exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) has been a leader in water reuse for more than a decade to help meet the growing population in the region, and the utility provider was honored at the 37th Annual WateReuse Symposium with the prestigious 2022 WateReuse Award for Excellence as a Community Water Champion. The WateReuse Association recognized leaders in the industry from across the United States that have made significant contributions in advancing water reuse as a key component of water resources management during a March 8th ceremony in San Antonio, TX.

The Lower Colorado River Authority is taking the Inks Dam hydroelectric generator offline through May, which could lead to water flowing over the dam even without rainfall or flooding. Crews are upgrading and hardening a nearby transmission line, necessitating the generator outage.

Wylie residents who use the walking trail at Meadowview Park may experience a temporary inconvenience as the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) installs a new waterline.

After holding a public hearing, council approved an easement request from NTMWD to install a 42-inch waterline during the March 8 regular council meeting.

The John Bunker Sands Wetland Center (Center), along with the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) and The Rosewood Corporation, invites the public to celebrate the completion of expanded education facilities at a grand reopening event scheduled for Saturday, April 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 655 Martin Ln, Combine, TX 75159

Months after wastewater was discharged into the Rio Grande, El Paso Water continues a clean-up strategy to ensure the Rio Grande and other canals are ready for the irrigation season. River water is expected to reach the borderland in May or June.

A proposal by an environmental organization to sharply limit construction in floodplains in San Antonio has cleared an initial hurdle at the city Planning Commission — and developers are not happy about it. The nonprofit Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance proposed a set of amendments to the city’s Unified Development Code that would prohibit most construction in floodplains and would require developers in certain circumstances to incorporate flood-control measures, such as natural bioswale channels for stormwater runoff, into their projects.

The Round Rock City Council on Thursday night approved more than $3 million in six stormwater, wastewater and water projects. The stormwater projects will be funded through approximately $11 million the city received in American Rescue Plan Act funds, said Utilities Director Michael Thane. The water and wastewater projects will be funded through the city's self-financed water and wastewater construction funds.

By the end of 2023, the Pedernales Electric Cooperative expects to be operating its own transmission plant from a new transmission center now under construction in Leander.  “It is unusual for a co-op not to operate its own transmission,” said PEC Chief Executive Officer Julie Parsley at the Board of Directors meeting Feb. 18. “We are returning to what should be the common state of everyone else.”  Currently, the Lower Colorado River Authority operates PEC’s transmission.

In the summer of 2018, dozens of residents in Manchester - a predominantly Latino neighborhood of Houston where nearly half of the residents have limited English proficiency, according to U.S. census surveys - attended a meeting about a refinery's plan to increase pollution emitted in their neighborhood. Notices for the meeting, held by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, were printed only in English.

A 100 signature petition has been the deciding factor for giving Olney residents the option to vote to approve the construction of a new $13 million water treatment plant. When this petition was submitted in January and accepted by the city of Olney, it paused a certificates of obligation that could be used by local governments to fund the $13 million water treatment plant project without a vote of the people of Olney.

Dallas County and most of the state is feeling the effects of a worsening dry spell, following record-setting winter heat waves and abysmal precipitation. The current drought index, released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor, showed extreme drought across all of Dallas County and the eastern part of Tarrant County.

El Paso Water, contractors and other agencies are working on a tight schedule to finish ridding the Rio Grande of wastewater before the irrigation season begins, El Paso Water interim chief operations officer Gilbert Trejo said. Trejo presented to the Public Service Board (PSB) on Wednesday on the utility's progress cleaning up the Rio Grande and adjoining canals after the Frontera Main wastewater disaster.

The 10-day rolling average of the level of the Edwards Aquifer, measured at the J-17 well, has dropped below 660 feet as of Wednesday morning. Utilities that utilize the aquifer use the criteria to trigger restrictions on water use.

If you live in North Texas, your water may taste a little different this month. The water is still safe for drinking and bathing, but here’s some background on what's happening and why.

At their February 24 meeting, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) Board of Directors approved actions associated with 25 different water and wastewater projects. Most of the actions were for ongoing projects.

On Wednesday, the Austin Water Oversight Committee held its first meeting following the recent boil water notice. On the heels of a special called meeting and an Austin City Council approved external audit of the utility, newly appointed committee chair Vanessa Fuentes followed with with additional calls for the city manager to provide recommendations regarding impacts from the event.

Round Rock City Council members approved more than $3 million worth of stormwater, wastewater and water projects at their Thursday, Feb. 24 meeting, primarily aiming to improve drainage around the city. The stormwater projects will be funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Water and wastewater line projects will be funded through the City’s Self-Financed Water Construction and Self-Financed Wastewater Construction funds.

The City expects American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pay for $10.7 million toward stormwater improvement capital projects over the next five years.