The Woodlands is getting a new water tower, a nearly $9.5 million project at the corner of Egypt Lane and Research Forest Drive.

The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) plans to start construction on Elevated Storage Tank No. 6 as early as October, according to the agency's May 2026 monthly operations report. The tower will join the existing raised towers that keep water pressure steady across the community.

The project carries a $9,469,000 construction budget and a separate $1,938,687 design budget, with Municipal Utility District 47 funding the work. As of May, the design had reached the 90-percent stage, with SJRA and its consultant finalizing specifications for a 100-percent submittal. Engineers were also working through electrical power, natural gas, security and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) requirements for the site.

SJRA owns and operates the raised water towers serving The Woodlands. The towers stand up to 150 feet tall and use gravity to maintain water pressure, Woodlands Water explained in a Sept. 3 educational post. Each foot of water elevation produces 0.43 pounds per square inch of pressure, so a 100-foot water level delivers 43 psi.

Woodlands Water's John Geiger wrote that the system is "largely passive." Each tower connects to the distribution network through a single pipe. When booster pumps push pressure up, water flows into the tower. When demand spikes or pumps lose power, gravity pulls water back out.

The towers are never truly empty.

That pressure backup matters during emergencies. If booster pumps go offline during a storm or power outage, the stored water keeps flowing to homes and fire hydrants without interruption.

The SJRA Woodlands Division serves more than 100,000 residents across 11 municipal utility districts.

The operations report estimates design completion in September and a construction start in October but does not name a specific groundbreaking date or public event for the new tower.