exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

A water main break in Kempner is putting thousands under stage five water restrictions, and parts are preparing to have no water by Friday morning.

Denton County commissioners approved a countywide burn ban effective immediately on Tuesday. Denton County Fire Marshal Brad Sebastian told the commissioners during their meeting Tuesday that the danger of grass fires would increase due to this week’s 100-degree temperatures with no rain expected. 

Almost 6 million Texans, or about 20% of the population, live in an area susceptible to flooding and one-fifth of the state’s land is in a 100-year floodplain, according to first-of-its-kind data gathered as part of a statewide effort to harden Texas against floods and rising sea levels. The analysis is part of the Texas Water Development Board’s first statewide flood plan, still in development, which the Legislature required in a 2019 law passed in response to Hurricane Harvey. 

Central Texas residents can expect to conserve water usage by another 5% — and soon. Ricky Garrett, general manager of Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, said he expects Belton Lake to reach Stage 2 drought levels by next week.

The water and wastewater impact fees charged to housing developments in Leander increased from $7,129 per Living Unit Equivalent—or one home—to $11,064.73 per LUE. Impact fees generate revenue for a portion of the funding for water and wastewater capital improvements and facilities expansions required by and attributed to new development, according to meeting documents.

Wastewater treatment plants in Pasadena, operated by the same company that has come under fire for issues with another Houston-area plant, have received violations from the Environmental Protection Agency. The city has two facilities, New Vince Bayou and Golden Acres, that are run by Inframark. 

Overton is on day four of the boil water notice after residents were left without running water for two days last week. After a valve in one of their wells broke, the city shut off all running water for two days.

Saturday marks the 15th consecutive day of temperatures in the triple digits in San Antonio. Gardeners at Rainbow Gardens said even drought-resistant plants are struggling to survive this summer.

The city of Katy entered Stage 2 of its Drought Contingency Plan on Saturday, calling on residents to voluntarily limit water usage. As part of the city plan, recommendations for Stage 2 include limiting hydrant flushing (except for water system repairs), flushing gutters or allowing water to run or accumulate in any street; refraining from filling outdoor pools and tubs; and reducing water use for power washing of buildings, sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard-surfaced areas.

After a welcomed break from the triple digits this weekend, 100s are back this week. High temps will be at of above 100° for DFW and west. Slightly higher humidity is expected for areas east of DFW and that'll keep highs in the upper 90s.

Saharan dust is forecast by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to move over the entire state of Texas the next couple of days, with the heaviest amounts over Central Texas, North Central Texas, Southeast Texas and along the coastal bend of Texas. Conditions may begin to slightly improve this weekend with lower concentrations of Saharan dust in South Texas, Central Texas, North Central Texas and along the Texas coast.

The current building was constructed in 1966, and a two-story addition was built in 1990. Over time, the office and lab environment has been exposed to large amounts of hydrogen sulfide due to the location of the raw sewage entry point into the wastewater plant and the building’s proximity to the trickling filters and primary clarifiers. As a result, safety concerns for TWU employees have been raised, and corrosion in electrical devices such as computers and lab equipment has occurred.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has a program called the River Access and Conservation Area program, or RACA. Through RACA, the TPWD leases access at private properties around the state to provide public access for people to do activities like fishing and paddling.

At least 25 chemical incidents have occurred in Texas so far this year, the most of any state, according to the data, which is compiled from news, industry and government reports.

About a third of facilities that store hazardous chemicals are located in areas that are susceptible to natural hazards made worse by climate change, such as wildfires and storm surges, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

The agency where Rosenberg gets nearly half of its water supply wants to build a massive reservoir to store water. If it's not built, residents could be without water for six months in severe weather cases.

The world currently finds itself in the grip of El Niño, a cyclical warming of sea surface waters in the eastern Pacific along the equator. For Texans, this usually means cooler, rain-laden weather, yet the summer forecast so far has been anything but.