Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City staff briefs board on water strategy, ASR bill progress and bond-related bills
Summary
City staff updated the board on an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) strategy, legislative progress on bills affecting bonding and reclaimed-water use, and the status of a water-rights related bill that would enable using purified reclaimed water for ASR.
City staff briefed the reinvestment zone board on May 28 about a multi‑source water strategy, recent legislative activity and permitting steps related to aquifer storage and recovery (ASR).
Staff described a multi‑pronged approach that includes treated surface water from Lake Belton, ASR injection/production wells in Synergy Park and the potential use of purified reclaimed water to augment water rights. The presentation noted the city has drilled a first well designed for both production and injection; staff said the ASR system could shave peak-day demand and potentially add an estimated 10–15% to the city’s water‑rights portfolio if reclaimed water is authorized for ASR use.
On legislation, staff reported success in blocking House Bill 15 in committee; staff described HB 15 as a proposal that would have imposed an arbitrary cap on local debt‑service management and could have restricted bond use. Staff also reported that a bill to allow voluntary annexation across railroad rights-of-way was enacted after the governor declined to veto it; that measure had been refiled with local delegation support.
A separate bill to permit the use of purified reclaimed water for aquifer storage (identified in the meeting as Senate Bill 2885/SB 2885) was expedited onto a different bill and amended to secure floor passage; staff said the amendment passed and the bill then passed unanimously and will go to the governor. Staff characterized these legislative outcomes as important enablers for the city’s water strategy and long‑term industrial water planning.
Board members discussed water capacity and sequencing with staff. Staff said the city has roughly 52 million gallons per day of combined treatment capacity across plants and can take portions of older plants offline for upgrades while maintaining supply. Staff also said they are coordinating permits, reserving land for additional wells and evaluating storage and reclaimed‑water quantities to support future industrial demand.
