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Grand Prairie OKs 180-day water access for Barnett drilling, sets $11.42/1,000-gallon rate
Summary
The City Council approved a temporary access agreement allowing TP Barnett/Texas Midstream to use city hydrants and temporary water lines to service recently drilled wells; the agreement limits access to 180 days with a 60-day extension and charges $11.42 per 1,000 gallons.
The Grand Prairie City Council voted unanimously to approve a temporary access agreement allowing TP Barnett, in coordination with Texas Midstream, to place temporary water lines and storage on city right-of-way to service recently drilled natural gas wells.
Under the agreement approved during the council’s April 1 meeting, the company may place temporary water lines for 180 days with an option to extend for an additional 60 days. The city will charge $11.42 per 1,000 gallons for water delivered under the arrangement, a staff presentation said. The agreement covers temporary connections from city fire hydrants and is intended to transport water to wells that have not yet been fractured.
The item drew questions from Council Member Harold Willis about the exact site and long-term impacts. Cindy Mendez, director of Public Health and Environmental Quality, told the council the access agreement will specify the property address (4351 Matthew Road) and the 180-day limit and that the city would typically require the company to destroy or otherwise dispose of expired equipment rather than leaving it for public use. She said the company had recently drilled seven new wells in the area and that the gas produced from those wells will be sold and transported by midstream companies beyond the city’s control.
Mendez and other staff acknowledged the temporary storage tanks and piping can be “sizable” and said the access agreement’s time limits are intended to reduce long-term visual impacts; however, she said the city cannot unilaterally require removal of private storage once the contract term ends, because the tanks sit on leased land and the arrangement is ultimately private between the operator and the midstream company. Legal and insurance requirements were described as part of the approval process.
Two representatives from TP Barnett were present to answer questions. Staff said the company typically removes infrastructure in a reasonable timeframe but that the agreement includes insurance and access terms to protect the city. Council members also asked whether the operator receives a discounted rate; staff said the company will pay the city’s commercial water rate rather than a residential rate.
The council approved the access agreement by unanimous vote. No amendments to the terms were recorded on the council floor.
Clarifying details from council discussion: the staff presentation identified the property address for the access arrangement as 4351 Matthew Road; the agreement limits temporary lines to 180 days with a 60-day extension; the city’s commercial water rate under the agreement is $11.42 per 1,000 gallons; the wells in question had been drilled but not fractured at the time of the meeting.
Speakers at the meeting emphasized oversight and standard insurance requirements rather than new substantive regulatory limits; staff said enforcement options exist if the company fails to meet the agreement’s terms.
