The City of Midland has assumed ownership of a water pipeline in the Permian Basin, which city leaders said would be of great benefit to residents and businesses, according to a report from Midland CBS affiliate KWES. The station reported that Midland agreed to own the T-Bar pipeline some 70 miles west in Winkler County.
The process was a decade in the making. Midland City Councilman Jack Ladd explained to KWES that the city owned T-Bar but lack the means to access it. In 2011, the city council formally responded to the issue, KWES reported.
"We needed to get water to the city quickly and effectively, the city owned T-Bar, which was a great source of water, water that could last us 100 years but we had no way to access it," Ladd told the station.
City Councilwoman Lori Blong explained that the city received much-needed assistance from Midland County Fresh Water District (MCFWD).
"They were able to build that infrastructure within a year and give Midland access to water that we desperately needed," Blong told KWES.
The station reported that the project came with a $250 million price tag.
Ladd said Midland enjoyed the benefits of accessible water on the MCFWD's dime.
The city taking on the debt incurred from the pipeline is a positive, the councilmember told KWES.
"It was debt we already incurred, it was just in someone else's name," Ladd said, according to the station. "There was no reason for us to not take it on because now we can refinance it like you would your house so it made a better deal for the city to take on those assets."
The city's full ownership of the pipeline ensures residents don't spend too much on their water bills and paves the way for new opportunities for water in Midland, according to KWES.
"This is going to save your average citizen money on their water bill no question, and it'll save the city $2 million from having to build a water tower," Ladd said, KWES reported.