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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A look at the wins rural Texas scored in this year's legislative session
There were big wins for rural Texas this legislative session as lawmakers dedicated more funding to health care, struggling farmers and emergency management. More than 3 million Texans live in rural pockets strewn across the state, from the Piney Woods in East Texas to far-flung corners in the Panhandle. However, people in rural communities are more likely to lack access to basic necessities, have a dearth of hospitals and struggle to find money for infrastructure needs. Lawmakers took strides to close those gaps this year. Some proposals did not go through, including a bill that would have prioritized applications for broadband projects that expand to underserved and unserved communities. However, there are other changes that stand to improve conditions for rural communities. Texas schools can expect an additional $8.5 billion in public education funding. House Bill 2, sponsored by state Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, gives public schools money for teacher and staff salaries. The money will also be used for training and preparing teachers, special education, safety requirements and early childhood learning. Texas has an excess of 5.5 million students attending 1,200 public school districts. The boost is expected to help financially stagnating school districts recover from their shortages, including budget deficits, keeping up with competitive salaries and operating costs. Chris Stanley, board president of the Ector County School District in the oil-and-gas producing region of the state, said he was pleased to see lawmakers pass a public school funding package in tandem with the voucher program. The district is running with a $24 million deficit to educate its 33,000 students. Stanley said the district will benefit from the extra money. However, Stanley said it was just the start to addressing the needs of public schools. 'In no way is it over,' Stanley said. Legislators also passed a private school voucher school program called the Education Savings Account, a $1 billion program that allows families to use public dollars to pay for private schools. Parents and educators have said the program could adversely affect public schools. Lawmakers addressed a flurry of water issues plaguing Texas communities this session, and some of their solutions will directly benefit rural areas. Senate Bill 7, a sweeping bill by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, calls for more money to go toward rural Texas. The bill allows for money from the Texas Water Fund to be allocated to the Rural Water Assistance Fund, which provides small, rural water utilities with financing for water and wastewater projects. The bill also requires the Texas Water Development Board to ensure a portion of the money is used in rural areas. Lawmakers also expanded what type of projects qualify for funding through the state. This is helping South Texas officials in their two-year long quest to obtain the funding for a project that would reuse water in their drainage system. Senate Bill 1967 allows drainage projects that capture floodwater, treat it and distribute it as a new source of water to qualify for funding through the Flood Infrastructure Fund. Gov. Greg Abbott has signed the bill into law. The bill also allows drainage districts to qualify for funding through the Water Loan Assistance Program, even if they don't have historical data about water use or provide retail water service directly to consumers. While these changes to the Texas Water Code will help officials in Hidalgo County get started on construction for their project, it also helps drainage districts across the state fund similar projects. Texas lawmakers took several steps to address problems with rural health. This includes a bill that provides more support for rural hospitals. Experts say it could have helped prevent the closure of a hospital in East Texas during the legislative session. The Mid Coast Medical Center closed down its operations in Trinity, a town of about 2,400 that is 90 miles north of Houston, citing financial concerns. Rural hospital closures slowed in Texas after the state saw an influx of federal funding for rural health care as part of the national response to COVID-19. The funding has ended, but inflation hasn't, leaving many rural hospitals with tough financial choices. House Bill 18, by Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, is known as the Rural Health Stabilization and Innovation Act. It seeks to give more support for rural hospitals by creating a State Office of Rural Hospital Finance to provide hospitals with technical assistance. Lynn Cowles, the health and food justice director for Every Texan, a public policy institute in Texas, said the bill is good but requires a lot of oversight and monitoring. 'We do want to make sure that the bill's emphasis on administrative improvements and training is going to serve the bill's intent and not line pockets for consulting firms,' Cowles said. The bill also creates a Rural Hospital Financial Vulnerability Index and Needs Assessment, which will evaluate the financial health of rural hospitals, along with a Rural Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program and other measures. Under the bill, each hospital's reimbursement rates will be updated every two years. John Henderson, CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, said the bill was the most significant rural health legislation in a 'generation.' He said the Medicaid rate protection, pediatric behavioral health and other changes will help rural communities. 