exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

Nearly five years after Hurricane Harvey flooded more than 158,770 structures in Harris and Montgomery counties, flood mitigation efforts continue.

Lake Walter E. Long is infested with zebra mussels, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Lake Austin, Lake Travis, and Lady Bird Lake are also infested.

In 2020, the Texas Water Development board approved $27.4 million in financial assistance to replace the old pipes and overhaul the wastewater system. “We should have been under construction by now,” said Holly, who added the City is already paying back money on the loan portion of the assistance funding. 

The city issued the water restriction on Aug. 5 after reaching Stage 3 Severe Drought Conditions based on the City's Drought Contingency Plan. The city reported that it has seen over a 50% reduction in water usage, compared to the days immediately preceding entering Stage 3.

N.E.W. Water Supply Corporation has issued a boil water notice for its San Augutine customers on Tuesday. N.E.W. Water Supply Corporation reports the boil water notice is due to a line break at a plant. 

In the past week, the tracks were exposed because of Texas’ longstanding drought conditions. Experts say they are estimated to be 113 million years old, belonging to Acrocanthosaurus, Sauroposeidon, and possibly many others.  

The ambassadors to the United States and Mexico on Wednesday both threw their full support behind an ambitious and costly environmental conservation project on the South Texas border, saying it will save the Rio Grande and improve border security.

During the opening day of the U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Forum XXVI, held in San Antonio, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar and Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Esteban Moctezuma urged private investors, municipalities and federal officials from both countries to get behind a binational river park project that is being developed on the Rio Grande between the cities of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

A lot of the trash is a result of the flooding rain we got earlier this week. Runoff drains into the river, and any litter around washes in there with the rainwater. The city's clean-up effort started Thursday and will continue through the weekend.

A team at the San Antonio River Authority is working on a project to reintroduce native freshwater mussles to the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River Walk. The four species of freshwater mussles include the Pimpleback, Yellow Sandshell, Threeridge and Pistolgrip.

Odessa Public Works Director Tom Kerr said that a system called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition is responsible for measuring various data points at the city’s elevated tanks and pump stations and transmitting the information back to the city’s main water plant on 42nd Street. On Wednesday night, increased usage caused water levels to drop, but because of the glitch operators were unaware of it and did not increase the pumpage to address the routine drop, Kerr said.

Two projects aimed at reducing flooding near the West 7th Street entertainment corridor and University Drive will be eligible for state funds if a new regional flood plan is finalized in January. The Trinity Regional Flood Planning Group was formed in 2020 as part of a statewide effort to address infrastructure challenges and flood threats after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Gulf Coast.

Due to a reduction in water pressure caused by a line break on FM 729, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the Mims Water Supply Corp public water system TX1580064, to notify affected customers to boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc). Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions). 

The Trinity Regional Flood Planning group met with residents in Crockett to discuss the flood protection plan. Residents were also informed about future flood risks and had the opportunity to share their concerns and experiences with flooding. 

Throughout cities, the drought has caused more issues than a designated day for residents to water their yards, it has prompted multiple water line breaks costing thousands in repair. For the past three months, Angleton has faced water line breaks for various reasons, with shifting ground caused by the dry ground among them, Angleton City Manger Chris Whittaker said.

City officials said the flooding had created issues at the plant, which is located near a reservoir that flows into the Pearl River. City residents have been subject to a boil-water notice since last month after tests found cloudiness in water samples.

As the drought takes its toll on water levels across Texas, experts warn that changes need to occur with usage and conservation. The Amistad Reservoir near Del Rio is reporting 34% capacity and Falcon reservoir near Laredo is at 12%, according to recent data.

With the combination of water scarcity, population growth, and water quality issues, many communities are beginning to forecast an inability to accommodate future water needs. Some of these communities are halting real estate development, and others are requiring that developers acquire their own water supplies, which is increasingly challenging and expensive. These measures adversely impact real estate markets and affordability. There is a better way.

Amid a historically hot summer and extreme drought conditions in Central Texas, the San Antonio Water System is issuing citations to residents not abiding by its Stage 2 water restrictions — almost 2,200 this year. At the same time, San Antonio’s biggest commercial and industrial water users are using millions of gallons of water each month.

The city entered into an engineering services agreement with KSA Engineers for the design, bidding, construction and inspection at a cost of $467,700. Kate Dietz, city of Tyler director of utilities, said the existing administration building was built in 1966 and includes an influent lift station (where wastewater enters the waste water plant) in the basement, electrical control room, laboratory and locker room. A two-story addition was added in 1990.

Five years since Hurricane Harvey flooded 25% of League City’s homes, construction is underway on projects aimed at alleviating neighborhood flooding. The $145 million bond voters approved in May 2019 included 21 local drainage projects totaling $73 million to address Harvey-affected areas.