exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

Across Texas, drought conditions have fluctuated a bit, but overall it's been worsening, with about 81% of the state experiencing some sort of drought — and the worst conditions have been since November, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday. More than 9.8 million of the state's 29 million residents live in drought conditions, the data show.

A boil water notice has been issued for the City of San Augustine Public Water System and the San Augustine Rural Public Water System due to a major break in a 16″ line that supplies water tanks.

The monster was a hefty alligator gar — a species that Texas coined its “largest and most misunderstood freshwater fish.”

Alligator gars are the largest type of gar and can grow up to 8 feet long and 300 pounds, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. They are known for their iconic long snouts.

Councilmembers unanimously passed a proclamation Tuesday night, just four days ahead of the second annual "Books and Bees Festival" on April 1. When cities become a Bee City USA Affiliate, they reduce the usage of pesticides, increase education on the insects and create habitats that encourage a thriving population. 

An evacuation order has been lifted after authorities responded to 24 new wildfires that burned 7,774 acres in north Texas on Tuesday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Services. Officials say that hot temperatures, winds and drought conditions will continue the threat of fires in the area.

"We're getting a little over 400 to 500 gallons every time it rains," Hanik said. "We capture rainwater from the gutters and roofline, and we use that as our water source for our gardens and even animals like it of course, but it's also serves as an emergency if necessary."

Pearland City Council unanimously approved a sanitary sewer rehabilitation contract in the Old Town Site and Barry Rose area for a $2.88 million bid from Texas Pride Utilities. The construction contract includes over 20,000 linear feet of sewer rehabilitation in existing sanitary sewer pipes that caused inflow and infiltration issues. 

The City of Arlington is telling locals to limit their water use, when possible, as the city water department addresses a pipeline issue. Arlington's water supply is expected to return to normal rates by 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The water system at Perrin Estates was created in the 1940s. Now, many years later, the city of Denison is looking to update the main water lines.

Texans will find relief in a state Senate bill that tackles our aging and neglected water infrastructure. Even with its limitations, the proposed legislation could be the first major overhaul of the Texas water system in a decade. Senate Bill 28 would allow Texas to buy water from other states and finance desalination projects to create new sources of drinking water.

The city of Denison is issuing debt in order to pursue a series of water and wastewater improvement projects. The City Council voted Monday to approve issuing $42.3 million of bonds for its 2023 capital improvement projects.

Kyle City Council unanimously voted to issue an additional $332,477 to its Waterleaf Wastewater Line Upsize/Relocation Project at its regular meeting March 21. According to City Engineer Leon Barba, the purpose of the project is to upsize the line to handle future water flow from areas west and south of the Cool Springs development.

The Senate on Monday passed a bill that would create a new state fund tailored for large or long-shot water supply projects, including marine desalination. The bill will advance to the House.

Houston dealt with a record number of water main breaks this past summer. A plan is underway to address aging infrastructure. It comes, though, at a time when Houstonians are already faced with higher prices.

The initiative focuses on three key areas: rapid cleanup, better enforcement, and prevention and education. According to the city's solid waste management department (SWMD), they've received more than 5,000 complaints about illegal dumping over the last 12 months. The average wait time for clean-ups was about 45 days, something they've been able to reduce to 20 days. But they know that's not enough.

Due to aging infrastructure and previous dam failures, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority will be replacing the dam spill gates for Lake McQueeney, Lake Placid and Lake Dunlap. Dam failures at Lake Placid in 2021 and Lake Dunlap in 2019 caused those lakes to already drain out.  

Eight years ago, a study by University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers suggested that nitrate — found in fertilizer and manure — in aquifers could draw naturally occurring uranium from rocks and soil into groundwater.  The key takeaway is that domestic well owners should know what is in their well water and test for both human-caused contaminants and naturally occurring ones [...]

A study by Physicians for Social Responsibility found that 43,000 pounds of PFAS "forever chemicals" have been used in the hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells in Texas since 2013.

At Tuesday's council meeting Michael Murphy, COO of Corpus Christi Water, told council members that Corpus Christi has been under Stage 1 restrictions for 288 days. Murphy said the city has been getting weekly briefings from the local office of the National Weather Service. According to their forecasting, we will be getting into an El Nino weather pattern this coming summer.

After a leak was discovered, a pair of valves from the 1950s were replaced at the Jefferson Water Treatment Plant by contracting Sal Construction. They were replaced with ductile iron fittings, and some couplings had to be special ordered and took time to receive due to the winter storms around Texas at the time.

As a result of the City of Cleburne’s ongoing planning to ensure long-term sustainability and smart growth, the City Council approved action that will increase the City’s water capacity by 20% next year. The West Loop Reuse Pipeline Project, which will transport treated water from the wastewater treatment plant back into Lake Pat Cleburne through a newly constructed 4.35-mile pipeline, has been awarded to a construction company.