'Because these things are now in statute, rural hospitals can count on it,' Henderson said. 'Rather than worry about uncertainty related to renewals or budget cycles.' Rural emergency services will also get a boost from lawmakers. House Bill 3000 by state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, addresses the lack of resources for rural emergency services, which largely happens because of tight budgets that keep medical departments from affording equipment. The bill establishes a grant program for qualified rural counties to purchase ambulances as a way to strengthen emergency services and improve response times. Texas farmers will soon have access to additional state support, thanks to a bill by Sen. Stan Kitzman, R-Pattison. House Bill 43 expands both the Young Farmer Grant Program and Young Farmer Interest Rate Reduction Program, which provide money to farmers. Age restrictions were eliminated from the grant program, making the money eligible to all farmers. Changes to the interest rate reduction program will allow anyone in agriculture to apply for loans up to $1 million at an interest rate of 2%. Under the current program, only 18 to 46 year-olds can only apply for $500,000 loans at a 5% interest rate. The age restrictions were also eliminated from the grant program, which was limited to 18 to 46-year-olds. Under the bill, grantees could receive up to $500,000 while paying a 10% match. Currently, grantees can only receive $20,000 and have to fully match the grant. Businesses essential to agriculture, like cotton gins, are also now eligible to apply under the bill Kitzman said the goal is to help producers who are sitting in a tough economy to hang on. Uncertain markets, inflation and growing competition for land have made it difficult for farmers to operate. Rodney Schronk, a fifth-generation farmer from Central Texas whose family has grown cotton, corn and other commodities, tipped his hat to lawmakers for helping agriculture. 'So hopefully it's enough money that maybe — maybe — there'll be some farmers that are able to survive these difficult times,' Schronk said. As his son prepares to take over the family business, Schronk sees how the bill's expanded funding opportunities could help establish more stability in their own farm. In the coming years it may open the door to actually purchase land, rather than just lease it. Lawmakers also passed a bill directing the state's emergency division to establish a disaster recovery program. Authored by Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, House Bill 3010 makes new money available to certain counties, cities and colleges when extreme weather devastates infrastructure. The bill does not include a specific amount. Counties must have fewer than 100,000 residents to apply for this funding, which will be administered by the Texas Division of Emergency Management. To be eligible, the cost of restoring destroyed infrastructure must exceed 10% of what the county collects in state and local sales taxes. Applications must include an estimate of the total cost of the repairs and evidence that the project does not qualify for federal assistance. Leon County Judge Byron Ryder said the money will help counties like his address the immediate aftermath of natural disasters, such as flooding and hurricanes. He said counties often have to dip into their penny-pinched budgets to keep themselves afloat while they wait for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse the damages. That reimbursement is not guaranteed. Ryder said the county, with roughly 16,000 residents, has spent upwards of hundreds of thousands on previous hurricane and flooding damages, part of which has not been reimbursed. 'We're on our own for the first 72 hours [of a disaster],' Ryder said. 'Everything is spent, and then we hope we get reimbursed by FEMA.' Another bill by Rep. David Spiller, R-Jacksboro, seeks to eliminate the disparities between rural and urban firefighting and rescue capabilities. The bill requires Texas A&M Engineering Service to conduct a study that evaluates the disparities and provide recommendations on how to improve it. Another requirement is that the study considers several factors, including available funding for personnel and equipment and the number of qualified candidates to fill new or vacant positions. The study is to be submitted by Dec. 1, 2026 to the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House. Lawmakers also passed a slew of bills aimed at preparing the state for wildfires and mitigating the damage. The package of legislation includes 10% of money in the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance program to go to volunteer firefighters at risk for wildfires. Disclosure: Every Texan and Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH) have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers near deal to spend $20 billion over two decades on water crisis
Texas lawmakers appear to have reached a deal this week and are on the brink of passing a sweeping plan to invest billions into the state's fragile water infrastructure and future water supply over the next 20 years, ending months of tense, back door negotiations. On Tuesday, the Senate approved House Joint Resolution 7, which will send to voters in November a proposal to allot $1 billion a year — $20 billion in total — until 2047 to secure the state's water supply. That money will be used to fund new water supply projects, such as desalination, repairing old water infrastructure, conservation and flood mitigation projects. Meanwhile, the House gave initial approval to Senate Bill 7, by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, which lays out the administrative framework for funding water projects through the Texas Water Development Board. Lawmakers also