SAN ANTONIO – Voters across Texas are heading to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballot for several constitutional amendment propositions.
Proposition 6 focuses on the state’s water supply. If approved by voters, 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,” said 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 said.
He said Bexar County has worked for the past three decades to ensure the water supply is in good shape, but after another brutal summer, now is the time to start thinking about the next 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 said.
Rural communities would likely benefit the most, initially, if voters pass 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 said.
The Texas Water Development Board would manage the fund, which comes from the state surplus. Utilities and regional water planning groups would submit for either a grant or loans for various projects.
“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,” said Donovan Burton, SAWS Senior VP of Water Resources and Government Relations.
Burton added the proposition will likely not have a major impact on rates, but will help fix aging 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 said. “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 also help address the population growth across the state and the demand on water usage.
“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 said. “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.”