exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

This graphic from the @TheValueofWater’s annual polling reveals a trend in public opinion about the state of the nation’s water infrastructure. It appears they are getting the message that it’s aging, inadequate, and in need of investment.

See findings at http://uswateralliance.org/sites/uswateralliance.org/files/2021%20Value%20of%20Water%20Survey%20Analysis%20Slides.pdf

Georgetown City Council approved a resolution authorizing the use of eminent domain for water easements in two Georgetown neighborhoods, during its April 27 regular meeting. The easements are for Williamson Utility District No. 25, which would allow it to acquire 4 acres for drainage usage outside of the district boundaries.

The City Council will get an update tomorrow on looming drought conditions across the Coastal Bend. Corpus Christi water customers have been under Stage One restrictions since December when combined levels of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Dam fell below 40 percent.

The city of Willow Park is in the process of securing a $14,130,000 loan from the Texas Water Development Board for the planning, design, land acquisition and construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, and associated piping for transmission and discharge lines. The TWDB on April 22 approved a resolution that would provide the financing from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Willow Park’s wastewater system services a population of 1,941 with 482 connections.

Ahead of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1-Nov. 30, the Harris County Flood Control District recently installed 23 new gauge stations throughout the Greater Houston area, which are expected to provide the district with enhanced rainfall information throughout the region in the event of future flooding.
According to an April 22 news release, the newly installed gauge stations include 10 located within the HCFCD's network and 13 located outside of the district's network as part of regional partnerships. These gauge stations were installed through interlocal agreements with Waller and Fort Bend counties, the city of Friendswood and Galveston County Drainage District No. 1.

A judge has dismissed the city of Houston from a lawsuit in which a Lake Conroe nonprofit sought to file a restraining order against the San Jacinto River Authority and the city. The city was dismissed from the lawsuit April 9, but all matters concerning the SJRA are still pending, according to court documents.

The Rollingwood City Council voted to negotiate a contract with Crossroads Utility Services for water and wastewater systems operation, maintenance and emergency response. The city’s former provider, AWR Services, terminated its contract with the city after a dispute over how the company responded during the historic winter freeze in February.

Today, Austin City Council approved Austin Water’s new Onsite Water Reuse System Pilot Incentive Program. Identified as a key strategy in the Water Forward Integrated Water Resource Plan, this program will incentivize developments that incorporate systems to collect, treat, and reuse rainwater, stormwater, graywater, foundation drainage, air conditioning condensate, or blackwater for non-potable purposes onsite.

Happy Earth Day! The San Antonio River Authority celebrates all the elements that make the planet so great, specifically the San Antonio River, both today and everyday. “This river… flows 240-miles all the way to the Gulf Coast, and there is this amazing flora and fauna that are dependent on this (water),” Minna Paul, education and engagement coordinator for the San Antonio River Authority said.

The city of San Marcos increased its drought restrictions to Stage 2 effective noon Sunday as drought conditions continue across Central Texas. The heightened water restrictions come just a few weeks after the city enacted Stage 1 restrictions April 4. Director of Public Services Tom Taggart is urging residents to conserve water because more restrictions could be implemented if drought conditions worsen.

The city of Humble has agreed to enter an interlocal agreement with the San Jacinto River Authority to help fund three studies that will outline projects to help protect the region from future flood events. At the April 22 Humble City Council meeting, City Council unanimously approved investing $150,000 to partner on the three studies. Matt Barrett, SJRA's flood management division manager, said the studies are a continuation of the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan—a $2.7 million study that was completed in August that outlined up to $3.3 billion of potential flood-control projects across the San Jacinto River watershed.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) announced this week that the city had been awarded $31.2 million for two flood infrastructure projects. The bulk of the funding will go towards relocating the city’s wastewater treatment plant outside of its current location, which lies within a floodplain. Over the past decade, the plant has experienced two major flooding events.

The San Marcos City Council voted to approve an amendment to the Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation Action Plan to designate projects and allocate funding.  The funding was awarded in response to the 2015 Memorial Day Weekend Floods and is intended to support projects that will reduce the risk of loss of life and damage to property in the future, prioritizing lower income areas while addressing the most impacted areas from the 2015 floods. 

The Sealy City Council decided at its April 6 regular meeting that it would look to improve a long-standing issue in the form of drainage on Front Street near downtown. During the meeting, a motion was made to award a bid for Front Street drainage improvements to Lonnie Lischka Co. from Bellville.