agreed to a one-time investment of $2.5 billion into the water fund from House Bill 500, the supplemental budget, which is taken from the current budget surplus. About $880 million of that is already in the fund, so more than $1.6 billion will be deposited. A final, procedural, vote by the House on SB 7 is expected to happen Wednesday. [Water bills face deadline threat as Texas lawmakers negotiate spending priorities] Addressing the state's water crisis has been a big priority for lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott this year. Texas is running out of water, and fast. With aging pipes, drought pressure, and population growth squeezing resources, Abbott called water an 'emergency item.' The $20 billion deal is a step forward, but the funding is a fraction of what Texas needs to fully fix the problem. A Texas 2036 report estimated that the state needs nearly $154 billion by 2050 for water infrastructure, including $59 billion for water supply projects, $74 billion for leaky pipes and infrastructure maintenance, and $21 billion to fix broken wastewater systems. The funding also dries up in 2047, and unlike similar constitutional funds, such as those dedicated to transportation, the Legislature cannot extend the tax dedication by resolution. The Legislature, more than two decades from now, will have to amend the state constitution, again — with another two-thirds vote — to keep the money flowing. It will also be put to another state referendum. And as climate change accelerates, urban demand skyrockets, and critical infrastructure ages, this deal may prove to be a down payment. Perry acknowledged the shortfall on the Senate floor, but applauded the initial step. 'This plan is a good start to make that goal,' Perry said. Both bills have changed quite a bit throughout the legislative process. The biggest point of contention was how the annual $1 billion would be spent. The original House plan gave the Texas Water Development Board wide discretion over how to use the money. Waters experts said under that plan, local leaders would have had flexibility to prioritize their community's most pressing needs — whether cleaning salty water to make drinkable or repairing leaky pipes. However, a Senate push led by Perry locked in 80% of the funds for new water supply projects, such as desalination and treating oilfield wastewater. Under that plan, the remaining 20% would be reserved for repairs, conservation, and flood mitigation. The fight over that ratio became the flashpoint of the legislative debate. On Monday, both those proposals were walked back to a 50-50 split by an amendment added to the Senate bill by state Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine. During the discussion Monday about the Senate bill, Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, cited a neighborhood in her district with chronic water line failures and old pipes that need repair. She asked if the water bill will help communities like that one with leaking pipes. Harris assured her the bill 'absolutely' addresses that. 'Being able to fix existing failing infrastructure is a major focus of this bill,' he said. The Senate and House need to approve each chamber's amendments, which they're expected to do, before the legislation can be sent to Abbott's desk. Disclosure: Texas 2036 has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Texas House wants voters to approve billions to save the state's water supply
LUBBOCK — The Texas House on Tuesday approved a key piece of legislation that brings Texas one step closer to investing $1 billion annually to address the state's water shortage. House Joint Resolution 7, led by state Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, was overwhelmingly approved by the lower chamber, 138-6. Tuesday's vote sets the proposal on a path to voters. If the Senate also approves it, voters will be asked in November to approve the spending, which comes from the state's sales tax. The Senate has a similar proposal, asking voters for dedicated funding. However, it spells out how the money is to be used. Written by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, Senate Joint Resolution 66 calls for 80% of the $1 billion to go toward projects that create new water supply, such as desalination or produced water treatment plants. The remaining 20% would be split among several programs that address other needs, including infrastructure upgrades for aging pipes, drinking water and wastewater treatment plants. Harris' House resolution does not specify how the billions should be spent. The Texas Water Development Board, the state agency that helps manage the state's water, would determine how the money is allocated. Harris told lawmakers the Legislature will work with the board on those decisions, but the board will decide. He also presented an amendment that protects existing groundwater supply, stating the new water supply fund could not be used for groundwater projects unless it's brackish groundwater. On the House floor Tuesday, Harris said the Legislature has the opportunity to address Texas' growing water needs by passing the resolution. 