exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The notice is due to service interruption where the main 6-inch line broke on Highway 7, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the Swift Water Supply Company to notify all 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.

A weak point near the low water dam that forms Lake Brazos through downtown Waco is set for $9.1 million in repairs expected to start by the fall. If the earthen embankment on the eastern bank near the low water dam were to fail, the river could largely bypass the dam, causing the water level to drop through town.

This summer can be described by one word: dry. This summer’s extensive drought conditions have taken a toll on crops, soil, and even local rivers. 

A drought disaster declaration was originally signed on Aug. 11 but was only viable for seven days without this vote. The declaration allows the city to receive state and federal aid if it’s made available.

A proposed binational river park, which would straddle and unite the border cities of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, has gotten some financial support and political backing, and organizers hope to get even more support from the president of Mexico. The project is unlike any other undertaken on the Southwest border, and involves 6 miles of riverfront restoration on both sides of the border, several officials familiar with the project have told Border Report.

Remote Zapata County on the South Texas border is getting $2 million in federal aid and equipment shipped from elsewhere on the border to help with dredging the dwindling Rio Grande as local leaders try to siphon drinking water for area residents.

The 30,000-square-foot raw water Intake Pump Station building includes an access bridge constructed on pilings 1,000 feet from the shore within the middle of Lake Houston. The project will add 320 million gallons per day (MGD) of drinking water for the city, substantially increasing the current 80 million gallons per day of treated water capacity.

The Longview City Council on Thursday night approved the use of $142,000 for emergency repairs of a 335 horsepower domestic lift station pump at the Grace Creek Wastewater Plant. The pump is used to process large amounts of water when there is a substantial amount of rain.

Dozens of Spring Branch residents attended a meeting hosted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality after bringing up concerns about the release of treated wastewater into a creek that feeds into Canyon Lake and the possible development of more than 700 homes.

The Brazos River Authority has informed all customers accessing water from the BRA system of reservoirs that a System Stage 1 Drought Watch has been declared for the entirety of the reservoir system including lakes Possum Kingdom, Granbury, Whitney, Aquilla, Limestone, Belton, Stillhouse Hollow, Granger, Georgetown, Somerville and Proctor. This notice also applies to lakeside residential and commercial use water permit holders.

The Eastland County Water Supply District Board rescinded temporary Stage 4 water restrictions for the city, though it remains in Stage 1 of its drought contingency plan. The water district plans to continue to monitor lake elevations, water quality and daily usage reports.

Lakes across North Texas are experiencing low water levels because of drought conditions. Dallas-Fort Worth has only gotten 12.8 inches of rain so far this year, the eighth lowest on record.

Before the rain, the drought was drying up several lakes in south Texas including Lake Casa Blanca. Officials at the state park announced on social media that the lake is full.

The San Antonio River Authority needs water warriors to help report sightings of an invasive species. The snails wreak havoc on aquatic vegetation and are known to carry a rat lungworm parasite that can infect humans, causing a type of meningitis, according to a Facebook post from Texas Parks and Wildlife. 

The combination of extreme drought conditions and the hottest July ever recorded in Texas could lead the Tarrant Regional Water District to initiate the first stage of its drought contingency plan as soon as late September. Water storage levels in the seven reservoirs that serve Tarrant County residents have fallen by 10% between June and August, according to data provided by Rachel Ickert, TRWD’s chief water resources officer. 

Northern Mexico’s water crisis is spilling into Texas, drying out the two binational reservoirs of the Rio Grande, on which millions of people and a billion dollars in agriculture rely. One reservoir, Lake Falcon, is just 9% full.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approves financial assistance totaling $670,975,000 for State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT)* projects.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is warning Texans about an invasive crayfish from Australia. According to TPWD, six Redclaw Crayfish, both males and females, were found near a pond at an apartment complex in Brownsville.

On Aug. 11, Round Rock City Council approved a $302,578.34 contract with K. Friese & Associates to complete a master plan for the Brushy Creek Regional Waste Water System. "With the rapid growth we received from the four cities, we need to make sure we get ahead of the game," Utilities Department Director Michael Thane said.

The city of Troup issued a boil water notice on Thursday, due to a line break. All customers of the City of Troup public water supply should boil their water before consumption like washing hands or face or brushing teeth and drinking.