Bill > HB30

This bill aims to encourage the development of brackish groundwater, which is water with a higher salt content than fresh groundwater but less than seawater, as a new water source for Texas, especially given ongoing drought and population growth. It amends existing law to require regional water planning groups to consider opportunities and benefits of developing large-scale desalination facilities for seawater or brackish groundwater that serve specific brackish groundwater production zones. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), a state agency responsible for water planning and development, will be tasked with identifying and designating these brackish groundwater production zones, which are areas with abundant brackish groundwater that can reduce reliance on fresh groundwater. These zones must be hydrogeologically separated to prevent negative impacts on fresh water sources and cannot be located in certain protected areas or aquifers already heavily used for municipal, domestic, or agricultural purposes. The TWDB will also determine the production capacity of these zones and recommend monitoring strategies. The bill mandates the initial designation of zones in specific aquifers by December 1, 2016, and for other areas by December 1, 2022, with the goal of securing more cost-effective water supplies for the state.