The Colony Council to Adopt 2026 Wastewater Master Plan and Water Master Plan Update by Freese and Nichols

THE COLONY, Texas. The June 16, 2026 consent agenda for The Colony City Council includes two related resolutions adopting long-range water and wastewater planning documents. Item 4.3 authorizes the City Manager to adopt the 2026 Wastewater Master Plan, dated May 20, 2026 and prepared by Freese and Nichols, Inc. Item 4.4 authorizes adoption of the Water Master Plan Update, dated May 21, 2026 and prepared by the same engineering firm.

What a utility master plan does

A water master plan and a wastewater master plan are the foundational engineering documents that drive a city's utility capital improvement program for the next 10 to 20 years. The water plan models projected demand based on population growth, land use, and development pipeline, and then identifies the storage, distribution, and treatment investments needed to keep pressure and supply within Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards. The wastewater plan does the parallel work for collection, lift stations, and treatment capacity.

Freese and Nichols, headquartered in Fort Worth, is one of the largest municipal infrastructure engineering firms in Texas and routinely prepares master plans for growing North Texas cities. Adopting an updated plan resets the baseline that the city uses to defend impact fees, prioritize capital projects, and respond to development proposals.

Why this matters in The Colony specifically

The Colony's water and wastewater systems serve about 45,000 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau estimates. The city sits on the eastern shore of Lewisville Lake with Frisco and Carrollton as neighbors, and infill development continues on the remaining vacant tracts. Master plan updates determine whether the existing water production at Well #4, the Office Creek pump station, and the existing wastewater treatment capacity will need expansion in the next planning horizon, or whether the city can absorb growth with operational improvements.

Putting the two master plans on the consent agenda signals that staff considers them non-controversial planning documents. The substantive financial decisions, including the impact fee schedule and the multi-year capital improvement program, follow from the master plans in subsequent agenda items.

Sources

The Colony City Council Regular Session agenda, June 16, 2026, consent items 4.3 and 4.4 (AgendaViewer; Agenda packet PDF). U.S. Census Bureau, The Colony, Texas QuickFacts.