San Antonio’s proposed drainage and flood-control work totals more than $2 billion, while the city’s proposed stormwater-fee increase would cover about $208 million. The San Antonio Express-News reported that city staff identified 20 projects for the proposed fee revenue, subject to advisory-board criteria and budget limits.
A place on the state plan can make a project eligible for another funding route, but does not guarantee an award or establish its priority for city funding. The Express-News reported that five of the city’s 20 selected projects also appear in the state plan, and quoted Public Works Director Art Reinhardt explaining that plan eligibility does not itself establish local priority.
Eligibility is not a funding award
Reported totals for San Antonio’s state-plan projects vary by account and snapshot. The Express-News reported that the list grew from 14 projects to 17, with an estimated combined cost of about $840 million. A separate account by the San Antonio Report described 14 projects costing $411 million and said four were among the state’s top 100 priorities. These figures should not be treated as a single matching tally.
Projects must be recommended in an approved state or regional flood plan to qualify for the Flood Infrastructure Fund, according to the Texas Water Newsroom. The program combines grants and zero-interest loans; for flood-mitigation projects, stated maximums are $15 million in grants and $30 million in loans. The Express-News reported that no projects from San Antonio’s regional plan received funding in the 2024–25 cycle, when the fund committed $851 million for 125 active projects statewide.
More than $312 million is available through the fund for the 2026–27 cycle, the Texas Water Newsroom reported. The Express-News said the state water board planned to award funding to at least one project in each region. These figures describe an opportunity, not a confirmed award for San Antonio.
A historical rainfall benchmark
According to the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio, San Antonio International Airport recorded 11.26 inches of rain on Oct. 17, 1998, then the most rain recorded in the city on any calendar day.
Local budgets remain part of the response
Local spending is another part of the funding picture. The San Antonio Report said Bexar County had invested $1 billion in flood control over two decades and budgeted $22 million for a countywide automated flood-gate system, while hoping for state reimbursement. It also reported that the city set aside $12.5 million in its fiscal 2026 budget for debris removal and emergency repairs at three low-water crossings affected by the June flooding.
The San Antonio Report put the next city infrastructure bond at roughly $500 million, compared with the $1.2 billion bond approved by voters in 2022. Together, the reported figures show the scale of local commitments and the potential role of state assistance, but do not establish whether any San Antonio projects will receive it.
