Heath is halfway through its largest water line upgrade in a generation, and residents won't see a tax increase to get it done.
The City of Heath accelerated its Fire Flow Capital Improvement Plan in June 2024, compressing what was originally a 10-year infrastructure overhaul into a five-year timeline running through 2029. The program targets 11 neighborhoods where aging water lines and hydrants fall short of the 1,500-gallons-per-minute fire flow standard needed for adequate fire protection.
The first project, Darr Estates, finished construction in winter 2025. The second, Candlelite Park, is now 50% complete, according to the city's project update page published Tuesday, Aug. 4.
$559,685 contract funds nine more neighborhoods
On April 14, Heath City Council approved a $559,685 engineering design contract with Freeman-Millican, Inc. to advance water line and hydrant upgrades in the remaining nine neighborhoods: Twin View Road, Sunny Estates and Halford, The Moraine, Myers Road, K&K Subdivision, Las Lomas Loop, Hilltop Estates, Kyser Springs Road, and Dwyer Court and Serenity Lane.
The contract is funded entirely through savings from the Candlelite Park project, which carries a $2,978,000 budget in the city's adopted FY2025-26 budget. No new appropriation was required.
Freeman-Millican, a Dallas-based engineering firm, also designed Heath's new Public Works Facility, which broke ground in March 2025.
Survey crews already in the field
Survey work began in August along Moraine Way, Twin View Road and Halford Drive, according to the city's project update page. Each remaining project will go out for competitive construction bids once engineering is complete.
The fire flow upgrades address service areas the city purchased over the years that lacked adequate infrastructure at the time of acquisition. Director of Public Works Bryan Creed has overseen the program alongside City Engineer Richard Dormier, P.E.
Broader infrastructure push
The fire flow plan is one piece of a larger capital spending surge. Heath's FY2026 capital outlay jumped 440.9% year over year, reflecting accelerated delivery of water, wastewater and roadway projects. The city also awarded a $5.5 million construction contract for Water Well No. 1 at Towne Center Park and expanded its daily water supply from 5.5 million gallons per day in 2024 to 7 million gallons per day through new agreements with the City of Rockwall and the North Texas Municipal Water District.
Meanwhile, Heath's property tax rate dropped to $0.275650 per $100 of assessed value for FY2025-26, a 5.1% reduction from the prior year's $0.290311.
The council's next budget hearing, for the proposed FY2026-2027 budget, is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 11, according to the Rockwall Herald-Banner. Residents can reach City Hall at 972-771-6228 or submit questions through the MyHeath Request portal.
