Bill > HB5385

This bill modifies the Texas Water Code to allow for a specific aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project in Williamson County, east of Interstate Highway 35, which would otherwise be prohibited. Currently, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is generally not permitted to authorize injection wells that transect the Edwards Aquifer. The bill creates an exception that would allow an ASR injection well to transect the Edwards Aquifer for the purpose of injecting water into a geological formation underneath the aquifer. The TCEQ is required to adopt rules to implement this change by March 1, 2026. The bill will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025. This modification provides a specific, geographically limited exemption to existing water injection restrictions, potentially enabling new water storage and management strategies in the Williamson County area.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB5385