By Elizabeth Fazio Hale
On June 18, Gov. Greg Abbott visited Lubbock, where he signed Senate Bill 7 into law, calling it a “Texas-size water package.”
The bill invests $1.7 billion into the Texas Water Fund as well as a recurring $1 billion dedicated to water infrastructure for the next 20 years.
We’re facing a looming water shortage crisis here in Texas. We’ve had brutally hot and dry summers back-to-back, some of our larger reservoirs are already down as much as 10%, and experts predict another scorching summer is on the way.
Population growth also plays a role: Texas attracts more new residents than any other U.S. state, and we expect to add 3-5 million more people over the next decade or so, according to the Texas Demographic Center.
The SB 7 funding will support a wide range of projects, such as fixing leaking pipes and shoring up small, rural water supply systems. It will also support next-generation water supply solutions such as water reuse.
El Paso Water is setting the standard for what’s to come in Texas: the utility’s Pure Water Center is expected to open in 2028, purifying recycled water to the highest standard to supplement the city’s drinking water supply.
These investments are a promising start to address the state’s water challenges, but a lasting statewide solution will take all of us working together and will require investments in sustainable water use for industries in addition to cities and farms.
Texas is fortunate not to have experienced some of the downturns impacting other states. Our job market remains strong, with many new high-tech industries beginning to call Texas home. While they bring jobs and economic growth, many high tech industries require large amounts of both electricity and water, adding to the demand from our traditional industries and agriculture. For example, nearly 300 data centers are operating across the state, with more on the way as artificial intelligence drives the demand for computing power. Apple and Nvidia recently announced plans for large manufacturing plants in the Houston area.
Most of us have long taken water for granted. You turn on the tap and it’s there. The challenge is that all these new people and new water-hungry businesses are increasing demand while more frequent and severe droughts are decreasing supply. To continue to prosper, we need to treat water like a valuable and finite resource.
Gulf Coast Authority was created by the Texas Legislature in 1969 to protect state waters. We own and operate regional industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants, water systems and solid waste facilities statewide from Houston to Odessa to Dallas. As part of our mission, we are constantly looking ahead and planning for solutions to water shortages and new water treatment technologies.
That’s where water recycling, or reuse, comes in. With water already in short supply and demand growing, freshwater recycling can help provide the water Texas needs while keeping costs in line.
Water reuse means capturing water from various sources, treating it, and then reusing the water. Recycled, or reused, water is ideally suited for everything from crop and landscaping irrigation to cooling computers and industrial processes to groundwater replenishment.
When we reuse more water, it takes pressure off our drinking water systems, saves money, and, most importantly, helps ensure a long-term water supply that is ample enough for whatever demands Texas puts on it.
Water reuse isn’t new in Texas. The state’s WateReuse Texas advocacy group is celebrating its 20th anniversary during the organization’s annual conference in Houston this September. But recently, the group has begun working with more private-sector industrial developers, who are seeking to employ water reuse to supply their operational needs.
Awareness of these sensible options is growing both at the state and federal levels. We should create more tax incentives for sensible water reuse policies and it’s my hope that the United States Congress and the new administration look at the full range of options to help American companies employ next-generation water-reuse solutions.
The alternative, where Texas runs short of water – thus limiting our growth and raising prices for us all – will make us wish we had taken these easy, sensible steps years earlier to avoid running dry. Texans, let’s think big on water!
Elizabeth Fazio Hale is chief executive officer/general manager of the Gulf Coast Authority, created by the Texas Legislature in 1969 to protect the state’s water supply.
The post Opinion: New investments can help expand the El Paso model for water sustainability statewide appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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