exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The City of Austin is looking into hiring a bat biologist to help examine and manage bat colonies across the city. This effort is a continuation of advocacy work.

The Trinity River Authority (TRA), the City of Bedford’s water supplier, will be making improvements to its system, including upgrading the Murphy Drive Pump Station in Bedford over the next 2.5 years. The Murphy Drive Pump Station was originally constructed in 1980 and distributes treated drinking water to Bedford, as well as North Richland Hills, Colleyville, Euless, and Grapevine residents.

Prior to this year, the San Antonio River Authority tested San Pedro Creek regularly. Those tests found bacteria levels were often high enough that the agency briefly closed the creek in 2018, as it found that some children were swimming rather than wading, increasing their risk of ingesting E.coli and other harmful bacteria. River authority officials then spent $120,000 to, among other upgrades, make the wading areas shallower to discourage swimming. They also added warning signs.

In Utah, the American Bullfrog is an invasive species and Utahns can hunt as many bullfrogs as they can eat, according to KTVX. Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources even lists its own “breaded bullfrog legs” recipe. Texas is a different story for the amphibians, though.

The capacity expansion, which was approved at the City Council March 6 meeting, increases total allocatable funding and therefore project capacity within the reinvestment zone from $9.5 million to $39.5 million for water and wastewater projects. The Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 2, allocates a portion of property taxes into a separate account that can be used for improvements or economic agreements within the zone.

Operators pump a sea of “produced water” underground for disposal. Intensifying tremors raise fears that the deep toxic waste pits could intermingle with water used for farming and drinking.

Across Central and South Texas, some have already captured the blue beauties on camera in various gardens and on random roadsides, including in Houston and San Antonio. Texas bluebonnets require a combination of rain and sunshine to bloom, and this year’s weather conditions — including an intense drought — have been favorable for their growth.

With the 88th legislative session underway, Speaker Dade Phelan (R) announced three additional priorities for the Texas House on Monday. In a statement, Phelan said the latest additions to the list of legislative priorities expand "the state's framework for broadband development, dedicating dollars toward improving water infrastructure and cutting burdensome red tape around property development projects."

Leander City Council approved an $8.3 million contract for the installation of the San Gabriel Elevated Storage Tank. The elevated storage tank will ease some demand from the Sandy Creek water treatment plant and redirect the demand to the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority plant, which has excess capacity. 

It all began simply enough: A boil water notice was issued. A state inspection followed. A list of violations arrived. It’s a well-known pattern in small Texas towns that struggle to maintain their water systems.

Drought conditions have had a real impact on Central Texas as Austin has been under Stage 1 water restrictions for nearly a year. But now University of Texas researchers are teaming up with the City of Austin to investigate the future of our water supply. 

Fairfield Lake State Park will temporarily reopen to the public for daytime use beginning Tuesday, a partial victory for Texans who’ve called for the park to be saved from development. The popular 50-year-old state park had closed last month ahead of its land being sold to a developer who plans to turn it into an exclusive gated community with multimillion-dollar homes and a private golf course.

A boil water notice went into effect on March 9, 2023 at 3:54 PM due to a water main break on County Road 128.  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required the City of Melvin Public Water System (PWS 154003) to notify all customers located on County Road 128 and 177 Private road 538 to boil their water prior to consumption, washing hands, brushing teeth, washing face, drinking water, cooking, etc. until further notice.

Sweetwater City Manager David Vela told us, “Well the water lines particularly on the southern part of town are in disrepair and in need of replacement. Many of them are 80 to 100 years old and so it’s well past time that we replaced those waters lines.”

This upgrade to the water lines in South Sweetwater comes just in time as Vela explained that the old age of the pipes could be a source of problems in the future if they aren’t dealt with.

When it comes to flood safety, keeping lives, property, and the natural environment safe and secure from the devastating effects of major flooding is a top concern for the San Antonio River Authority (River Authority). To protect the community, the River Authority uses comprehensive planning, precision protection, strategic partnerships, and community preparedness.

Wichita Falls city councilors on Tuesday approved spending $2.56 million on water and sewer projects. About $1.8 million goes to MH Civil Constructors, Inc. of Amarillo for installation of new water lines and valves in various parts of the city. Another $759,000 goes to Insituform Technologies, LLC of Corinth, Texas, for rehabilitating sewer line segments underneath Kell Boulevard and along Galveston Street.

By 2036, the Great Springs Project is expected to have over 170 miles of trail running through four springs from San Antonio to Austin. This project will run through the city of Schertz and connect to cities, such as Selma and New Braunfels, as it runs west and toward San Antonio.

A boil water notice has been issued for Redland Water Supply customers on Winston 8 Ranch Road and FM 2021 west of Highway 59 to Doubletree. TxDOT is completing work to add a tie-in for a new water line, which has caused low pressure in the system.