exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The situation in Zavalla is reflective of issues with water supplies statewide, as water infrastructure has aged and become increasingly vulnerable while the state’s population continues to grow. Rural towns in East Texas are particularly prone to issues with water quality and supply — according to data from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, East Texas has experienced more boil-water notices in the past decade than any other area.

The Ogallala Aquifer is not the only major groundwater source which has had notable declines because of drought in the southern United States. In south central Texas, the Edwards Aquifer has also had a big decline in its volume to the point that withdrawals from the aquifer have been cut by up to 35% -- more than one third.

Inside the Tarrant Regional Water District’s administrative building Nov. 17, North Texas flood planning officials applauded their efforts to complete a two-year process that, in the future, will take about five. 

“It feels good, but at the same time, I think everybody here realizes we can’t just go, ‘OK, job done,’ and then go about our business,” said Glenn Clingenpeel, the group’s chair and a top official at the Trinity River Authority of Texas. “This is really a first step in what is hopefully going to be an ongoing process that is in perpetuity.” 

The widespread rain across the Brazos Valley has helped the drought conditions ever so slightly. Severe drought (Level 2 out 4) has been removed from the Northeastern portions of Brazos County and completely from Madison county. Once again, the worst drought conditions continue to remain in the southwestern portions of the Brazos Valley. 

District 1 Corpus Christi Councilman Billy Lerma has been a vocal opponent of the city’s proposed seawater desalination facility near the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, the primary site the city is considering for the costly facility. Lerma, who represents the district where the project would be located, said he takes issue with the facility's proposed location and its possible environmental impacts on the channel, which he said lacks sufficient water exchange to account for the facility’s discharge of brine, a salty concentration that is considered wastewater.

McKinney residents will see construction begin on a new sewer transfer pipeline along Harry McKillop Boulevard and Airport Drive in spring 2023. At a Nov. 15 McKinney City Council meeting, council approved areas where the North Texas Municipal Water District, the region’s water utility company, can construct and install a new sanitary sewer line.

Construction is set to start in January on the expansion of Pflugerville's surface water treatment plant, following a unanimous approval of a contract by the City Council on Nov. 8. The city awarded the $146 million contract to Schertz-based PLW Waterworks. The expansion of the plant is expected to be completed by 2026.

The city of Troup has received a grant through the Texas Water Development Board Clean Water State Revolving Fund, through the Environmental Protection Agency, which will cover all the expenses related to the Troup Wastewater Treatment Plant rehabilitation project, according to a statement released by the city. The $1.14 million project will restore the full capacity of the plant lift station and secondary lift clarifiers, as well as improve the treatment process by adding new self-cleaning perforated plate screening equipment.

The National Weather Service has put out its three-month outlook for the state of Texas, and it looks like La Niña still has a hold on our winter. La Niña is the weather condition that causes the water of the eastern Pacific Ocean to be colder than normal, which usually causes the weather to be warm and dry in Texas.

A power outage at a Houston water plant caused low water pressure across the city. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he believes the water is safe, but is waiting on confirmation from the state.

A $4.2 million paving and water line improvement project for Pleasant Valley Drive and Villa Downs Drive was recently approved by the Plano City Council. Under the project, old water lines will be replaced to avert what would likely become increased maintenance costs and a negative impact on the quality of life for surrounding residents, according to the city.

Blockages in a sewer line caused an estimated 250,000 gallons of wastewater to spill into the Rio Grande flood plain near the University of Texas at El Paso early this week. In a statement, the utility said a manhole was leaking because wipes, concrete and rags had created a large blockage in a 30-inch sewer line. 

The City of Zavalla is coordinating with the State of Texas, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other entities as work continues to restore water service to residents. Zavalla City Councilmember Kim Retherford has given an update in a written statement provided to KTRE.

The project is being carried out by the Memorial-Heights Redevelopment Authority, and construction started earlier in 2022. However, the city of Houston requested officials include infrastructure improvements as part of the work, including the design and installation of 10,388 linear feet of water line and the abandonment of 2,298 linear feet of sanitary sewer line, according to an agenda language submitted with the item.

The City of Brenham will be selling water soon, a lot of water.  Brenham City Council approved an agreement at their meeting Thursday with Dow Chemical Company to sell them the excess water from Lake Somerville.  Specifically, the agreement says that Dow Chemical will purchase 774 acre-feet of water from the city for $68,112.  

As Wichita Falls inches closer to entering stage one of their drought plan, city leaders are releasing the conservation measures residents will need to take. The public works water department gave a presentation on the drought status at the city council meeting Tuesday morning where they are expecting Wichita Falls to enter stage one in the next couple of weeks.

While it may sound a bit hyperbolic, the dead walk amongst us this fall: zombie trees. It sounds silly, but zombie trees are what arborists call trees that are still standing but aren’t alive. This year's drought and the 2021 winter storm have caused a horde of zombie trees to swarm central Texas.

In a news release Thursday, the Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 3 — which provides drinking water for Nolanville — announced mandatory water restrictions on outdoor water use for Nolanville residents in the next 90 days, beginning Monday. Specifically, the notice restricts users to less than 25,000 gallons per month.