Morgan’s Point city council approves ground storage tank for water

Morgan’s Point Resort is moving on up! The small lakeside community has seen tremendous population growth and a housing boom over the last few years due to the popularity of Central Texas. The beauty of the landscape, the friendly neighbors, and the quiet that comes from living outside the city limits all make MPR the ideal place to live in Bell County.

With growth often comes the need for change, and MPR is no exception. Dalton Rice, the brand-new city manager as of February, came into the position right around the time of the Snovid disaster in Texas. Obviously MPR was not the only community that suffered during that time, because millions of Texas were without power and water for a week or more. The city staff of MPR knew it was time to form an emergency plan that was more permanent and beneficial to the city, especially considering the exponential growth.

A proposal was made for a bond to build another ground storage tank for water distribution. MPR currently has two elevated water towers that hold 200,000 gallons, and a ground storage tank that holds 150,000 gallons. The new ground storage tank will hold 200,000 gallons, and the water from a pump in the pump house would go directly into the tank and regulate water pressure. One of the key failures noted during SNOVID was the lack of power to keep the energy flowing and the water tanks filled. Part of the new plan is to purchase a large generator that will solve that problem. The budget for the project currently sits around $2,000,000.

Mayor Green commented that they have lots of water, but the amount of water being used at particular times of the day is the real issue as the water is provided through the city of Temple. At different times in MPR’s history, they have had to ask citizens to conserve water due to a dry contingency, such as in 2019. Due to lack of rain, people were asked to limit water usage to essential activities and cut down on non-essential such as watering the lawn or recreational usage.

The bond was passed by the city council in July, and Jesse Measles, utility director, said after all planning phases are complete, the project should take around twelve months to finish. He said the new ground storage tank would be located near the Public Safety Center near emergency services where the current one also sits.

This is an exciting time for MPR, which has long been considered a small bedroom community. Mr. Rice spoke of a 60% growth rate in population since the year 2000. In 2000, there were approximately 2500 residents. By 2010, that number had jumped to 4100 and is projected to grow to 5500 due to new subdivisions popping up.

Mr. Rice remarked, “Things are happening in MPR. We’re moving forward and continuing to manage the growth. These projects wouldn’t have gotten off the ground without the cooperation and hard work of all the city directors in their departments. Everyone does their job well and works as a team.”

This project is an exciting advancement for Morgan’s Point and its residents. Growth means change and advancement, and the community seems happy to be a part of it. Mayor Dennis Green spoke fondly of his community, “People want to live in Morgan’s Point and visit here. As the city’s leaders, we want to make it as advantageous as possible. All the city departments are well-managed and doing a great job. Everyone on the staff have been residents and employees for the city for many years, and they know the area well.”

In recent months, people from various other states flocking to Texas. Central Texas in particular has seen unbelievable growth and a thriving economy. Morgan’s Point Resort will definitely be a part of that growth, and the community leaders are doing everything in their power to go from a reactive community to a proactive community that prepares for a bright future with careful planning and a large does of love for the place they love to call home.