exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The rate increases reflect higher operational costs, including chemicals and power, according to city documents. Water and wastewater funds will also help with large infrastructure projects like wastewater treatment plant expansions. 

Hidalgo County officials gathered more than 30 representatives of municipalities and water districts in an effort to initiate a uniform drought contingency plan for the region.

Rain in Abilene served the Big Country as a shot in the arm for the drought conditions in the Big Country. Abilene showers improved the drought conditions and the extreme hot temperatures in the triple digits. Water Data for Texas recently put that in Texas they are at 74.7% full.

On Wednesday, Tyler City Council approved a $14.7 million contract with Gracon Construction for the Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant Aeration Basin and Final Clarifier Improvements Project. Built in 1955, the existing processes and systems in the plant have aged and lost their ability to function at full capacity, according to Tyler Utilities Director Kate Dietz.

On September 6, the City of Henrietta issued a Boil Water Notice to its customers due to a major leak repair and possible contaminants or interruption in service. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the water safety quality.

With the lack of rain this August, Tarrant County finds itself in a moderate drought, with 729,234 people, or just over 40% of the population, affected by drought conditions. This year’s summer was mild compared to the last two years, Tarrant Regional Water District officials say. While 2022 and 2023 saw summers with multiple 100-degree days, with 2023 experiencing 55 100-degree days, 2024 had fewer 100-degree days. 

Tens of thousands of lives were disrupted this week as Grand Prairie struggled through its foamy water crisis. We are relieved that water restrictions were lifted Thursday night following an all-clear from state regulators. Still, lots of frustration bubbled up in the city after two days of uncertainty, and many questions lingered about how unsafe the water really was.

While environmentalists say the new rules don’t do enough to protect groundwater, oil and gas operators are contesting stricter requirements for waste pits near wells.

Central Texas water experts are urging residents to prioritize conservation despite recent rainfall, as the region grapples with long-term water supply challenges.

A federal agency has paused some of SpaceX's plans amid concerns over the environment.

The City of Rhome wants residents to continue to boil water before they consume it after water main breaks on the Walnut Creek water system, which affected water in the public water system. The City of Rhome's press release says the two water main breaks happened on Sunday and have been repaired.

At the Sept. 9 meeting, the Three Rivers City Council received alarming news from City Administrator Thomas Salazar. Despite recent rains, Choke Canyon Reservoir has dropped to 19.7% capacity—the lowest level ever recorded. With capacity dropping below 20%, the city has officially entered Stage 4 – Critical Water Shortage Conditions, and water usage restrictions have been imposed on both city residents and those receiving city water in the surrounding area.

The Robinson water treatment plant is looking to expand and repair its facility — rather than building a brand-new reservoir, the city wants to repair the current system. After buying more water through the Brazos River Authority, the city wants to install shallower piping to help with maintenance and replace a liner in one of the raw water ponds.

Flying over the desert landscape of southeastern New Mexico in a four-seat helicopter, Stephen Aldridge could count around a dozen man-made lagoons brimming with toxic wastewater glistening between drill rigs and pumpjacks. While it is a growing hazardous waste problem from the region’s booming drilling industry, the mayor of the tiny town of Jal - nestled near the border with Texas in the heart of U.S. oil country - viewed the sweeping scene as an opportunity: a source of water in the second-biggest oil producing state suffering from worsening drought.

According to the Texas Tribune, Texas' largest cities lost approximately 88 billion gallons of water last year due to aging infrastructure and extreme heat, resulting in millions of dollars in costs and further stressing the state's already limited water supply, according to self-reported water loss audits.

Flooding at the beginning of September pushed Lake Travis to its highest level in nearly two years. But that is not nearly enough to ease concerns about water scarcity as Central Texas' population grows.

Recent reports of a contaminated water supply in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which led to warnings not to use water from faucets earlier this week, have sparked general safety concerns. The city of Grand Prairie, Texas, announced firefighting foam was detected in the water Tuesday, then announced Thursday the water is safe to drink, according to local reports.

An unusually wet summer has remedied some of Texas' drought, but conservation remains a vital part of the state's water problem.

Llano County got four to six inches of rain on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and that flows downstream. Data from the Lower Colorado River Authority shows Lake Travis rose about two feet in the last week. It's currently at 642 feet. Last week it was at 640 feet. It's only 49 percent full. 

The City of Grand Prairie announced Thursday night that the water is now safe to drink and use after firefighting foam got into the water supply. In a press conference Thursday night, Jensen estimated that the water issues affected approximately 60,000 people, which is a third of the city.

The water in Llano is now receding after Tuesday night's heavy rains led to flash flooding in the area. The LCRA partially opened some dams in response to a large amount of water and has since announced the Wirtz and Starcke dams are closed again---and the rain that fell in Llano has since moved into Lake Travis.