brazos river authority

What brazos river authority does

The Brazos River Authority (BRA) is a Texas state agency established by the Texas Legislature in 1929 as the first US state agency specifically chartered to develop and manage the water resources of an entire river basin. Headquartered at the Lt. Gen. Phillip J. Ford Central Office in Waco, Texas, BRA operates with a staff of 250 employees and oversees the Brazos River Basin, which stretches from the Texas-New Mexico border to the Gulf of Mexico and covers an area the size of Tennessee. The agency manages three primary water supply reservoirs—Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake Granbury, and Lake Limestone—along with associated treatment facilities, while participating in management of federal reservoirs in the basin.

BRA's core service offering is water supply development and distribution, delivered through direct contractual relationships with municipal governments, water control and improvement districts, and municipal utility districts across Central Texas. Major customers include Bell County WCID#1 (the largest municipal water customer), the Cities of Georgetown, Round Rock, Temple, and Belton, the Central Texas Water Supply Corporation, and the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District. Ancillary services include water and wastewater treatment, environmental monitoring through the Texas Clean Rivers Program, drought contingency planning, lake permitting services, and the Tri-Gro compost and mulch product line produced in cooperation with the Cities of Temple and Belton since 1990.

BRA's revenue model is a mix of recurring wholesale water supply contracts (subscription-style), transaction-based permit fees, managed-service treatment contracts, and unit-priced retail compost and mulch sales. The Authority funds its operations through water supply contracts, permit fees, and bond issuance, publishing annual comprehensive financial reports and quarterly budget reports. Strategic infrastructure projects include the Belhouse Drought Preparedness Project linking Lake Belton to Stillhouse Hollow Lake and the proposed Allens Creek Reservoir, both aimed at meeting fast-growing I-35 corridor demand in Bell and Williamson Counties.

Name

brazos river authority

Legal name

The Brazos River Authority

Website

https://brazos.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Brazos River Authority is a Texas state agency created in 1929 that develops and manages water resources across the Brazos River Basin, supplying water to municipalities, water districts, and utility districts across Central Texas through reservoir operations, treatment services, and permitting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH)

Keywords

• Water resource management
• Water supply services
• Wastewater treatment
• Reservoir management
• Water quality monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Waco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Water Supply Sales: Development and distribution of water supplies through contractual agreements with municipalities, water districts, and cities including water sale policies and interruptible water sale procedures
2. Tri-Gro Product Sales: Sale of compost and mulch products to the general public through Temple-Belton Regional Wastewater System facility, including standard and wholesale pricing
3. Permit and Fee Services: Fees for on-water facility permits, commercial activity permits, residential water use permits, waterfowl hunting permits, camping fees, and improvement permits at BRA lakes
4. Water and Wastewater Treatment: Water and wastewater treatment services provided to customers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Brazos River Authority (BRA) is a Texas state agency that develops and distributes water supplies to municipal, industrial, and agricultural customers across the Brazos River Basin. It manages three water supply reservoirs (Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake Granbury, and Lake Limestone), provides water and wastewater treatment services, conducts environmental water quality monitoring, issues permits for on-water facilities and residential water use, and sells eco-friendly Tri-Gro compost and mulch products produced from biosolids.

