exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The City of Nederland is urging customers to conserve water so the system doesn't reach a point requiring a Boil Water Notice. The city released a statement Wednesday night, explaining that two leaks and customers' broken water lines were taxing the system.

The University of Texas at Austin announced plans Thursday to build a 9,600-square-foot water recycling facility that will allow the school to reduce its water usage by 40%. The UT WaterHub, developed in collaboration with water technology company H2O Innovation, will decrease UT's dependence on city water supplies, enhance infrastructure resilience, and result in significant cost savings on water purchases and discharge fees for years to come, university officials said.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) sets minimum water quality standards for public drinking water. One of these standards is a turbidity limit. Turbidity by itself has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth.

Kyle residents will have more reliable water delivery in times of crisis with the installation of new permanent generators at multiple city water sites, according to Jan. 15 news release. Kyle City Council voted to accept a Federal Emergency Management Association Hazard Mitigation Grant of $1.36 million on Jan. 7 to install eight permanent generators at critical water system sites in the city.

Six months have passed since Hurricane Beryl struck Texas on July 5, followed by President Biden’s Major Disaster Declaration on July 9. The hurricane decimated hundreds of communities, prompting FEMA Individual Assistance designations in 22 counties, and Public Assistance in 67 counties.

The new rule modernizes some aspects of commercial oilfield waste disposal and recycling. But rules for burying oilfield waste on private property remain limited.

Texas’ population is booming and there is not enough water for everyone. State Sen. Charles Perry hopes to fix that.

Scott McWilliams, the Upper Colorado River Authority General Manager, talked about how Texas experiences 10-year-long droughts every 100 years. He also mentioned how these droughts are a “reoccurring phenomenon” in Texas.

After losing out on millions of Hurricane Harvey federal disaster dollars due to its own mismanagement, the City of Houston is now trying to save what it can of the allotment.

The coastal city also has been trying for years to develop a seawater desalination plant, but its efforts have lagged as big, thirsty industries continue to locate nearby and a five-year drought persists.

Harris Fort Bend Emergency Services District No. 100 has contracted Calibre Engineering to design and construct a Swift Water Training Operation and Rescue Mission Ranch aimed at providing advanced training in flood response and swift water rescue, ESD No. 100 and Calibre Engineering officials announced in a Jan. 13 news release.

Polk County Emergency Managment announced two boil water notices Wednesday. Due to a busted water line, affected areas include Lake Livingston Water Supply customers in the Kickapoo Est. and Brachwood subdivisions, according to an online release.

Chadwick Farms is set to include up to 900 multi-family units, a hotel with more than 150 rooms, a conference center and 60,000 square feet of space for restaurants, retail and entertainment. It will sit next to the StarCenter Multisport Northlake, a more than 200,000-square-foot indoor youth sports facility that is expected to draw around 1.3 million visitors annually once fully operational.

A bill authored by State Rep. Cody Harris (R-Palestine) would create a fund aimed at improving water across the state. The legislation, HB 1400, would create a groundwater science, research, and innovation fund administered by the Texas Water Development Board. Money would be given to projects designed to improve understanding of local groundwater conditions, increase water conservation efforts, and protect groundwater quality, among other items.

Bills addressing homelessness and strengthening the city's infrastructure during emergency disasters are among the top legislative priorities for Houston City Council, which were approved during a Jan. 15 City Council meeting. The Texas Legislature’s 89th session began Jan. 14.

It's part of a balancing act, making sure Hutto has enough water for the long run, but it could have a huge role in shaping the surrounding area’s growth.

San Antonio aquatic biologists found the first documented Guadalupe bass in a local creek.