Texas lawmakers met on June 16 to discuss desalination in Texas. The hearing report on the Joint Interim Committee to Study Water Desalination is available to all HillCo clients with log in capabilities. Steve Lyons, of the National Weather Service, argued that the Texas climate cannot support the water demand of Texans especially in light of evaporation exceeding the amount of rainfall in most of the state. However, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, repeatedly asked witnesses what is the cost for desalination in Texas. “We need more context for the cost,” said Sen. Hinojosa. There was also a focus on permitting and streamlining rules. What we need is a 30 year permit said Rep. Lyle Larson, R- San Antonio, noting there is not a groundwater district that currently gives a permit longer than 5 years. One piece of legislation to work out brackish permitting for groundwater districts, HB 2578 from state Rep. Larson passed the House but not the Senate in the 83rd Regular Session and a similar bill is expected to emerge during the 84th.
TCEQ is also working on a rulemaking package, and are scheduled to deliver a Desalination Design rules package in the Spring of 2015 with adoption of the rules scheduled tentatively for June 2015. The rules, once adopted, could save as much as 100 days in the permitting process and eliminate the exceptions process in the future.
The Joint Interim Committee, chaired by state Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, and state Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, will meet again next Monday, June 23, in Corpus Christi. Information from the meetings is likely to play a role in drafting water-related legislation when the Legislature is back in session next year.