“A perfect storm”: Drought, extreme heat and two faulty wells threaten a North Texas town’s water supply
“We’re on the brink. We’re teetering. It’s a balancing act. It’s a 50/50 proposition,” said Gunter City Manager Rick Chaffin. Full Story
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![Gunter is a small town about 50 miles north of Dallas.]()
Credit: City of Gunter website -
The Odessa water outage underscores a growing problem: Aging pipes in Texas cities are getting more fragile
Texas had 3,866 water boil notices in 2021, the most in the last decade. Aging water systems threaten water supply and quality — and for many small towns across the state, they won’t be cheap to repair. Full Story
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![Lightning from a passing storm strikes in the vicinity as City of Odessa Water Distribution employees work through the night…]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
Tens of thousands of people in Odessa have endured nearly 48 hours without water to drink, wash or flush toilets
The outage left about 165,000 people without water in Odessa and some surrounding areas. It has been attributed to a main line break in the city’s aging water system and comes amid a dayslong heat wave. Full Story
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![Ector County resident Jose Hernandez fills up jugs of water from a fire hydrant that was opened to reduce pressure on the sy…]()
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More than 165,000 people in Odessa still without water after aging line breaks
Officials haven’t specified what caused the break, but say the broken line is about 60 years old. Full Story
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![Motorists drive along Interstate 20 as rising gas prices begin to affect the Permian Basin on March 12, 2022 in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
Rural Texas was meant to get 10% of state bonds for water projects. It’s getting less than 1%.
Rural Texas communities often don’t have the resources, technical experience, or ability to take on large amounts of debt to pursue state funds for water supply and quality projects. So, many simply don’t apply. Full Story
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![Cactus, Texas on Jan. 29, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Climate change is making Texas hotter, threatening public health, water supply and the state’s infrastructure
A report from the state climatologist finds that the state is experiencing hotter days with less relief from high temperatures at night. Full Story
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Rural Texas communities face long recoveries and stretched budgets without federal aid
Debbie Gosnell, city manager of Cross Plains, said it could take months for her community to recover from the winter storm. Without approval for federal aid, Gosnell worries the town's budget will not cover the numerous broken pipes and damaged buildings. Full Story
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![Marfa is covered with snow a second time. Another snowstorm came in early Thursday morning, the day after the power was rest…]()
Credit: Sarah M. Vasquez for The Texas Tribune -
Plumber shortage and supply chain issues are delaying storm recovery efforts in Texas
A longstanding shortage of plumbers and disruptions to the supply chain of plumbing materials delivered to the state have combined to delay pipe and water heater repairs. Full Story
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![Zachary Shockency, a technician with Radiant Plumbing, looks for a burst pipe that caused flooding during last week's winter…]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Over a million Texans are still without drinking water. Smaller communities and apartments are facing the biggest challenges.
Plumbers and supplies to fix broken pipes are in high demand, but apartment complexes also present more difficulties than single-family homes when it comes to repairs. Full Story
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![Brian Frick demonstrates a bucket rigging system that the residents at Regency Apartments used to collect melting snow water…]()
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“We are resilient people”: Texans share how they weathered the winter storm
From a new mom in Pflugerville who struggled to keep her baby warm to a Houston teacher worried about her students, listen to what some Texans endured in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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![An eastbound view of East Stassney Lane in south Austin on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Here’s what you need to know if you don’t have access to clean water or are concerned about burst pipes
As power returns, half the state has issues with its water supply, and thawing pipes are at risk of bursting and flooding homes. Full Story
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![Nao Ohdrea pours water into a container at Meanwhile Brewery in Austin on Feb. 18, 2021. Several breweries were offering fre…]()
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"What happened is completely unacceptable": Gov. Greg Abbott calls for winterization of Texas energy system
Abbott also blasted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for its handling of the recent winter storm. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference regarding Texas’ emergency response to an unprecedented winter storm gripping …]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas prepares to test for lead in schools’ drinking water for the first time
An updated EPA rule requires drinking water in elementary schools be tested for lead and copper — a mandate that emerged from the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. Full Story
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![Water fountains at Northside ISD in San Antonio on Aug. 11, 2020.]()
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Toxic substance or water supply? Lawmakers to weigh whether wastewater from oil fields could replenish the state's aquifers
A recent EPA decision will allow Texas to regulate water discharges from oil drilling operations. Some lawmakers see a future water supply for the state in the decision, while environmental groups — and some scientists — warn it could be risky. Full Story
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![Fracking water retention pond near Big Spring, Texas.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas ranchers, activists and local officials are bracing for megadroughts brought by climate change
A new study from the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University warns that droughts in the latter part of this century could be the worst on record. Full Story
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![Bill Hyman, executive director of the Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas, with cattle at his ranch in Austin on Ju…]()
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West Texas detention facility enacting water conservation measures after depletion of local water tanks
The Sierra Blanca facility, which houses ICE detainees, shuts down its water supply at 11 p.m. daily to allow its on-site water tanks to replenish overnight. Full Story
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![West Texas detention facility in Sierra Blanca.]()
Credit: Tom Barry for The Texas Tribune -
Plastic company set to pay $50 million settlement in water pollution suit brought on by Texas residents
A judge had ruled that the company illegally dumped billions of plastic pellets and other pollutants into Lavaca Bay and other waterways. Full Story
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![Contractors hired by Formosa clean up plastic pellets and powder along the bank of Cox Creek. Wilson has said this has been …]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
The Texas water industry faces a looming workforce shortage as it struggles to attract new talent
As a generation of water and wastewater operators near retirement in Texas, it could become more difficult to provide safe drinking water and to protect state waterways from pollutants, experts say. Full Story
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![Austin's Ullrich water treatment plant off of Westlake Drive in west Austin on March 2, 2005.]()
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Amid industrial boom, Corpus Christi officials look to meet growing water demand
As more oil and gas facilities come online in the Coastal Bend, the city and port of Corpus — and a handful of private companies — are planning to build a bevy of seawater desalination plants. Full Story
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![Seen is the inside of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant on April 16, 2012. The $87 million facility produces 27.5 …]()
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Report: Toxic herbicide found in many Texans' drinking water
Nearly 500 water utilities across the state tested positive for atrazine — a weed killer — which can lead to harmful health effects, according to a new report. The Environmental Working Group also found that utilities are testing water during times when the herbicide isn't being used as much — and that they may be lowballing the results. Full Story
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