exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The Laredo City Council has revised its drought contingency plans to include levying fines on residents who misuse water as punishing heat and a lack of water payments by Mexico are taking a toll on the South Texas border region. The revised plans call for developers to offer xeriscaping on new homes; require all schools, federal, state and local buildings, parks and libraries to xeriscape within five years; require homeowners to address faulty backflow devices; and restrict carwash fundraisers.

Take a look at the construction completed at North Texas' new Palo Pinto Mountains State Park in Strawn. The state park was slated to open in 2023 but is now expected to be open by summer of 2025.

The Exfluor Research Corp., which makes "forever chemicals," is expanding in Round Rock after a proposed facility in Florence drew protests. Officials with Exfluor Research Corp. did not reply to a request for comment about the new facility in Round Rock or what will be made there. The company's website, however, says its products include chemicals that do not degrade, called "forever chemicals," such as hydrofluorocarbons.

Fort Worth, Arlington, Grapevine, Haltom City, Lake Worth and Weatherford reported PFAS contamination above the EPA’s new limits. Here are their plans to address it.

Federal aid will now be available to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts following flooding in early May and the severe weather that hit the area May 16, according to the news release. The federal funding is available to affected residents in the following counties: Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity and Walker. 

The Lake Livingston Water Supply Corporation issued six separate boil water notices for several areas and subdivisions on Friday. 

The head of a South Texas planning group is proposing that a “water bank” be formed so smaller cities can get water from larger cities with surplus supplies and keep it flowing in South Texas.

Landowners are concerned about the future of the Pedernales River after recent filings for wastewater permits at two developments. The permits ask for permission from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to discharge treated wastewater on land near the river.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated money for the pre-construction and design of the $34.4 billion Coastal Texas Program.

Katy City Council approved changes to the plans at a May 13 meeting, including changing stage triggers and outdoor watering schedules.

The City of Corpus Christi is on a continued search for more water. They didn't have to look far for their latest surge of water because it may come from a source the city already maintains.

Wichita Falls area lake levels rose above 70% within the past week for the first time in years. September 12, 2022 was the last time the combined levels of Lakes Arrowhead and Kickapoo were above 70%.

The San Antonio River Authority is reintroducing 5,000 freshwater mussels into the river over the next month or two, generally between Interstate 10 and a little below Loop 410 on the South Side. SARA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it’s a first-of-its-kind conservation effort in Texas.

The City of Beeville began a water disinfection on Wednesday, May 15 to rid water reserves of excessive residual nitrates. According to Beeville City Manager John Benson, the city's water filtration and delivery systems are to be inspected by TCEQ every year. Beeville's last inspection was in 2018.

The 321-foot barge that collided with a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, halting traffic on the causeway and in the intercoastal waterway, is also believed to have spilled up to 2,000 gallons of oil, officials said on Thursday. The true total of the spillage, however, has not yet been determined.

Federal wildlife officials have declared the dunes sagebrush lizard an endangered species due to threats from energy development, sand mining and climate change. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the lizard is "in danger of extinction throughout all of its range" and is "functionally extinct" across 47% of its habitat.

Starting July 1, developers will pay an average of 23% more to connect their projects to San Antonio’s water system. An impact fee is a one-time payment charged to a new development at the time of connection. SAWS uses income from the fees for system expansions and other capital improvements. Under state law, the municipal utility must update the fee every five years; it last did so in 2019.

Saturday’s water line break resulted in the loss of 28 million gallons of water because 19 valves meant to help crews shut down water to isolate leaks were stuck in the open position, Odessa City Manager John Beckmeyer said during Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Crews had five different pumps pulling water out of the hole where the leak was to try to keep up with the rushing water and when that didn’t work they had to open up fire hydrants, he said.