Kyle approves addendum to share surplus Edwards Aquifer water with San Marcos

Kyle City Council on Dec. 3 approved an addendum to an interlocal water‑sharing agreement with San Marcos that allows the city manager — or a designee — to administratively approve transfers of Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) permit capacity to San Marcos through 2026.

Mike Murphy, Kyle’s director of water utilities, told the council that San Marcos and Kyle entered the interlocal agreement on May 7 to share roughly 500,000 gallons per day (about 500 acre‑feet per year) from San Marcos’ permit to help Kyle during high‑demand months. Murphy said the addendum would allow Kyle to return or make available surplus EAA permitting capacity and that San Marcos would pay Kyle for any water it receives.

“The addendum allows Kyle the ability to return EAA permitting capacity to San Marcos for calendar years of 24 through 26,” Murphy said, adding that water offered in December would come from Kyle’s existing EAA wells and that the arrangement helps both cities avoid paying for unused take‑or‑pay capacity.

Council members questioned how the agreement interacts with Kyle’s current amended Stage 3 restrictions. Murphy said the city remains under Stage 3 but that the amendment approved earlier that day relaxes some restrictions such as limited car washing, so the sharing arrangement would reflect current restriction levels.

Council approved the addendum by voice vote. The measure does not change the maximum 500 acre‑feet annual cap established in the original agreement and preserves Kyle’s drought restrictions, Murphy said.

What’s next: the addendum authorizes staff to proceed administratively; any future changes to permit caps or the interlocal agreement would return to the council for consideration.