Voters to decide fate of proposition that would bring $1 billion to Texas water systems

SAN ANTONIO – Voters throughout Texas are heading to the polls Tuesday to forged their poll for a number of constitutional modification propositions.

Proposition 6 makes a speciality of the state’s water provide. If licensed via citizens, it create the Texas Water Fund.

“It focuses on the water needs of the state of Texas. The Texas legislature has passed legislation and appropriations subject to citizen approval. That will happen on Nov. 7 to appropriate $1 billion to begin to address our water needs in Texas,” stated Jim Campbell, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the San Antonio River Authority (SARA).

“We have to find the money to actually begin to build the programs and address conservation, education and a number of other things to secure our water future,” Campbell stated.

He stated Bexar County has labored for the previous 3 many years to make certain the water provide is in just right form, however after some other brutal summer time, now’s the time to get started fascinated about the following 30 years.

“Through most of the state, we are approaching critical levels of need, and especially in those communities that may not have the resources to address their potable water or even their leaky pipe concerns,” Campbell stated.

Rural communities would most likely receive advantages essentially the most, to begin with, if citizens cross Prop 6.

“The water insecurity issues in Texas are a long-term proposition. In San Antonio, we’re fortunate because we have a well diversified supply, especially of drinking water. There are other communities that have gone through boil water notices that it’s gotten that bad. It’s gotten to be a desperate situation,” Campbell stated.

The Texas Water Development Board would set up the fund, which comes from the state surplus. Utilities and regional water making plans teams would put up for both a grant or loans for quite a lot of initiatives.

“Any money that comes down, that comes in from one of the water funds that this is making available, would offset costs to our customers,” stated Donovan Burton, SAWS Senior VP of Water Resources and Government Relations.

Burton added the proposition will most likely no longer have a significant have an effect on on charges, however will assist repair growing old pipes and water mains.

“I don’t know that it’ll be a huge impact on rates for SAWS or for any other utility, but it will reduce some of the pressure out there that ultimately flows into our rates,” Burton stated. “We always need to develop new water supplies. Sometimes we’ll need to expand the existing water supplies, but one of the big needs we have is aging infrastructure. And not only aging, but drought also impacts some of the infrastructure. As the soils settle or the soils dry out, sometimes the infrastructure settles and you’ll have breaks.”

The fund would additionally assist deal with the inhabitants enlargement around the state and the call for on water utilization.

“We have to think regionally. If somebody has a failing infrastructure next door in a rural area that could impact us just as much,” Burton stated. “We want to see all water utilities thrive and so any more access to fixing things and developing more projects for the rural areas positively impact SAWS.”