Brazosport Water Authority

What Brazosport Water Authority does

Brazosport Water Authority (BWA) is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, created in 1985 by House Bill 650, that produces and delivers wholesale potable water to municipal, industrial, and governmental customers in Brazoria County and southern Fort Bend County. It treats surface water drawn from the Brazos River via the Harris and Brazoria reservoirs at a 17.8 MGD treatment plant (the Juan Longoria Water Treatment Plant) and is currently expanding that facility to up to 23 MGD while developing a 12 MGD reverse-osmosis groundwater desalination facility. It serves seven member cities (Angleton, Brazoria, Clute, Freeport, Lake Jackson, Oyster Creek, and Richwood), the contracted City of Rosenberg via a 33-mile pipeline completed in 2018, two Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison units, and The Dow Chemical Company (a customer since 2004), with all personnel TCEQ-certified and water continuously monitored from raw intake to delivery air gap.

The business operates on a recurring wholesale water sales model, charging negotiated rates to member cities and contracted customers who then handle local retail distribution to end users. BWA is governed by a Board of Directors with one representative from each member city and is funded through rate revenue supplemented by state-level financing. Its largest current strategic initiative is the $750 million Harris Reservoir Expansion, executed through the Brazosport Water Supply Corporation (BWSC), a 2024-formed majority BWA-owned subsidiary in public/private partnership with Dow Chemical, which is committing to repay 85% of the SWIFT loan financing from the Texas Water Development Board. Once complete (projected 2028), the reservoir will double current water storage capacity and provide over six months of supply during severe droughts, supporting continued regional growth.

The Authority has been recognized five times (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2025) with the TCEQ Innovative or Proactive Water Systems Award and has steadily expanded its customer base since producing its first potable water in 1989. Recent product and infrastructure launches include the desalination pilot plant (2024), the BWSC Reservoir groundbreaking (2025), and the Surface Water Treatment Plant capacity expansion, collectively targeting more than 30 MGD of regional production capacity.

Name

Brazosport Water Authority

Legal name

Brazosport Water Authority

Website

https://brazosportwaterauthority.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brazosport Water Authority is a Texas political subdivision that produces and delivers wholesale potable water to seven member cities, two prison units, the City of Rosenberg, and Dow Chemical, drawing from the Brazos River via Harris and Brazoria reservoirs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Water Utility

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (BWRO) Plants & Operations (EUANAFAB), Water Treatment Plant Construction (Drinking Water) (IMAFAGAA)

Keywords

• Wholesale water supply
• Potable water treatment
• Municipal water utility
• Water infrastructure services
• Groundwater desalination

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Jackson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Water Sales: BWA generates revenue by selling wholesale potable water to seven member cities, the City of Rosenberg, two TDCJ Prison Units, and The Dow Chemical Company. Water is delivered through pipelines to customer city distribution systems where local utilities bill end consumers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Brazosport Water Authority produces and delivers wholesale potable drinking water drawn from the Brazos River via Harris and Brazoria Reservoirs. It supplies this treated water to seven member cities, two TDCJ prison units, the City of Rosenberg, and The Dow Chemical Company through dedicated pipelines and storage infrastructure. The Authority operates a 17.8 MGD surface water treatment plant and is expanding capacity through reservoir expansion and a groundwater desalination facility.

Product overview

Brazosport Water Authority operates as a single-service wholesale water utility providing potable water to seven member cities (Angleton, Brazoria, Clute, Freeport, Lake Jackson, Oyster Creek, Richwood), the City of Rosenberg, two TDCJ Prison Units (Clemens and Clemens II), and The Dow Chemical Company. The company continuously monitors and analyzes water through the complete treatment process from raw water intake through the distribution system to delivery points. Supporting infrastructure projects include the Brazosport Water Supply Corporation (BWSC) Reservoir Expansion Project and a planned Desalination Facility to enhance regional water storage and production capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brazosport Water Supply Corporation (BWSC): A subsidiary formed in 2024 to develop a new 51,000 acre-foot reservoir to enhance regional water storage capacity.

Products and services

• Wholesale Potable Water Supply
• Desalination Pilot Plant
• Surface Water Treatment Plant Capacity Expansion
• BWSC Reservoir (Harris Reservoir Expansion)
• Rosenberg Pipeline Water Delivery

Quantifiable outcome

• Water meets or exceeds state and federal standards for appearance and safety
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Dow Chemical CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDow Chemical is a key partner in the Brazosport Water Supply Corporation (BWSC), a first-of-its-kind public/private partnership in Texas. Dow holds partial ownership with majority representation from BWA and Dow. Dow will repay 85% of the SWIFT loan financing for the reservoir expansion project, with the remaining portion funded by BWA's customer cities.
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)coreTechnology or IntegrationTCEQ provides regulatory oversight and guidance. BWA staff are trained and certified by TCEQ in water treatment and distribution. TCEQ recognized BWA with the Innovative or Proactive Water Systems Award for its forward-thinking approach to water security.
• State of TexascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe State of Texas, through legislative action (House Bill 650) and state agencies, enables BWA's operations as a political subdivision and supports water infrastructure development through programs like SWIFT loans.
• Texas American Water Works Association (TAWWA)minorOthersTAWWA provides water education videos (WaterGeek Videos) that BWA uses for community education purposes. Videos are intended to inform about the work of water utilities and are used in schools, community meetings, and public venues.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• North Texas Municipal Water District: Regional wholesale water and wastewater authority serving multiple member cities in North Texas. Comparable to BWA as a political subdivision providing wholesale potable supply under long-term municipal contracts, with similar governance and capital-project profile.
• San Antonio Water System (SAWS): Municipal water and wastewater utility serving greater San Antonio. Comparable in core activity (wholesale and retail potable water supply, treatment plant operations, large capital programs) though much larger and vertically integrated to retail.
• Trinity River Authority of Texas: Texas political subdivision providing water and wastewater services across the Trinity River basin. Direct comparable as a Texas governmental water authority with wholesale supply contracts to municipalities and industrial customers.
• Tarrant Regional Water District: Regional water authority supplying raw and treated water to cities in the Fort Worth region. Comparable as a Texas wholesale water provider with reservoir infrastructure and member-city contracts, operating at a larger scale than BWA.
• El Paso Water: Municipal water utility serving El Paso with notable investment in desert water security, including the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant. Comparable to BWA for its integrated treatment-plus-desalination portfolio in an arid Texas setting.
• Austin Water: City of Austin's water utility providing potable water to retail and wholesale customers. Comparable core function (surface water treatment and distribution) and capital intensity, though serving a single large municipality rather than multiple member cities.
• Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority: Texas river authority providing wholesale water supply and treatment to municipalities, industry, and agriculture in the Guadalupe basin. Comparable as a small-to-mid-sized Texas political subdivision with multi-customer wholesale water operations.

Broad incumbents

• Lower Colorado River Authority: Texas river authority managing water supply, hydroelectric generation, and parks across the Lower Colorado basin. Comparable as a multi-purpose Texas water entity with reservoir, treatment, and wholesale supply functions operating at much larger scale.
• Houston Public Works — Water & Wastewater: City of Houston's water and wastewater function. Comparable for treatment plant operations and large-scale Texas Gulf Coast water service, though much larger and integrated with wastewater/stormwater.

Emerging players

• Poseidon Water: Developer and operator of large-scale seawater desalination plants in California (Carlsbad) and Texas. Directly comparable to BWA's planned 12 MGD brackish groundwater desalination facility in terms of membrane technology and project structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brazosport-water-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brazosport Water Authority