The mission of the Brazos River Authority is to develop, manage, and protect the water resources of the Brazos River basin to meet the needs of the people of Texas. The Authority was created by the Texas Legislature in 1929 and was the first state agency in the United States created specifically for the purpose of developing and managing the water resources of an entire river basin.

The water stored in the three Authority reservoirs and eight US Army Corps of Engineers lakes within the system is permitted for use by the state’s water oversight agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The TCEQ manages the state’s surface water assets and determines the amount of water made available through the issuance of water rights permits.  

The Authority also works with three Texas Regional Water Planning groups to find the means to provide for the future of water supply within the state.

Besides water supply, the Authority works to ensure the quality of the water within the basin by providing services such as potable water treatment, wastewater treatment and continuous monitoring for specific contaminates through the Texas Clean Rivers Program.  

 Although the Brazos River Authority is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, it does not levy or collect taxes and does not receive subsidies from the state or the counties it serves.  Except for occasional governmental grants to aid in the cost of specific projects, the Authority is funded entirely through the management of water and wastewater services and the sale of water supply.   

The mission of the Brazos River Authority is to develop, manage and protect the water resources of the Brazos River basin to meet the needs of Texas.

The Brazos River Authority is governed by a Board of Directors. Board members are appointed by the Governor of Texas with advice and consent of the state Senate. The organization is accountable to the Governor, the Legislature, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the cities, businesses and individuals throughout the basin to whom we sell water.

The Board is made up of 21 men and women from across the Brazos basin who are appointed by the Texas Governor. They serve staggered 6-year terms. For a list of current board members, their photos and biographical information, go here.

Authorized by the state, the Brazos River Authority’s system operations permit allows the Authority to sell up to 705,000 acre-feet of water basin-wide from the 11 system reservoirs and the rivers within the watershed. The system permit allows the Authority to draw the water from any of the reservoirs and rivers included in the system allowing the Authority to utilize the sources with the largest storage of water at any specific time.  For a full size map, click here

A variety of maps of the Brazos basin can be found on the Authority’s Web site by clicking here.

The Authority is proud to employ a highly qualified staff that takes pride in working for a leader in water supply and treatment. Job openings are posted on the Authority’s employment web page, here. Applications are accepted online only.  If you do not have access to a computer, call (254) 761-3192 to schedule an appointment to complete an application at an Authority facility.

The Brazos River Authority operates the Temple-Belton Regional Sewerage System as well as wastewater treatment centers for the cities of Hutto, Sugar Land, Liberty Hill, Dime Box,  Clute and Richwood. The Authority also handles wastewater for Georgetown, providing service to residents of at Berry Creek, Pecan Branch, Dove Springs, San Gabriel and Cimarron Hills.

Other operations include the Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater System, which serves the cities of Round Rock, Cedar Park, Austin and the Fern Bluff and Brushy Creek municipal utility districts.