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Senate debates Austin aquifer storage plan; amendment requiring monitoring, limits fails
Summary
The Texas Senate debated House Bill 15-23, a temporary restriction on TCEQ authorization of certain injection wells for aquifer storage recovery (ASR) in the Lost Pines area. A floor amendment that would have required monitoring wells, limits on withdrawals, and local data sharing failed; the bill then passed to third reading.
The Texas Senate considered House Bill 15-23 on the use of Class B injection wells for an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project proposed by the City of Austin and affecting the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District (GCD). Senator Shortner, the Senate author, said the committee substitute would “prevent an ASR permit from being issued until December 30 first of 2027” to allow further review and stakeholder engagement.
Why it matters: The bill affects intercounty storage of treated/processed water in an aquifer beneath Bastrop and Lee counties, a project that opponents say is the first of its kind in Texas and raises…
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