Waco, Texas Region Needs a New Water Plan

"In and around Waco, Texas, public officials are working to create a county-wide 'water grid' that would enable various water suppliers to work together to conserve and share water during droughts," according to an article by Edward Gunts.

According to Gunts, "McLennan County, Texas, has launched a study to determine the best way to make sure water is available to the residents of Waco and the surrounding region by pooling the resources of various suppliers."

Gunts is picking up on news reported by J.B. Smith in the Waco Tribune-Herald in April 2016. In that article, Smith focuses on the work of McClennon County Judge Scott Felton to organize the County Water Resources Group and launch the county's new, coordinated approach to sustainable water planning.

That approach, according to Smith, will rely more on surface water, rather than groundwater from the Trinity Aquifer, located in Waco. "County and city leaders envision a network of pipelines that could connect water users around the county and allow them to share water as needed," reports Smith, in addition to tapping into more reclaimed water, unused water rights on the Brazos River, and the Bluebonnet Water System, which supplies water to McGregor.