The Clear Creek Water Reclamation Plant will enter the design phase this year following Denton City Council's approval of a $45.53 million contract for the plant’s design at a June 16 meeting. City officials' estimates put the project's total cost at about $455 million for design and construction.

The overview: The plant will be built north of Loop 288 and south of Lake Ray Roberts, where city officials expect significant future development. Currently, the wastewater collected in that area is pumped to the Pecan Creek Water Reclamation Plant on Mayhill Road in southeast Denton.

Building the Clear Creek plant will free up capacity at the Pecan Creek plant, said Kyle Pedigo, Denton's water utilities planning and engineering manager.

City documents state the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a permit in 2025 for the Clear Creek plant to process 10 million gallons of water per day.

High school students in Denton ISD improved their State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness scores in all subjects but one for the 2026 test over their 2025 scores, STAAR results show.

Grades 3-8 met the state pass rate for reading in some grade levels, and no grade levels matched the state passing rate in math, according to the results.

The overview: High school students were tested on the following subjects:

• Algebra I

• Biology

• English I

• English II

• U.S History

While Denton ISD’s students showed improvement year over year, the improvement met the state's pass rate in only one subject.

For grades 3-8, students were tested on the following subjects:

• Mathematics

• Reading

• Social studies

Fourth and fifth grade scores improved in math between 2025 and 2026, though all tested grade levels had lower pass rates than the state in math.

The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Board of Directors approved 15 new concessions offerings across four terminals at the June 4 meeting.

Eleven of the 15 approved will be in still-under-construction Terminal F, which is slated to open in 2027, according to previous reporting. The mix of offerings will include popcorn, desserts, acai, fried chicken and pretzels, according to a news release and board documents.

The details: Popeyes, Wetzel’s Pretzels, Whataburger and Panda Express are among some of the restaurants approved by the board. The contracts awarded are for either 10 years or 12 years.

The list of new places includes:
Mama Moore’s Gourmet Popcorn, Terminal A, Gate A20 and Terminal B, Gate B27

• Founded by Debra Moore, a U.S. Army veteran, the company is based in Grand Prairie.

Audrey’s Popcorn. Terminal E, Gate E34

• A Grapevine popcorn brand, founded by Audrey Harrison when she was 5 years old, has been selling products at DFW Airport, Dallas Love Field and George Bush International Airport.

Check out five upcoming and ongoing transportation projects around Dallas-Fort Worth.

Upcoming projects

1. Plano residential paving

Project: The city will be replacing 4,900 linear feet of street paving, sidewalks and barrier-free ramps, along with 250 linear feet of water line in some neighborhoods near Independence Parkway.

Update: Plano city council approved a construction contract for the project at a June 22 meeting, and work is expected to start in July.

• Timeline: July 2026-summer 2027
• Cost: $2.7 million
• Funding source: city of Plano

• Timeline: mid 2026-mid 2028
• Cost: $20 million
• Funding source: city of Frisco

State lawmakers are considering water use impacts tied to the spread of new data center developments across Texas, and recently heard input from industry representatives and residents as they plan for next year's legislative session.

The initial review may preview proposed state laws regarding data centers and their local impacts. Ahead of the hearing, Gov. Greg Abbott also stated his "bottom line" expectations for data centers going forward: providing their own power, reusing water and reducing electricity costs for their neighbors.

Testimony from regulators revealed that Texas lacks accurate information about the water use of most data centers now operating statewide, despite mandates to submit those details. Representatives suggested data centers' self-reporting on utility use could be one topic to address next year. Many impacted residents and elected officials also raised concerns with public notice and local regulatory authority in relation to the high-profile developments.