more in desalination, groundwater management, and aquifer recharge in the next ten years.

Ballot casting for Proposition 4 will start on October 20. If voted yes, the change in the constitution will be the greatest public investment in water-related infrastructure in Texas in a generation, making the supply safe and sustainable for cities, farms, and industries all over the state.