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. Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are.
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. 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 , 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 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. Army Corps of Engineers dammed up Lake Lavon in , 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.
