Texas Voters Approve $1 Billion per Year for 'Critical' Water Infrastructure

Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment that will devote $1 billion per year to a new Texas Water Fund to ensure the state proactively manages its water supply before it faces major predicted shortages.

As Madeline de Figueiredo explains in The Daily Yonder, the plan aims to prevent water shortages predicted by the Texas Water Development Board that could cripple every region of the state in the next decades. “By 2070, these water shortages are estimated to create $153 billion in economic damages with significant irrigation needs remaining unmet due to depleted aquifers.” By updating its infrastructure, Texas could save an estimated 186 billion gallons of water that are currently lost to leaks each year. 

The new amendment is meant to help smaller communities that have a hard time competing for funds for upgraded water infrastructure. However, “As water availability dwindles across the state, some rural residents worried that this infrastructure initiative could worsen their water situation if it supported groundwater pipelines that drew water from rural areas to transport to cities.” State officials say the fund is prohibited from transporting fresh groundwater and is designed for projects like aquifer storage and recovery.