Environmental Groups Criticize Water Board Priorities

Just 3.3% of Funding Prioritized for Water Conservation

Environment Texas

“The water board needs to get their priorities straight,” said Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger. “As we respond to the drought and plan how to meet our water needs in the years to come, we need to pursue a balanced solution that maximizes the efficiency of water use, but the state is giving water conservation just lip service.

 The State Water Plan projects that 24 percent of our future water needs from conservation, yet the Texas Water Development Board is prioritizing just 3 percent of funding for conservation. The groups said Texas has vast untapped reserves of water conservation potential and pointed to successful conservation efforts as a model for Texas.

 “San Antonio’s population has grown 68% while using the same amount of water,” said Annalisa Peace of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA). “Other cities can achieve such success through programs to encourage use of drought-tolerant landscaping, low-flush toilets and education initiatives”. Peace pointed to a recent poll by the San Antonio Water System that found nearly three-quarters of adults in San Antonio support water management in order sustain water resources for future generations and minimize price increases over uninhibited use of water.

 The groups also highlighted the opportunity to save billions of gallons of water through improved irrigation technologies and practices in agriculture, expanded use of renewable energy and energy efficiency and recycling and reuse of frack water.

“Conservation is the most environmentally responsible path towards meeting out future water needs, but it’s also often the cheapest,” concluded Metzger. “The Texas Water Development Board should make sure we exhaust our potential to save water and set aside at least half of funding for conservation and re-use programs, reducing water loss, and to purchase water rights to guarantee we leave enough water in our rivers to protect wildlife and recreation. They should also develop a new prioritization process that rewards utilities making progress towards conservation and projects with minimal environmental impact.”