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Council discusses outside well‑field application; city says it lacks regulatory authority
Summary
Council members and the public discussed an application to drill multiple wells near the region; city staff said the proposed wells are outside city control and that the groundwater district is scheduling hearings next week.
During open forum the council discussed public concern about an outside entity's application to drill numerous wells and potentially resell groundwater. City Manager James told the council the proposed well field is not under city regulatory control and may not be in Cherokee County; the Trinity Valley Groundwater Conservation District process and hearings will govern any permit decisions.
A council member raised concerns about the scale of the proposed withdrawals and potential effects on the aquifer. "If you're talking a trillion gallons of water out of the aquifer, that's gonna be our aquifer too," the council member said, asking whether the city had taken any action. City Manager James advised that a public meeting on the application is scheduled June 19 and said that meeting will likely be used to set additional hearings in neighboring counties.
The council noted that Cherokee County commissioners had authorized legal counsel to contest the application earlier in the day, and staff identified a local representative, Randall Chandler, who serves on the groundwater board. The council did not take formal action; staff reiterated the city's limited regulatory authority over groundwater outside city limits and said it would monitor the groundwater district's public process.
The discussion was informational: no motion or policy action was made by the city council at the meeting.
