Bill > HB1618

This bill modifies the Texas Water Code to expand the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) authority regarding injection wells in the Edwards Aquifer. Specifically, the bill adds a new provision that allows an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project to include an injection well that crosses through the Edwards Aquifer in a specific area of Williamson County east of Interstate Highway 35. An ASR project is a water management technique that involves storing water underground in an aquifer for later use. The bill requires TCEQ to adopt rules implementing this change by March 1, 2026, and will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote in the Texas Legislature, or otherwise on September 1, 2025. The modification provides an exception to the previous restrictions on injection wells in the Edwards Aquifer, which is a critical water resource in Texas, by allowing a specific type of water storage project in a defined geographic area.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB1618