'This is an incredible opportunity for us to tackle this issue,' Harris said. [Texas is running out of water. Here's why and what state leaders plan to do about it.] Texas water supply faces several threats, including a growing population, climate change and leaking infrastructure. Texas does not have enough water to meet demand in the case of a historic drought, according to state data. The situation will become dire if the hundreds of projects detailed in the state water plan are not completed. Another piece of sweeping legislation, Senate Bill 7, is making its way through the legislative process. Also written by Perry, it covers a wide range of water needs and issues. The Senate unanimously approved it earlier this month. However, Harris made changes to the bill while it was in a House committee. The changes were celebrated by the state's water community. If the House approves the bill, the two chambers will have to reconcile the differences to pass the legislation forward. During a debate on the House Floor, state Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, objected to dedicated funding for water needs. Harrison argued the money should be going to property tax relief. Harris disagreed and argued that securing the state's water supply was an economic imperative. 'The Texas economy will come to a screeching halt,' Harris said, evoking the link between the state's water supply and economy that fuels the state's budget. Members of the state's water community celebrated the bill's passage. Jennifer Walker, director of the Texas Coast and Water program for the National Wildlife Federation, called it a historic win for Texas. 'Having sustained investments is going to be a huge help,' Walker said. 'This allows flexibility for the water board to utilize all the programs at their disposal to best meet the needs of Texas communities.' Perry Fowler, executive director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network, said it was encouraging to see bipartisan support for the bill. 'We're optimistic that a reasonable and balanced funding approach will prevail,' Fowler said. 'One that empowers the Texas Water Development Board to support the full range of vital programs eligible.' According to Texas 2036, Texas needs to invest at least $154 billion over the next 50 years on water supply projects and infrastructure upgrades. While there are other state and federal programs to fund water needs, there is still a projected shortfall in funding of $112 billion. Water needs have become a focal point for Texas lawmakers in recent years. In 2023, the Texas Legislature allocated a one-time investment of $1 billion to create the Texas Water Fund, with approval from voters. Disclosure: Texas 2036 has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Senate passes Johnson drug abuse education bill
Apr. 17—COLUMBUS — The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 7, sponsored by Senator Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, which introduces changes to student instruction on harmful effects of substance use. "In order to effectively fight the war on drugs, we need to take an approach that acknowledges our children are the most impressionable people in our society," Johnson said. "As a first step in curbing the upward path of death and destruction, this bill requires proper and appropriate instruction in the harms of, and restrictions against, drugs of abuse. While simple, I believe this policy change begins a much-needed process of targeting drug prevention in a meaningful way—one that can save lives and prevent Ohio's children from a lifetime of drug abuse and suffering. "We will never win the war on drugs with a sole focus on the suppliers—we must do more to decrease demand," he added. "I want to do everything I can to keep the precious little souls of our children from entering the terrible vortex of drug abuse and addiction." Senate Bill 7 requires each public school, and permits each chartered nonpublic school, to annually provide instruction to students in grades K-12 on the harmful effects of short-term or chronic substance use as well as bullying and hazing in its health curriculum. Additionally, the Department of Education and Workforce is instructed to develop a list of evidence-based curricula, materials, programs, and instructional strategies related to the required health curriculum and substance use instruction. An annual survey by the department is also to be conducted on public school compliance with the required health curriculum and substance use instruction. Senate Bill 7 now heads to the Ohio House of Representatives for further consideration.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
To avoid water crisis, Texas may bet big on desalination. Here's how it works in El Paso.
This article is part of Running Out, an occasional series about Texas' water crisis. EL PASO — The wind swept through El Paso one day in March, lifting a fine layer of dust that settled onto windshields, clothes and skin. The air was thick with haze from a dust storm. This border city, perched on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, receives on average less than 9 inches of rain each year. Water in the city of 679,000 people is a challenge. Inside El Paso's Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant, Hector Sepúlveda, the plant's superintendent, walks through rows of towering steel tubes as a loud hum vibrates through the air. This machinery is essential to providing thousands in the city with clean water. 'This is a desert community,' Sepúlveda said. 