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Bill to require groundwater districts to consider exempt wells draws substantial rural testimony; left pending for substitute
Summary
House Bill 16 33 would require Groundwater Conservation Districts to evaluate the potential impacts of proposed groundwater permits on registered exempt wells; supporters from ranching communities and conservation groups urged the committee to pass the measure.
House Bill 16 33, presented to the Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs, would add registered exempt wells to the factors Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) must consider when issuing or amending groundwater permits.
Senator Kolkhorst, the sponsor presenting the bill to the committee, said the bill is intended to ensure GCDs “consider the potential impact of proposed water uses on exempt wells by explicitly requiring the evaluation of exempt wells alongside other factors such as existing water resources, permit holders, and groundwater quality.”
The committee heard an extended panel of supporters. Ted Boriak, vice president of the Water Protection Association of Gonzales County and a…
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