The newest giant on the New Braunfels horizon is starting to look the part. The top section of the FM 1044 water tower, the community's first to sport a Dragons logo, was lifted into place the week of April 27, and utilities officials say the 2 million gallon structure is still aiming for a December finish. Construction began in early 2025, with crews spending the spring assembling the steel bowl and prepping the site along FM 1044. Once online, the tank is expected to help steady water pressure across the Morningside pressure zone and add emergency storage for outages and maintenance work.
Construction milestone and schedule
During the week of April 27, crews hoisted the tank's top into position, a key milestone that keeps the $16 million FM 1044 elevated storage tank project on track for winter completion, according to Community Impact. That report notes construction began in March 2025 and gives the site address as 1637 FM 1044. New Braunfels Utilities told the outlet the work is paid for through the utility’s water infrastructure capital budget.
Scope: tank, piping and controls
Public project listings show the FM 1044 job includes an AWWA D107 composite elevated tank, along with site grading, drainage and new transmission piping, with mobilization beginning in early 2025. The project posting on ConstructConnect spells out roughly 980 linear feet of 24 inch water main plus electrical work, instrumentation and SCADA upgrades needed to bring the tower into service. Those mains and controls must go through disinfection and testing before the tank can be commissioned.
Capacity, neighborhoods and funding
New Braunfels Utilities planning documents put the FM 1044 tank at about 2 million gallons of storage and say the added volume will help the utility meet storage per customer benchmarks while reinforcing service in the Morningside pressure zone, according to NBU's annual report and its FY26 financial plan, the FY26 FOP. The FY26 operating plan lists the FM 1044 elevated storage tank in the capital program, with internal estimates around $14.3 million that differ from local reporting, which pegs the project at about $16 million. The tank will carry the New Braunfels Dragons logo and is positioned to serve Morningside area neighborhoods, according to Community Impact.
What to expect next
Next up, crews will finish tying in the new mains, wrap up SCADA and electrical work and complete disinfection and pressure testing before the tower can officially enter service. Neighbors along FM 1044 can expect ongoing construction traffic and occasional short term lane impacts while contractors complete connections and restore disturbed areas. Once commissioned, the tower is expected to ease those familiar morning pressure dips in the Morningside area and provide extra reserves for emergency repairs and firefighting needs.
