exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The new plan, which outlines targets for per capita water usage and drought-triggered restriction measures, is part of a standard five-year update procedure that will replace similar policies amended in 2019. But as the city approaches nearly two years of consecutive drought, the stakes are higher for what some view as an underwhelming approach.

It’s been more than 50 years since the South Texas ocelot — a medium-sized spotted wildcat known for parallel stripes running down its neck — was put on the federal endangered species list. By official counts, there are only about 100 of these creatures remaining in their native South Texas, concentrated in Cameron and Willacy counties, on the state's eastern coast.

According to the Town of Anthony, regarding their water system, the grant will fund upgrades and expansion of the existing Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and the construction of a 1.73 MGD Water Treatment Plan that will remove arsenic from the town's drinking water.

The Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday approved a flurry of resolutions and code revisions designed to bolster the safety and sustainability of the city’s water supply. City leaders unanimously passed revisions to the city’s water treatment codes in an effort to limit PFAS pollution in public water systems. 

Dallas residents will decide in a May 4 bond election whether to allocate $52 million toward 56 projects that seek to manage stormwater runoff to prevent flooding, reduce erosion and protect the quality of the city’s waterways. The measure is among 10 bond propositions before voters that will decide whether the city spends up to $1.25 billion to address what it considers urgent needs.

UPDATE: The City of Tyler said a boil water notice was issued as of 3:55 p.m. for TWU customers in west Tyler as a safety precaution due to the main break. Tyler ISD said that schools affected by the boil water notice will continue as normal on Tuesday.

Drought restrictions are tightening across the state as Texas heat returns. With the drought season starting, San Marcos City Council voted this week to change its water restrictions.

Due to wholesale provider, Lake Livingston WSC, issuing a boil water notice Harbor Point customers will be required to boil water prior to consumption. Bacteriological samples will be collected as soon as conditions improve, and the utility would cancel the Boil Water Notice at that time. 

The city said the proposed rate increase, which would be phased in over five years, will depend on water consumption. For example, a household using 3,000 gallons of water could see their rate increase from $30.55 cents to as much as $39.51 cents by January 2025.

Several Lake Travis-area cities have signed onto a petition asking the state to consider giving that money to small communities strained by rapidly growing metros in their proximity.

A hybrid bass stocking program was launched Thursday when two million fry were released into Lake Livingston by a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department fish-stocking barge. Hybrid bass are a cross between white bass and striper bass. Fry are baby fish that have just hatched and are a quarter to a half-inch long.

Summertime is on the horizon and it is just about time to hop into Central Texas rivers to escape the heat. Meanwhile, a long-missed river animal is also heading back to the cool waters. Otter sightings have reportedly been happening in the area, marking a change from the past 70 years.

The $17.6 million expansion of the plant will double capacity, allowing an intake of two million gallons daily. Tom Mattis, Elgin's city manager, said he believes the plant will provide the necessary capacity over the next 10 years as Elgin continues to grow.

A boil water notice affecting residents along US 59 south of CR 524 has been rescinded. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the City of Nacogdoches to issue a boil water notice on Sunday, and that notice has been rescinded as of Tuesday.

Tucked away in the northeastern corner of Kimble County, the community of London is on the road to recovery following a days-long do-not-drink advisory. According to Kimble County Judge Hal Rose, a disaster declaration was signed on Thursday, April 18, after multiple residents and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reported issues in the community’s water supply.

Several people found and brought the eaglet to Austin Wildlife Rescue (AWR) after severe storms knocked down a tree branch containing its nest last week. Rescue staff checked the baby for injuries and provided it with fluids and nourishment.

After clearing the eaglet for release and being informed that its parents were still in the area, AWR partnered with Texas Parks and Wildlife to renest it.

At the center of controversy is a draft discharge permit for a city-proposed desalination plant that would be capable of generating as much as 30 million gallons of treated water per day. If realized, it would be developed at what city of Corpus Christi officials have described as its Inner Harbor site, located at W. Broadway Street and Nueces Bay Boulevard.

The city is decreasing its number of drought stages from five to three with greater differences between stages. The new restrictions also change how the city measures its available water supply.

The Texas Water Development Board has approved nearly $130 million in funding for the City of Dallas to help manage flooding on the Trinity River. The funding is intended to be used for constructing new levees, as well as adding new pump stations, renovating existing ones, and removing old ones. The money would also be used to improve controls in the sump system.

The Austin City Council on Thursday passed the first of many steps to address the "deficient" elements of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this year, kicking off a spate of votes in the coming months to increase capacity at the overcrowded airport. The unanimous decision, the first of at least nine expansion-related votes planned this year, approves a $162 million construction contract to build a new utility plant for the city-run airport.