Texas

Water supply top of mind for Texas lawmakers this spring

Published

9 months ago

February 18, 2025

Water supply top of mind for Texas lawmakers this spring

The consensus in Austin is clear: the state is running out of water to keep up with a growing population. Recognizing the problem is one thing, solving it is another.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) pegged it as one of his seven emergency items in his State of the State address earlier in the month.

“We’re going to put Texas on a path to have plenty of water for the next five decades. We will make the largest investment in water in the history of the State of Texas,” said Abbott.

State leaders said the water supply is one of their top priorities this spring in the legislative session. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) signaled Senate Bill 7 will be one of that chamber’s solutions. Every session, he puts out his top 20 priorities.

This will all build on what the state government has already done. In 2023, voters approved the creation of the Texas Water Fund and diverted a billion dollars to upgrade water pipes and start new projects. That is a drop in the bucket to what’s needed. The business group Texas 2036 predicts the state will need more than $100 billion in the coming decades to keep up with demand.

The water supply has been a basic component in building the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, where there is a scramble to find more water to keep up with the growing suburbs.

When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed up Lake Lavon in 1953, they planned for it to be the water supply feeding the growing suburbs around Dallas. Plano, Allen, Richardson, Garland, and a collection of other cities formed the North Texas Municipal Water District, taking water from its Wylie Water Treatment Plant and pumping it to homes and businesses in member communities.

Executive Director of the North Texas Municipal Water District, Jenna Covington, told NBC 5 their story is about growth and trying to keep up.

“The largest challenge that we work through on a daily basis is keeping up with the growth here in the North Texas area,” she said.

The water in Lake Lavon is no longer enough. Since its founding, the district has tapped into reservoirs in the east, including Lake Tawakoni and Jim Chapman Lake, and to the north, in Lake Texoma and the newest reservoir, Bois d’Arc Lake. The district is currently expanding that pipe route through an expansion of the Leonard Water Treatment Plant northeast of DFW.

Those projects are all aimed at pumping out 400 million gallons per day to keep up with an estimated 70,000-80,000 new people arriving in their district in every recent year.

“Water development is something that takes decades to accomplish. A lot of the investment that is being made on the front end of these projects is being paid by the existing ratepayers for the people who are yet to come,” said Covington.

According to the district, all that may still not be enough. Their planning documents show demand may far outpace supply if people do not conserve water during dry years. Covington said not watering lawns so much is the low-hanging fruit. The entire state is in a similar situation.

Lone Star Politics speaks with Jenna Covington, executive director of the North Texas Municipal Water District about the demand for new supplies of water. State Senator Kelly Hancock tells NBC 5 what state lawmakers are working on this year in Austin now that East Texas plans are in limbo.

The Texas Water Development Board predicts Texas will have to invest much more to keep up with what’s needed. Its leaders spoke to the Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs earlier this month and told them the grant money they have set aside has a lengthy waiting list.

Senator Charles Perry, R – Lubbock, and committee chair will spearhead Senate Bill 7. A prominent idea is getting a dedicated funding stream from state sales taxes for water projects.

“It’s in conversation with members to get the full bye in. We feel pretty good about that,” said Perry in the committee.

Those changes will eventually need to be approved by voters amending the state constitution.

Until then, Covington told NBC 5 they plan to put $1.1 billion into new projects and maintain current pipes in North Texas. She said they will need five times more than that in the next 10 years.

According to planning documents, some possible long-term plans include buying more water from Lake Texoma, buying more water from a new reservoir in Toledo Bend along the Louisiana border, or converting more from Lake Wright Patman from flood control to water supply.

“There’s a tremendous need for water infrastructure, not only in our local organization here in the North Texas area but for utilities across the state,” said Covington.

As of February, one major solution looks less likely. Earlier, the Texas Water Development Board moved the creation of the Marvin Nichols reservoir in East Texas up from 2070 to 2050. The $4 billion creation of a 66,000-acre reservoir lake seems to be in jeopardy after intense pushback from East Texans trying to protect their land.

In January, the TWDB reported that it was still feasible to build the project, but bills have been filed in the legislature to kill the idea.

A backup plan is also getting pushback from East Texas. Five of the seven communities around Lake O’ The Pines must approve a deal to sell water to the North Texas Municipal Water District. Last week, hundreds also voiced opposition to that plan, organized by Longview Republican Jay Dean.

“If they got the type of water volume that they’d like to get, this lake would drop seven to eight feet, which would be catastrophic to a lot of homeowners,” said Dean. “Not only that, but it’d be catastrophic to the bayous and Caddo Lake downstream.”

A petition to stop the sale of water already has more than a thousand signatures.

In an interview with NBC 5, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs, Sen. Kelly Hancock, R – North Richland Hills, said the state needs a “Texas-sized solution.”

“We have revenues,” said Hancock, pointing to the multi-billion dollar state surplus.

“I think we have to be sending consistent money but we need a large influx this time. We need a Texas-sized plan,” he said. “The less we move into that fund, the longer it’s going to take, the more expensive it’s going to be.”

Hancock said new state money could go to maintenance, new agreements with neighboring states, and more reservoirs.

