exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The city of La Joya says an increase in demand as the city’s water supply dwindles led to them issuing a water conservation notice to residents. Under the notice, residents must conserve water for two weeks.

Nearly 180 counties have issued burn bans as dry conditions and record heat persist across most of the state. As of Wednesday, there were nearly a dozen active wildfires across the state, ranging in size from a few dozen acres to several hundred. They include the 1,400-acre Double Back fire in Johnson County, which was 90% contained; the 900-acre Craft fire in Jack County, which was 70% contained; and the 400-acre Cedar Top fire in Knox County, which was only 15% contained.

Cities throughout the Colorado River basin are looking to stretch out their existing water supplies in the face of climate change and steady demand. Some are turning to direct potable reuse, which treats wastewater until it's clean enough to drink.

Tesla uses a massive amount of water while the Boring Co. attempts to dump its wastewater into the river.  Travis County commissioners who struck the deal with Tesla aren't sure exactly how much water the factory is using or will use, despite repeated requests for information. 

Due to a low chlorine residual, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required the Denning Rural Water System to notify customers to boil their water prior to consumption (eg., washing hands/ face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc.). The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.

The state of Texas has made transformative investments in the Raymondville Drain Project, recognizing its critical importance for the future of communities in the Rio Grande Valley. These investments are critical given that the damage caused by the RGV floods in 2015 and 2018 cost hundreds of millions of dollars. 

The latest Farmers' Almanac report is in and it warns that the 2023-24 winter season will be much cooler than last year's milder conditions. As for the South, residents in Texas and Florida should also expect colder temperatures than they usually get in winter.

Several North Texas cities are stepping up water conservation rules this week as the heat wave boosts drought conditions. At the same time, future water supplies for North Texas are a topic of debate including a proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir in far Northeast Texas, 150 miles from Dallas.

Renewable energy company Avangrid recently announced the construction of a new solar farm in Falls County that will help power Meta in the region. Construction on the site was halted in December of 2022, but Temple mayor Tim Davis says it’ll be restarting again soon.

The City of Freeport lifted the order around 11 a.m. on Sunday and notified residents that the water was safe to consume.

On Wednesday, city officials discovered the higher-than-normal salt level. Beaumont Mayor Roy West says drought is partially to blame for higher levels of salt in the water system.

Water infrastructure across the country is vulnerable as climate change makes storms more unpredictable and destructive, flooding low-lying drinking water treatment plants and overwhelming coastal sewage systems. A big reason is geography. Wastewater systems — which deal with sewage or stormwater runoff — are often near water bodies because that is where they discharge. But this makes them vulnerable.

Other Houston-area cities are under voluntary restrictions. Under Tomball's rules, homes with odd-numbered addresses should water on Wednesdays. For those with even-numbered addresses, they can water on Thursdays.

A spokesman with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says a massive fire at the J-3 Metals Recycling Center in Jasper County should be fully extinguished on Wednesday.

However, KFDM/Fox 4's Angel San Juan reports fears remain for those living and working near the facility.

An odd-looking, dangling creature recently found in Texas has left wildlife experts scratching their heads. On Friday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Texas Nature Trackers—a group of citizen scientists tracking the status of wild populations of plants and animals throughout Texas—shared a clip of a "mystery critter" they recently came across and asked the public to give their best guesses on what it might be.

Alarming heat and humidity killed hundreds of cows in Iowa last month. These losses have further decreased the size of the overall U.S. cattle herd, which has shrunk to a more than 50-year low. 

An Ohio man couldn't stand the Texas heat after visiting the state. Clay Alexander posted a video on June 27, trashing the Lone Star State's temperatures. He said he doesn't understand why Texans choose to live in a place so hot (we ask ourselves this too).

Boerne Utilities notified its water customers that Stage 2 water restrictions would take effect as drought and continuous triple-digit temperatures affect the region. The restrictions will begin Aug. 7, 2023.