'So the water utilities have to always think ahead and be very resourceful and very smart and find resources to take the water that we do have here and provide for a desert community.' Sepúlveda says the city's dry climate, compounded by dwindling ground and surface water supplies and climate change has made innovation essential. A key piece of that strategy is desalination — the process of removing salt and other minerals from seawater or salty groundwater so people can drink it. When it opened in 2007, El Paso's desalination plant was the largest inland desalination facility in the world. It was built through a partnership between El Paso Water and Fort Bliss, one of the nation's largest military bases, when water shortages threatened the base's operations. Today, at max capacity the plant can supply up to 27.5 million gallons per day — helping stretch the city's supply by making use of the region's abundance of brackish groundwater, salty groundwater with salinity levels higher than freshwater, but lower than seawater. The city wants to expand the plant's capacity to 33.5 million gallons per day by 2028. El Pasoans used about 105 million gallons per day last year. As Texas faces twin pressures of population growth and prolonged drought, lawmakers are looking to desalination as a way forward. The Texas Legislature took a major step in 2023, creating the New Water Supply for Texas Fund, to support desalination projects — including both brackish and seawater. This legislative session, lawmakers are pushing to accelerate that effort with a bill by state Sen. Charles Perry, a Lubbock Republican, that could dedicate millions for new water projects, including desalination. Senate Bill 7 cleared the upper chamber earlier this month and is now awaiting a House committee's consideration. 'We've developed all the cheap water, and all the low-hanging fruit has been obtained. There is no more of it, and it's depleting what's left. We're going into the second phase of water development through brackish marine, brackish produced water and brackish aquifers,' Perry said on the Senate floor before his colleagues gave the legislation unanimous approval. Sixty municipal water desalination facilities are already online, according to the Texas Water Development Board, the state agency that helps manage and finance water supply projects. Of those, 43 desalinate brackish groundwater. El Paso's is the largest. As of December 2024, the agency had designated 31 brackish groundwater sites as production zones, meaning they have moderate to high availability of brackish groundwater to treat. The board's 2022 state water plan proposes implementing an additional 37 brackish groundwater desalination projects in South Texas cities like McAllen, Mission, San Benito; and West Texas towns like Abilene and Midland. The plan states that if all recommended strategies are used, groundwater desalination could make up about 2.1% of the state's projected water needs by producing 157,000 acre-feet per year by 2070 — enough to support 942,000 Texans for one year. Still, desalination isn't without tradeoffs. The technology takes a lot of energy, and construction costs can be steep. There are also several factors to consider that affect the final price tag: How deep the water lies, how salty it is, how far it needs to travel, and how to dispose of the leftover salty waste. The water board estimates treating brackish groundwater can run anywhere from $357 to $782 per acre-foot, while seawater desalination ranges from $800 to $1,400. Lawmakers say water funding at a state-level is critical to help communities shoulder the upfront costs of these alternative water supplies. Sepúlveda, who has spent more than 30 years with El Paso Water, says the process at the desalination plant begins with brackish groundwater drawn from 15 wells near the El Paso International Airport. The salty water is transported to the plant where it is first filtered through strainers to remove sand particles. Then it is transported through cartridge filters. This process is similar to how household water filters work, but far more efficient. The cartridge filters trap fine sediments smaller than a strand of hair, further filtering the water before it reaches the heart of the system: reverse osmosis, often referred to as RO membranes. Sepúlveda, who wears a blue construction hat and highlighter yellow vest, stands amid a room full of long rows of stacked steel tubes, or RO membrane units. Here, brackish groundwater gets turned into fresh, drinkable water. It's pumped through these tubes — each with 72 vessels — at extremely high pressure, leaving behind salt and bacteria. 'We're separating the undesirable stuff from the potable water,' he said, as he opened a faucet and sipped the water. 'At the end you end up with safe drinking water. The process is just amazing.' Once cleaned, the water is divided between El Paso Water customers and Fort Bliss. Sepúlveda said they will soon expand the plant to produce 33.5 million gallons per day by adding a sixth row of RO membranes. The brine, or concentrated salty water left over from the process, is pumped 22 miles to deep well injection sites. The desal plant can separate up to 3 million gallons of brine a day. At the site, the concentrate is sent 3,500 feet underground into a fractured rock formation. While brackish groundwater desalination has proven to be a viable solution for inland communities like El Paso, environmentalists are raising concerns about the potential consequences of scaling up the water strategy. Seawater desalination is gaining attention as Gulf Coast cities like Corpus Christi start developing their own seawater desalination facility. For seawater desalination, Shane Walker, professor and director of a water research center at Texas Tech University, says the main concern is removing the excess salt. While most of the salinity comes from dissolved minerals that aren't harmful, Walker says, high concentrations — think of over-salted French fries — can harm marine life and disrupt coastal ecosystems. Seawater is much saltier than brackish water and salt levels vary widely depending on the source. In seawater desalination, the brine byproduct — which can be twice as salty as seawater — is often discharged back into the ocean. If not properly managed, this can increase salinity in bays and estuaries, threatening species like oysters, crabs and shrimp that are critical to local fisheries and ecosystems. Myron Hess, an environmental consultant for the nonprofit National Wildlife Federation, said that when plants take in water it could potentially suck in marine creatures with the ocean water. 