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Midland County approves replat for Greenwood Country Estates amid resident water concerns
Summary
The county approved a replat for Greenwood Country Estates Section 7 after public testimony raised concerns about groundwater depletion, local frac ponds and intermittent service; a court member said current state law limits the county's ability to deny the plat.
The Midland County Commissioners Court approved the replat of Greenwood Country Estates Section 7 following public comment that focused on local water-supply problems and oilfield-related water operations.
Fred Franklin, who identified himself as vice president of Greenwood Country States, told the court the filing is a replat that converts three lots into five and said residents have reported daily water cutoffs and degraded well quality. "The oil companies are pumping water out of that aquifer so fast that you're gonna have a huge problem," Franklin said, adding that since 2018 he counted "20 minimum" frac ponds near the subdivision and estimated those tanks hold about "200,000,000 gallons" of water.
Franklin urged local officials to seek practical solutions rather than block development, proposing that the county or local utilities broker agreements with oil operators to redirect or store produced water for community supply. "We can run one of those 8 inch lines to park water and solve the problem for a good long time," he said, and offered to help with contacts and equipment.
A committee member responded that he had searched for a legal basis to deny the plat and found none, citing "Texas local government code 2 3 2 1" as the provision he referenced in explaining the court's limits on refusing plats without statutory authority. The committee member said, in his view, the current law effectively requires approval absent a clear legal ground for denial.
The chair moved to approve the plat; a colleague seconded. The court approved the motion by voice vote and the chair declared the motion passed. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally.
Why this matters: The replat clears the way for additional single-family development in an area where residents and a developer representative described recurring water interruptions and raised concerns about nearby oilfield water infrastructure and long-term aquifer health. County members indicated the decision was constrained by state law and routine regulatory checks for water service were completed as part of the plat application process.
Next steps: A committee member asked Franklin to research and report back on ownership of nearby ponds and storage facilities. The court did not take additional formal action on water-supply mitigation at the meeting.
