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A significant step forward was taken in a project to improve water supply reliability and access for cities and businesses in Bell, Burnet, Coryell, Falls, Lampasas, Milam, and Williamson counties.

At its regular bimonthly meeting on Jan. 27, 2025, the Brazos River Authority Board of Directors approved a contract with Walker Partners, LLC for up to $27.2 million for all activities associated with the permitting, engineering, design, property/right-of-way acquisition services, and bid phase services for the construction of a raw water pump station, transfer pipeline, and outlet structure to periodically transfer water from Belton Lake to Stillhouse Hollow Lake.

The work is part of the Belhouse Drought Preparedness Project, a planned raw water transportation system that will link Belton Lake to Stillhouse Hollow Lake for use during droughts. Pipelines are crucial for delivering water to specific locations because building water supply lakes where they are most needed isn't always feasible.

The Belhouse Project would provide greater drought preparedness by providing more flexibility in the use of Lakes Belton and Stillhouse Hollow and allowing the reservoirs to function as a system. The pipeline would move water from Belton Lake to Stillhouse Hollow Lake, but only when it's needed. Water will only be pumped when there's not enough supply to meet the needs of the area served by Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Most of the time, rain and natural water flowing into Stillhouse Hollow Lake will provide enough water without having to pump it from Belton Lake.

Planning for this project has been underway for more than two decades, building on a foundation established with the Board of Directors' approval of a resolution in 2005, said Brad Brunett, BRA chief operations officer. The pipeline will help areas served by the Central Texas Water Supply Corporation, Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, the cities of Georgetown, Round Rock, and Lampasas, the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District, and other water suppliers at Lake Stillhouse Hollow. No new raw water supply contracts will be entered as a result of the pipeline's construction. Instead, it will help provide water for agreements that have been in place for many years as the area continues to grow.

"The pipeline route that we've identified there is only about seven miles, so it's a pretty short pipeline, but it's really going to be a complex project because it's more than a pipeline - it's an intake structure on Lake Belton, a discharge structure on Lake Stillhouse Hollow, and there's some complexities there," Brunett said. "It's a very important project for our system and for our customers at Stillhouse Hollow. We have many customers that divert water there and this project is going to be needed in the future as demands increase to ensure the reliability of water."

The project is slated for completion in 2032.

Interested in more? 

• Learn more about the Bellhouse Drought Preparedness Project here.
• For a complete list of actions taken by the Board of Directors, go here. 
• Watch the full Board meeting here.
• Sign up to be notified of upcoming Board meetings here.
• For any additional questions, email us at information@brazos.org.