Latest news with #WaterforTexas2025Conference
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$1 billion per year toward Texas water issues; state leaders propose new push
AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced his priorities for 89th legislative session. Among his top 10 — a greater investment in water infrastructure across the state. During a Q&A on the final day of the 'Water for Texas 2025 Conference', State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, spoke on the priority and his plan to include that investment as part of an upcoming joint resolution. 'I cannot in good conscience leave this place without doing whatever I was supposed to do to secure water supply,' Perry said. 'This is our window, you know, this is our time to kick off some conversations about water supply long term. It won't be here again for a long time.' The joint resolution would see an amendment to the state constitution. The amendment would guarantee $1 billion directed toward the Texas Water Fund each year. 'Many of our programs are eight, ten times oversubscribed. And so any additional funding that the legislators see fit and the voters approve will certainly help our communities,' L'Oreal Stepeny, chairwoman of the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), said. Texas leaders, experts gather to address water crisis The TWDB oversees the Texas Water Fund and how its money is distributed. 'Our mission is to secure a water future for Texas. And so we use all of our financial assistance programs for water infrastructure, whether that's drinking water infrastructure, wastewater, flood, all to provide water supply for the state of Texas,' Stepeny said. The Texas Water Fund was established during the 88th legislative session in 2023. That bill saw $1 billion set aside for TWDB to use on various projects. Perry said getting that bill passed was a first step. Across the state capital, more and more lawmakers are recognizing the need. What KXAN is watching during the 89th Legislative Session 'I can't find a member that's not interested in water today. Everybody's talking about it, partly because the awareness we rose,' Perry said. The state senator, who serves as chair on the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, wants to guarantee the funds are there in the future to ensure the future of the state. 'This is just like roads. We don't even think about roads. It just happens. It's on autopilot. This will be an autopilot,' he said. Water usage across the state has grown with more people and businesses moving to Texas. This month, President Trump announced Texas would be the site for 10 new data centers. A single data center can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day, according to the University of Tulsa. Perry said that the current water plan doesn't account for this need. 'Unfortunately, everything in water is 20 years. Some of these companies need it yesterday. So we'll work through triage, get to where we need to be as fast as we need to be,' Perry said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas leaders, experts gather to address water crisis
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Wells across the state are going dry, while many rivers and streams are down to a trickle. It's a growing problem for many Texans as water scarcity grows into a greater concern. This week, experts are gathering in Austin at the 'Water for Texas 2025 Conference' to find solutions. The conference, hosted by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), runs through Wednesday, Jan. 29. On Tuesday, panelists discussed the impact aquifer depletion is having on surface water streams and lakes. Led by TWDB executive John Dupnik, the panel explored the interesting relationship between ground and surface water. 'With surface water and groundwater, if each had Facebook pages, and they met in a bar somewhere, and it got serious… the relationship status would be 'it's complicated,'' said Dr. Robert Mace with The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. According to Dupnik, 9.3 million acre-feet of groundwater flows from aquifers to the surface each year. This accounts for about 30% of surface water. Illegal dams see new pushback from Texas lawmaker A key example of this complicated relationship: Barton Springs. Water from deep beneath the surface bubbles up and supplies water to the pool above. 'It's really easy to measure, see and quantify, but most of the state, most of that 30% contribution is much more complicated, much more subtle, and it changes,' Mace said. One topic discussed explored how wells near riverways see water levels rise alongside the nearby river, showing connections beneath the surface. 'This science is complicated. We know that there's a connection there,' Mace said. One of the complications stems from who has rights to what. In Texas, the state has legal authority over surface water. Through entities like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Lower Colorado River Authority, the state determines who has access to the surface water permits. Water pipeline decision reached amid pushback from worried landowners Groundwater is a little different. Landowners own the water beneath their property, not the state. Local groundwater conservation districts gave landowners pumping permits, but not every part of the state is overseen by a conservation district. Between the two, groundwater frequently wins over surface water. 'There is case law that allows groundwater pumping to completely dry up springs or completely dry up that connection,' said Dr. Mace. As part of the panel, which also included Carlos Rubenstein with environmental consulting firm RSAH2O, Sharlene Lewis with Fluid Advisors and Alan Day from the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District, the team discussed possible solutions. Rubenstein and Mace pushed for more data and models to give conservation districts and legislatures a better idea of what to do. 'We cannot address this credibly if we don't have the tools and we continue to use the models that we have for purposes for which they were never designed,' Rubenstein said. The conference continues Wednesday. State Sen. Charles Perry will give the closing remarks and highlight priority legislation as part of the 2025 session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
