The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is taking public comments on the 2021 draft regional water plans which must be submitted to each Regional Planning Group before an approaching deadline. There are three TWDB Regional Planning Groups that fall within the CAPCOG 10-county region — G, K, and L.
The deadline to submit comments to each group are as follows:
- Region K — Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Fayette, Hays (partial), Llano, Travis, and Williamson (partial) counties — June 21, 2020
- Region L — Caldwell and Hays (partial) counties — July 20, 2020
- Region G —Lee and Williamson (partial) counties — Aug. 2, 2020
The sixteen regional water planning groups are in their final stages of developing their 2021 regional water plans. The five-year plans include water strategies and projects to ensure each region will have enough water in the event of a drought of record in the next 50 years. The initial plans were due on March 3 to the TWDB and public hearings have been underway since late April. Public comments must be made within 60 of the public hearing.
Stakeholder and public involvement are essential to the regional water planning process, and all input is considered. Planning groups must consider all local plans, big and small, to meet their future water needs. If a city doesn’t come forward with specific strategies, the planning group can make recommendations for them.
“The economic impact to the state as a whole could be very damaging if water needs are not met,” said Temple McKinnon, Director of Water Use, Projections, and Planning at the TWDB. “For example, the 2017 State Water Plan estimated annual economic losses of $151 billion by 2070. Our process provides a forum for everybody to be talking to one another and informing them of their plans, so nothing is going on in a vacuum,” McKinnon said. “Now’s a good time to get involved to help make sure Texans have the water they need.”
Review the public hearing times, the public hearing notice.
Directions for submitting comments to each regional planning group are listed in their notices.
Final plans will be due to the TWDB on Oct. 14, 2020, and once approved, they will become part of the 2022 State Water Plan.
Learn more about the state and regional water planning process.
