The latest water supply news from The Texas Tribune.
Construction began in July to bring water to Cochran, one of several colonias along the border not served by public water systems. The project is expected to be completed by October. Full Story
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“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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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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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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Officials haven’t specified what caused the break, but say the broken line is about 60 years old. Full Story
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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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A report from the state climatologist finds that the state is experiencing hotter days with less relief from high temperatures at night. Full Story
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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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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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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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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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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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Abbott also blasted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for its handling of the recent winter storm. Full Story
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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