The latest water supply news from The Texas Tribune.
At the 2012 Texas Tribune Festival, University of Texas at Austin professor Danny Reible talked about the future of water with Rebecca Motal of the Lower Colorado River Authority, Andy Sansom of Texas State University, Amy Hardberger of the Environmental Defense Fund and state Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TxTribFest12-830Raymond-1247.JPG)
Speaking to a cattle raisers' group on Tuesday, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus promised that water "will be at the center of the discussion." Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/strauss-caucusmeeting.jpg)
The drought that began in October 2010 has continued into 2012, and it has taken a toll on Texas' water supplies. As the summer of 2012 draws to a close, these communities are at risk of running out of water within 180 days. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/DroughtAppArt.jpg)
The drought that began in October 2010 has continued into 2012, and it has taken a toll on Texas' water supplies. This map shows communities that are at risk of running out of water within 180 days. Full Story
Texas State University in San Marcos on Friday will announce a major gift from the Meadows Foundation. The $1 million donation will help launch the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TexasState_1024x768.jpg)
Across Texas, cities are installing electronic water meters. The transition will save money, officials say, because meter readers will no longer have to go from yard to yard. Plus, the new meters make it easy to detect leaks. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-WaterMeters-007.jpg)
Desalination, the process of removing salt from water, may bring to mind a plant on the coast sucking in salty seawater and dispensing fresh water. But Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson has a plan to bring desalination hundreds of miles inland, to thirsty Central Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-Desal-016.jpg)
While advocates worry particularly about heat conditions in a prison unit with recent water shortages, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering arguments in a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice alleging that the sweltering living quarters constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e6192f23e25477079043e3d2444b00d6/.BD%20Jail)
Last year’s drought dried up hay fields, sent feed prices through the roof and forced many Texas ranchers to sell off large portions of their herds. A year later, many are still trying to recover. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/120704-Bastrop-Land-Cows-018.jpg)
The historic Texas drought caused the Ogallala Aquifer to experience its largest decline in 25 years across a large swath of the Texas Panhandle, new numbers from a water district show. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/OG2.jpg)
Much of the discussion at a Wednesday House committee hearing centered around efforts by drilling companies to recycle water or reduce their water consumption. Environmentalists questioned whether they are doing enough. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Fracking_diagram.jpg)
As Texas recovers from the severe drought of the last two years, water experts say that conservation is the easiest way to make sure the state has enough water for future growth. But conservation doesn't always come naturally. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TheLastDrop-1.jpg)
Later this year, a plant in Big Spring will become the state's first facility to process wastewater and send it back into the drinking water system. This is the ultimate use of "reclaimed water" — a source crucial to Texas' future. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/LastDrop-Dome.jpg)
Desalination has become a buzzword in water discussions around the state, amid concerns over future supplies. But tapping salty aquifers, or even seawater from the Gulf of Mexico, carries costs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/LastDrop-3.jpg)
The ultimate use of sewage water is converting it into drinking water — and a plant in the West Texas town of Big Spring will do exactly that when it begins operations at the end of the year. This is a slideshow of the plant, currently under construction. Full Story
The drought has pushed Texas cities to raise rates to pay for new water supplies and to encourage conservation. But raising rates often triggers public resistance in a state that is wary of too much government. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/LastDropSprinkler.jpg)
Texas cities have traditionally enjoyed lower water rates than most metro areas in the nation. Use this interactive to see how Texas cities compare in regard to water rates, single-family usage and weather. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Water-DataApp_1.jpg)
The Lower Colorado River Authority earlier this year approved a far-reaching water plan that determined, in part, how much water rice farmers could draw from the Colorado River. But as Mose Buchele reports for StateImpact Texas, aggrieved rice farmers aren't done making their case. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/LCRA-Meeting.jpg)
Aaronson on why the latest Texas job gains are a mixed bag, Aguilar on the fight over an Eagle Pass coal mine, Batheja on nasty U.S. Senate race ads, Galbraith on El Paso's water woes, Grissom on John Bradley's tough primary, Hamilton and M. Smith on the controversial chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, Murphy's cool higher ed stats interactive, Ramsey talks to Robert Draper about what's wrong with Congress, Ramshaw on Joe Barton vs. himself, Root on Perry's Mitt embrace and my exclusive sit-down with the chancellor of the UT System: The best of our best content from May 14-18, 2012. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/05132012-Tribweek-2.jpg)
The Rio Grande, which supplied 39 percent of El Paso's water last year, is dry near the city — a situation that has not occurred for nearly 10 years. El Paso is pumping more groundwater and cranking up its desalination plant. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/RioGrande-2.jpg)