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Copperas Cove backs regional water authority effort as city weighs long-term supply options
Summary
City staff told council the region needs coordinated action to secure long-term water supplies; council unanimously approved a resolution supporting state legislation to create a regional water authority to pursue shared raw-water rights and capital funding.
Copperas Cove city staff urged council to support legislation creating a regional water authority so the city and neighboring entities can pursue shared raw-water rights and capital funding, and the council voted unanimously to adopt a supporting resolution on Oct. 15.
City Manager Ryan Haverlaw explained Copperas Cove currently receives all treated water from Bell County Water Control & Improvement District No. 1, which draws from Belton Lake. The city previously secured raw-water rights from Stillhouse Hollow but currently lacks a means to transport that water into Copperas Cove. Haverlaw described a Brazos River Authority pipeline project that will connect Belton Lake to Stillhouse Hollow, noting that the pipeline effectively combines supply sources and affects how Stillhouse Hollow functions as a secondary source.
Staff said private companies seeking groundwater or raw-water rights for other customers are encountering difficulty securing rights, and a regional authority could provide stronger bargaining power for long-term sourcing and access to capital for infrastructure. "If we don't have [water], we ain't going anywhere," a council speaker said during discussion, underscoring the urgency expressed by multiple members.
Councilmembers asked about relationships with groundwater-conservation districts and whether entities such as the Middle Trinity or Clearwater districts are engaged; staff committed to reporting back on those governance and technical questions as draft legislation becomes available. The resolution directs city staff to support the legislative effort in concept and to review proposed draft language when provided for possible council comment.
