The Board of Directors of the Brown County Water Improvement District held the July meeting today, with a short agenda.  The highlight was the swearing in of a new Lake Patrol Officer, Craig Kinsey.  Kinsey recently graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy, conducted in Abilene by the West Central Texas Council of Governments, and graduated #1 in a class of 32 candidates.  With the addition of Kinsey, the Brownwood Lake Patrol is now fully staffed for the first time in quite a while.

Also on the agenda was the consideration and approval of prices for both treated water and untreated water, for the new fiscal year, which begins September 1st.  General Manager John Allen told the Board that calculations for the new water rates are not complete, and asked to table this item on the agenda.  The Board agreed, and will meet again next week to set the new water rates.

Allen also reported to the Board the status of the water treatment plant expansion project.  The expansion will add three new filtration pods, as well as update the computer control systems, which now are twenty years old.  The engineering firm of Freese and Nichols continues to work on the design of the project, and is expected to complete its work by September 2026.

In other business, Allen reported that the population of zebra mussels in Lake Brownwood is on the rise once again.  The mussels are small, but have sharp edges.  Allen urged caution to anyone working, fishing, or recreating in Lake Brownwood.  Also Allen reported that Lake Brownwood, with the recent rains, continues to be 100% full.  One year ago Lake Brownwood was at 87.5% of capacity.  Currently the average capacity of all Texas lakes is 79.8%.