The Grand Prairie City Council on Nov. 4 approved an access agreement permitting temporary water infrastructure to support hydraulic fracturing at the Barnes Carpo gaswell pad.

Public Health and Environmental Quality Director Cindy Mendez told council the proposal mirrors a request presented last year but the term had expired and some plan elements changed. The project would place about 5,800 linear feet of temporary pipe along Lakeridge Parkway and three temporary aboveground water storage tanks on private property; two tanks will be 15,000-gallon units and one 31,000-gallon unit, staff said. Water will be purchased from the city at the then-current rate (staff cited $11.43 per 1,000 gallons as the current rate) and will be piped from hydrants to the tanks and then to the well pad for fracturing operations on up to seven wells.

Mendez said staff reviewed tank placement and will oversee permitting, inspections and an approved grading plan. "The storage tanks will be checked daily for any water leaks, and they'll be enclosed by a locked fence," Mendez said. City staff also said visibility of the temporary tanks is expected to be limited by trees, landscaping and structures, and that access agreements already exist with the private property owners hosting the tanks.

The council voted to approve the access agreement; the motion carried 7–0 with the mayor abstaining and Councilmember Hedden absent. The approval will allow the applicant to proceed with permitting and construction under the city's standard permitting and inspection process.