exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The City of Beaumont is working on a $33 million plan to help improve drainage. Residents have said it's perhaps the most important issue facing the city. Council discussed the challenges during its Tuesday meeting and is coming up with a plan of action to address the concerns.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today unanimously voted to adopt the 2022 State Water Plan. “Adopting this new state water plan is a tremendous accomplishment for Texas,” said TWDB Chairwoman Brooke Paup. “The plan provides a clear and credible path to address the state’s long-term water needs while protecting its growing economy and population. It would not be possible without the support and dedication of the regional water planning group members, agencies and organizations, and other stakeholders that offered their time and input to make this bottom-up planning process successful.”

The City of Chandler adopted regulations, Tuesday, for water wells in the city limits. The city took the step to keep outside water sources from contaminating the municipal water supply. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is required by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments to assess every public drinking water source for susceptibility to certain chemical constituents. Municipalities are required to be in compliance with the TCEQ standards.

When you're driving into town, have you ever noticed the signs that say Coppell is a Superior Water City? Have you ever wondered what that means or how the City maintain this achievement? The "Superior" designation indicates that Coppell's water system exceeds the minimum acceptable standards for operating the water system and for the quality of our water.

Two El Paso Water treatment plants received national attention for their service to the community. The El Paso Water Jonathan Rogers Water Treatment Plant and Robertson/Umbenhauer Water Treatment Plant received ’15-Year Directors Award’ for their system operations in 2020 by the Environmental Protections Agency and American Water Works Association.

The East Bernard Board of Aldermen approved two major drainage items that were on the agenda during a regular Monday meeting.

They unanimously approved a resolution creating the City of East Bernard Drainage Task Force and approval for a Request for Proposals and Qualifications (RPQ) for professional engineering services for a drainage study.

As the city expands, El Paso Water  is taking on a major project that will optimize the existing plant by improving the wastewater treatment process and increase the plant’s capacity, extending its lifespan by 30 years. “We are at a point in time in which the plant is very near capacity in the amount of wastewater it takes in,” said David Ornelas, Wastewater Systems Division Manager. When a plant reaches 75% of its capacity, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality mandates a plan for expansion.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved financial assistance totaling $268,142,875 for water supply and flood projects.

• $1,807,875 in grant funding from the Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) for watershed flood protection projects

• $1,700,000 to the City of Mexia (Limestone County) for a flood management project

• $194,400,000 to the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (Travis and Williamson counties) for a water treatment and distribution project 

After major rains hit South Texas last week, one thing is sure to follow – mosquitoes. Portland City Council Member John G. Sutton Jr. applauded residents for trying to keep their lawns mowed to prevent mosquitoes, he said he is still seeing them blowing the clippings into the streets which then get washed down the drains that keep flooding at bay.

Do you know what it takes to be able to drink a refreshing glass of water? Most people take water for granted with everyday tasks like turning on the shower, flushing the toilet, washing clothes or watering the yard. However, it takes a lot of hard work to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to North Texas homes and businesses every day. The North Texas Municipal Water District’s (NTMWD) dedicated team works hard to deliver the highest quality of water.

The Odessa City Council will discuss their tentative decision to use certificates of obligation to pay for a $95 million rehabilitation of the current water treatment plant during Tuesday’s work session. The council is scheduled to take their final binding vote on the issue during their regular council meeting on July 27. City Secretary Norma Grimaldo confirmed on Monday that the Ector County Republican Party has not yet turned in petitions that would instead place a $95 million bond issue on a future ballot that would allow voters to decide whether the city should proceed with a bond – superseding council’s decision to use COs to pay for the project.

The initial stage of flood risk data collection efforts to support creation of the first-ever Regional Flood Plan for Texas’ Trinity River Basin will wrap up later this month. This critical effort is being undertaken by the Trinity Regional Flood Planning Group (Trinity RFPG), a group formed as part of the new regional flood planning process authorized by the Texas Legislature in 2019 in the wake of historic statewide flooding.

After a decade of delays, the city of La Joya may finally build a modern wastewater treatment plant. La Joya wants to replace the city’s old, pond-based wastewater treatment plant with an activated sludge plant — and increase capacity from 350,000 gallons per day to 1.2 million. The old plant, which La Joya built in 1982, is already at 90% capacity, according to a report prepared by the city engineer. It’s also located in a floodplain, which becomes a major cause for concern during hurricanes.