exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

Receding lake levels last summer left a huge number of tires exposed in Lake Belton. People removed them thinking they were illegally discarded. Many were, but most were not – they were sunk when the lake was created in the 1950s to serve as artificial reefs to provide habitat for fish. 

A fisherman's tale of alligator spotting along the South Texas coast became a reality over the weekend. One gator and fishermen came face to face in the waters on South Padre Island.

When it rains, it pours in Gregory. People have dealt with flooding for years in Gregory but now a project completed in Portland could make a difference.

Because of system maintenance on Georgetown’s water plants, customers may see brown- or green-tinted water coming out of their faucets from April 17 to May 17, the city said in a March 19 news release. The water may also have an odor of chlorine due to the cleaning chemicals used during the system-wide maintenance.

City officials are considering putting a halt to new land developments as water levels continue to plummet at the two international reservoirs that supply the bulk of the Rio Grande Valley’s water. If approved, the moratorium would temporarily stop new residential and commercial developments larger than 5 acres from moving forward within Mission city limits.

Officials estimate 1.5 million gallons of raw sewage from the City of Plano spilled into a creek that feeds into the lake after an issue at a water facility

Prosper and Celina residents could see construction to expand the Upper Trinity Regional Water District Doe Branch Water Reclamation Plant, which serves both communities, in the coming years, officials said.

The increase is part of a water rate hike plan approved in 2021. It will raise water and wastewater rates annually through 2026. At the time, the bill for the average single-family home usage of 3,000 gallons a month was $27. By 2026, it will be $48, a 78% increase.

The new bypass channel for the Trinity River near downtown Fort Worth will do more than create the actual islands for the multibillion-dollar Panther Island redevelopment. The bypass channel is a key part of a major federal project that aims to reduce the risk of flooding. It’s called the Central City Flood Control Project, and the U.S. Corps of Engineers is in charge of it. Once the Corps builds the 1.5-mile bypass channel, some existing earthen levees near downtown can come down, which will open up land for mixed-use redevelopment — aka Panther Island. 

How exactly will Panther Island’s new bypass channel prevent flooding in Fort Worth? (yahoo.com)

On March 14, the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that from 2022 to 2023, Texas boasted four of the top 10 metro areas with the largest growth in the country. Dallas and Houston were ranked first and second on the list. While that growth is a great sign of the strength of our state’s economy and the attractiveness of our metro areas, it also comes with a strain on our infrastructure. 

The Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Facility will be closed to the public, including waste haulers, on Tuesday, March 26 for a routine repair and maintenance project. The city of Amarillo said the project consists of repairs to the bar screen.

On March 18, Jersey Village City Council accepted inspection reports on the city’s water and wastewater facilities that will “be at the heart of the budgeting process” for years, according to meeting documents. City Council unanimously voted to accept the 2024 Utility Fund Capital Improvements Plan & Inspection Reports from Quiddity Engineering LLC. The reports detail the condition of city water and wastewater facilities, includes: the Castlebridge Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Jones Road, 290 NW, Hillcrest, Rio Grande, Philippine and Tahoe lift stations and the Seattle, Village and West water plants.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Trinity River Authority came together to host a public open house [...]  to gather feedback for the creation of a Vision Plan for the Port of Liberty.  The goal of this Vision Plan is to pinpoint the most beneficial uses for the lands associated with the Port of Liberty, focusing on aspects such as economic development, environmental conservation, and multi-modal transportation, including the vital element of Trinity River navigation.

Montague County has applied for a new Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System to authorize the discharge of treated domestic wastewater at a daily average flow not to exceed 10,000 gallons per day. The county application was made on July 10, 2023.

Cyberattacks are hitting water and wastewater systems “throughout the United States” and state governments and water facilities must improve their defenses against the threat, the White House and Environmental Protection Agency warned US governors on Tuesday.

Texas state officials are investigating a sewage spill that dumped 1.5 million gallons of wastewater from Plano into White Rock Creek. The spill began about 2:40 p.m. March 14 when the valve at a water lift station in Plano failed, flooding the station and shuttering mechanical equipment. Sewage then overflowed from three manholes near 5510 West Plano Parkway.

Direct potable reuse (DPR) water systems add purified wastewater directly to a water distribution system, instead of first passing water through an environmental buffer such as a lake or reservoir. These systems are being considered in some water-stressed regions across the U.S. to address water shortages. However, little is known about the health outcomes of people who receive DPR drinking water.