exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed an executive order that directs state agencies to take 10 steps intended to bolster the fight against the fentanyl crisis. The order includes setting up a plan to use wastewater surveillance to keep tabs on use of the drug. 

Two elected Texas officials representing Burnet and Llano counties want a public meeting on four permit requests from Collier Materials Inc. to dredge Lake LBJ and process its sand and gravel on the Kingsland shoreline. 

Campers can have s’more fun at Texas State Parks’ centennial birthday party. On May 13, 80 state parks will host s’mores parties to toast 100 “s’more” years of outdoor fun, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said in a news release.

Today, 220 years later, a new “Louisiana Purchase” is being proposed. An entity known as Aqueduct Partners LP is in the process of negotiating an agreement with the Sabine River Authority-Louisiana for 600,000 acre-feet of water annually from the Louisiana portion of Toledo Bend Reservoir, which straddles the Sabine River boundary between Texas and Louisiana.

An estimated 500,000 people live in thousands of colonias along the Texas-Mexico border. Largely built between the 1950s and 1980s, these communities have been promised water — but it has never come.

Texas water systems face three simultaneous threats: a surging population, climate change and deteriorating infrastructure that is largely decentralized. Texas is poised to invest billions of dollars to address the state’s growing water needs. However, that investment is not sufficient to fend off the increasing number of threats to the state’s water systems, water advocates say.

Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake said renewable energy could be critical to preventing power outages this summer. Renewable energy supporters said the grid’s reliability doesn’t hinge on wind and solar.

Lurking in the muck at a Pennsylvania wastewater treatment plant was a “grinning” creature that didn’t belong. Then a worker spotted the exotic critter’s tail. 

The job fair is open to veterans, active-duty military personnel, military spouses, transitioning military and members of the National Guard and Reserve. Employers include Canon US Inc. Constellis, Texas Health Resources, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Wells Fargo, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, US Aviation Academy, Trinity River Authority and dozens more.

Officials with the San Antonio River Authority said trash and litter buildup is an ongoing issue at many waterways, especially near Espada Dam. SARA Watershed and Parks Operations Manager Tommy Mitchell said water at the crossing at Espada Dam can rise anywhere from eight to ten feet during heavy rainfall, meaning anything from old mattresses to blankets and rugs will get stuck along the tree line.

Sherman is getting its utility network ready for the demands of semiconductor manufacturers Texas Instruments and GlobalWafers which are expanding operations. The City Council approved hundreds of millions of dollars of upgrades to the water and wastewater systems. And Sherman taxpayers won't have to pay that bill.

As a public hearing about a proposed wastewater treatment plant draws near, opponents of the Hill Country development it will serve are ramping up their efforts to halt the project. As a part of a 2,900-home development on 1,160 acres that was once part of the historic Guajolote Ranch, Lennar Homes would like to build a wastewater treatment plant that could discharge up to 1 million gallons of treated effluent into Helotes Creek per day.

While the region has received various amounts of rainfall, more is needed as producers on the South Plains prepare to plant cotton.

The plan to create a complete ring around San Antonio is one step closer to its goal. The Bexar County Commissioners Court has approved more than $25 million to create two new trail extensions in the Leon Creek Greenway. Officials aim to finish the projects in three years.

The PFAS Annihilator at the Heritage-Crystal Clean wastewater treatment facility is the United States’ first active commercial-grade system to destroy PFAS in raw leachate. It has the capability to treat up to 500,000 gallons of raw leachate per day.

A boil water notice was lifted for MUD 111 in Montgomery County on Sunday after customers were affected for two days. County officials said a broken water main line near the water plant prompted the notice on Friday.

The city of Sherman made the call to cut water and sewer sources in 2025 to several of its customers. Sherman said it needs to make sure it can meet the demands of its growing number of residents and big tech companies, like Texas Instruments and Globalwafers.

The city of Dallas suffered a ransomware attack Wednesday which interrupted its computer-based emergency dispatch, the court system, the Dallas Police Department website, and the city's own website.

As the City of Denison braces for growth, Denison city leaders are ensuring its ready for these new residents. Denison City Council approved a wastewater master plan that will expand and rehabilitate the current plant.