“We aren’t just looking to get reelected. We’re looking out for Texas and for Texans yet to be born,” said Hancock.

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Texas

Look: Texas A&M coach Mike Elko snips in press conference after Texas trolls

Published

3 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Press Room

Look: Texas A&M coach Mike Elko snips in press conference after Texas trolls

Texas football welcomed Mike Elko to his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day on Black Friday.

As the Longhorns took the final kneels to secure a 27-17 win over Texas A&M to knock the Aggies out of the land of unbeaten college football teams, the video board at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas trolled Elko.

Texas played a short clip of Elko calling Texas A&M “the flagship program of the state” last year, with a voiceover saying “Sike” about his comments. That was met by loud cheers from the fans as Texas earned the win.

It only got worse for Elko from there. Following the loss, he lost his cool during his press conference over the noise of the Longhorns celebrating their win over the Aggies.

The loss for Texas A&M knocked to rival Texas knocked it out of the SEC Championship game.

“Can we close the door and run a professional press conference?” Elko asked mid-answer.

The good news for Elko and the Aggies: They closed out the season with an 11-1 record, including a 7-1 record in SEC play. Texas A&M has secured a spot in the College Football Playoff and, barring a major upset, should at least have a home first-round game, if not a bye in the opening round.

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Texas

How to Watch Temple vs North Texas: Live Stream NCAA College Football, TV Channel

Published

21 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Press Room

The North Texas Mean Green (10-1) looks for a program-record 11th win and a spot in the American championship game on Friday afternoon when they host a Temple Owls (5-6) squad still trying to become bowl eligible after three straight losses.

How to Watch Temple vs North Texas

When: Friday, November 28, 2025
Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)

North Texas won its fifth straight game on Saturday night, rolling to a 56-24 road victory at Rice after erasing an early 14-0 deficit. Drew Mestemaker threw for 469 yards, finishing 19-of-23 with three touchdowns, and also ran for a score. Caleb Hawkins ran for 97 yards and three TDs on 20 carries, and Ashton Gray also had a rushing touchdown. Wyatt Young had a huge night with eight catches for 295 yards and two scores, and Tre Williams III caught a TD pass.

Temple’s slide continued on Saturday with a 37-13 loss to visiting Tulane. Evan Simon threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns, but the running game was limited to just 20 yards. Colin Chase and Peter Clarke made scoring catches in the loss. Simon absorbed four sacks before he was pulled from the game.

Eric Morris was announced on Tuesday as the new head coach at Oklahoma State and will leave North Texas at the end of the season. The Mean Green haven’t won a conference title since the 2004 Sun Belt championship and have a simple win-and-in scenario to reach the American championship game. They are 2-0 all-time against Temple, including a 24-17 road win on Nov. 30.

This is a great college football matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.

Live stream Temple vs North Texas on Fubo: Start your subscription now!

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Texas

Guidelines for Texas’ controversial school voucher program released

Published

2 days ago

November 27, 2025

Press Room

Guidelines for Texas’ controversial school voucher program released

TEXAS (KTRK) — The State Comptroller’s Office has released guidelines for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts. This program is also referred to as school choice or school vouchers, and has stirred up controversy.

It’s funded through $1B taxpayer dollars, and while proponents say it gives families the choice to pick the best education for their child, critics have said it takes money away from already underfunded and struggling public school systems.

This program is open to students in pre-K through high school. Standard students who wish to attend a state-approved private school can receive approximately $10,800 per child, per year.

Students with disabilities or additional learning needs must have their individual education program, or IEP, on file with the school district to be eligible for up to $30,000 per student, per year

And homeschooled children can get up to $2,000 per child, per year.

SEE ALSO: Private school vouchers are now law in Texas. Here’s how they will work

State law dictates that priority will be given to children who have siblings already in the program and based on income and the federal poverty line. If more students enroll than funding allows, a lottery will be instituted.

Eyewitness News previously reported that the funds would probably fund around 90,000 students, even though the Texas Education Agency estimated in 2024 that over 5 million school-aged children live in Texas.

The first important enrollment date comes for private schools and vendors who want to accept voucher students, and is part of the one billion dollars the state is pouring into it. The State Comptroller’s office says schools and vendors can start signing on through Odyssey on Dec. 9. Odyssey is the company the state selected to run the voucher lottery and operate a platform that allows families to spend the money awarded to them by the state.

The second important date comes for families, which is Feb. 4. That’s when families can start signing up students. The State Comptroller said this gives the state and families ample time to make decisions ahead of the 2026-27 school year

The State Comptroller said schools that wish to apply for the program must have a Texas location and have been accredited for at least two years, but this applies to schools both in and outside of Texas, so in theory, a program accredited outside of Texas could build a campus in the state this year and still be eligible.

SEE ALSO: ABC13 obtains exclusive HISD student enrollment records for 2025-26 school year

The state is also dictating that private schools wishing to be a part of the program will have to administer an assessment to voucher students in grades 3 through 12

The program will be monitored by the State Comptroller’s office, which will partner with a private group to audit the program at least once a year.

State education groups pushed the state to be more transparent about how families were spending money and where, though our partners at the Houston Chronicle note the state rejected those ideas.

For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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