Product overview

The Brazos River Authority operates as a government water management agency offering a coordinated suite of water resource services. Core offerings include water supply development and distribution, water and wastewater treatment, and management of three major reservoirs (Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake Granbury, and Lake Limestone). The Authority also provides permitting services for on-water facilities and residential water use, conducts environmental monitoring through the Texas Clean Rivers Program, and manages drought contingency planning. Additional services include eco-friendly Tri-Gro compost and mulch products derived from wastewater biosolids, public education programs (Water School, Speakers Bureau), the Unpacking the Brazos River podcast, and lake safety resources. Current infrastructure projects include the Belhouse Drought Preparedness Project connecting Lake Belton to Stillhouse Hollow Lake.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Supply Services Developing and distributing water supplies to municipal, industrial, and agricultural customers across the Brazos River Basin through contractual relationships and water sale policies.
• Water and Wastewater Treatment Provides water and wastewater treatment services as part of environmental operations, including biosolids processing to meet TCEQ 'uncontrolled use' requirements.
• Reservoir Management Manages three water supply reservoirs: Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake Granbury, and Lake Limestone, including lake safety, regulations, and public amenities.
• Tri-Gro Compost and Mulch Products Eco-friendly compost and mulch products produced from biosolids from the Temple-Belton Regional Wastewater System combined with wood products. Available in native wood mulch, screened compost, unscreened compost, and cull varieties.
• On-Water Facility Permits Permits for constructing and maintaining docks, piers, and platforms on reservoir beds at Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake Granbury, and Lake Limestone.
• Residential Water Use Permits Residential-use water permits allowing lakeside property owners to install water pumps and pipelines to access untreated water supply for irrigation purposes (up to 5,000 gallons monthly).
• Water Quality Monitoring Environmental monitoring services including the Texas Clean Rivers Program, water quality testing, and laboratory services.
• Drought Management Services Drought contingency planning, reservoir status monitoring, water conservation programs, and seasonal drought outlook services for Central Texas communities.
• Education Programs Public education including Water School, Speakers Bureau, Major Rivers program, and resource library covering water quality, conservation, and river ecology.
• Lake Safety Services Lake safety information and regulations including boating, fishing, hunting guidelines, waterborne illness prevention, and personal floatation device resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves growing population areas along I-35 corridor including Bell and Williamson Counties
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cities of Temple and BeltoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Cooperative agreement since 1990 combining biosolids from the Temple-Belton Regional Wastewater System facility with wood products from brush collection by the cities to produce Tri-Gro compost and mulch products sold to the general public. This partnership enables recycling that reduces landfill use while providing eco-friendly landscaping products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• San Antonio Water System (SAWS): Large municipal water and wastewater utility serving the San Antonio metro area, including wholesale supply contracts and recycled water programs. Comparable as a Texas-based integrated water utility serving growing municipalities.
• Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA): Texas river basin authority that manages multiple reservoirs, supplies water and power across the lower Colorado River basin, and provides wholesale water to municipalities. Most structurally comparable peer to BRA given similar statutory mandate, reservoir operations, and municipal contract model.
• Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority: Texas river authority providing water supply, wastewater treatment, and recreational services across the Guadalupe River basin. Directly comparable as a multi-service Texas basin authority with municipal and industrial customers.
• Tarrant Regional Water District: Regional water authority serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex with reservoir operations, raw water supply contracts, and flood control functions. Comparable to BRA in scale, statutory authority over multi-reservoir systems, and direct municipal customer contracts.
• El Paso Water: Texas municipal water utility providing potable water, wastewater, and desalination services in a drought-prone region. Comparable to BRA in managing water scarcity and supplying growing municipalities.
• Trinity River Authority of Texas: Texas river authority managing water and wastewater infrastructure in the Trinity River basin, providing wholesale water supply and treatment services to municipalities. Directly comparable as a basin-focused state water authority.
• Sabine River Authority of Texas: Texas/Louisiana bi-state river authority managing reservoirs, water supply, and industrial water services on the Sabine River. Comparable as a state-authority basin manager with similar statutory governance.
• Travis County Water Control and Improvement District: Texas water district providing water and wastewater service to Central Texas customers. Comparable as a regional Texas water entity with municipal-style contracts and infrastructure-based service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Federal multi-purpose river basin authority managing reservoirs, water supply, and power across the Tennessee Valley. Comparable to BRA as a basin-wide authority with integrated water-resource management, though broader in mandate and geography.
• Denver Water: Large municipal water utility serving the Denver metro area, operating multiple reservoirs and wholesale supply contracts. Comparable to BRA in reservoir-based supply model but operates in a different geography at larger urban scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/brazoswater
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClUKmPJquVtDXeJmN9C17rg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Brazos-River-Authority-126719790675809
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brazos-river-authority
• Instagraminstagram.com/brazoswater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 brazos river authority