'As you're diverting particularly massive amounts of water, you can be pulling in lots of organisms,' Hess said. For inland facilities like the Kay Bailey Hutchison plant, the environmental concerns are different. They don't kill marine life, but disposal is still a concern. In El Paso, Art Ruiz, chief plant manager for El Paso Water and the former superintendent of the utility's desalination plant, calls this disposal 'chemistry salts' and says that disposal is handled through deep well injection into an isolated part of the aquifer. Ruiz said El Paso is blessed with a geological formation that has a natural fault that prevents the concentrate from migrating and contaminating the freshwater supply. In regions where this is not feasible, evaporation ponds are used, but they require large amounts of land and careful management to prevent environmental hazards. 'Deep well injection is a common method used for larger desalination facilities, but the geology has to be right,' Walker said. 'You have to ensure that the injection site is isolated and won't contaminate freshwater aquifers.' Another concern raised by water experts is how Texas manages brackish groundwater and whether the state is doing enough to protect nearby freshwater sources. Senate Bill 2658 proposes to exempt certain brackish groundwater wells located within state-designated production zones from needing a permit. Experts say the move would bypass a permitting process in the state's water code that was specifically designed to safeguard freshwater aquifers. The central worry is that brackish and fresh groundwater are often hydrologically connected. While brackish groundwater can be an important part of the state's water portfolio, Vanessa Puig-Williams, a water expert with the Environmental Defense Fund, says there's a real risk that pumping brackish water could unintentionally start drawing in and depleting nearby fresh water if oversight is not required from local groundwater conservation districts. Experts also caution that the production zones identified by the water board weren't designed to guide site-specific decisions, such as how much a well can safely pump or whether it could affect nearby freshwater supplies. Hess, consulting for the National Wildlife Federation, authored a paper on the impacts of desalination, including the price tag. Constructing a facility is costly, as is the energy it takes to run it. El Paso's desalination facility cost $98.3 million, including the production and injection wells construction, $26 million of which it received in federal funding. The technology to clean the water is energy intensive. Desalinating water in El Paso costs about $500 per acre-foot of water — 46% more than treating surface water from a river. Seawater facilities require even more energy, which adds to the costs in producing or cleaning the water. TWDB estimates those range from $800 to $1,400 per acre-foot. Texas has no operating seawater desalination plants for municipal use, but the state's environmental agency, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has authorized permits for two marine desalination facilities and has four pending applications for seawater desalination facilities, three in Corpus Christi and one in Port Isabel. 'The first seawater plant in Texas is going to be expensive,' Walker said. 'The first time somebody does something, it's going to cost way more than the other ones that come along behind it, because we're having to figure out all the processes and procedures to do it the first time.' Back at the Kay Bailey Hutchison plant in El Paso, Sepúlveda, the plant's superintendent, walks into a lab opened to students and professors from the University of Texas at El Paso, New Mexico State University, and Rice University to test new technologies to help refine the desalination processes or extend the lifespan of RO membranes. Sepúlveda said water utility employees have learned a lot since 2007 when the plant first opened. RO membranes, used to clean the salty water, cost anywhere from $600 to $800. El Paso uses 360 RO membranes to run its plant. To extend the life from five to 12 years, utility employees figured out a system by checking salinity levels before extracting from a certain well. 'When we first bring water in from the brackish wells, we know how salty each well is, so we try to bring in the wells that are less salty to not put the membranes under such stress,' he said. 'It almost doubled the life of the membrane.' He added that this technique is also helping plant operators reduce energy consumption. Plant operators have adjusted salinity levels by blending the brackish groundwater with less salty water, which helps prevent pipe corrosion and clogging. Their pipes are also now winterized. After the 2011 freeze, El Paso upgraded insulation and installed heat tape to protect equipment. As Texas moves forward with more desalination projects, Sepúlveda said the lessons from El Paso will be critical as more plants go online. 'You always have to be forward-thinking. Always have to be innovative,' he said, as the machines buzzed in the background. 'You always have to be on top of the latest technological improvements to be able to extract water from whatever scant resources you have.' Disclosure: Environmental Defense Fund, Rice University, Texas Tech University and University of Texas at El Paso have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at Store, harvest, fix: How Texas can save its water supply This is what the state decided on a desal permit requested by the city of Corpus Christi This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas may bet big on desalination. Here's how it works in El Paso.
