State officials will vote later this week on approving $1 billion in loans and financial help to fund future water projects across Texas.
Many of the 21 applicants are in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas, where the population is expected to grow. There are also projects in the Rio Grande Valley, Central Texas, the Gulf Coast and West Texas.
The Texas Water Development Board will vote on the projects Thursday in Austin.
Voters in 2013 approved using $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund to finance projects in the state water plan. Lawmakers have said that money would multiply through interest earnings and revenue bonds and grow to $27 billion over 50 years.
Texas' population is expected to grow by 82 percent in the next 50 years.
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