District 25
Jeff Wentworth

Between 2000 and 2006, Texas’ population increased by 12.7 percent, almost twice that of the national average of 6.4 percent. 

Six of the 21 largest cities in America are in Texas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  Parts of two of those six cities, San Antonio and Austin, are in Senate District 25.  As the senator who represents the 25th state senatorial district, I am acutely aware of the challenges that come with population growth.

One of those challenges that we legislators must meet is ensuring that Texas has the water it needs when the population doubles in 2040, as has been predicted by Texas state demographer Dr. Steven H. Murdock.  Our state is fortunate.  It has lakes, bays, rivers, estuaries and aquifers that supply our water; however, an increased population threatens their biological soundness.

Currently, the Texas Water Code requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to consider and provide for the freshwater inflows necessary to maintain the viability of the state’s bay and estuary systems.  The Texas Water Code does not, however, address environmental flows, nor does it provide for a process that gives preference to projects with a conservation plan.

Senate Bill 3, which the Texas Legislature passed into law this year, takes a comprehensive approach to the state’s water policy, which includes stressing conservation, providing for future sources of water and maintaining the ecological balances in our state’s current natural water resources.

The bill’s provisions require the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to develop and implement a statewide awareness program to educate Texans about water conservation.  In addition, Senate Bill 3 authorizes TWDB to review water conservation plans and annual reports submitted by water utilities to ensure compliance with the state’s water plan.

Senate Bill 3 seeks to create 18 new supplies of water in the form of reservoirs and establishes a Water Conservation Advisory Council composed of 23 members appointed by TWDB to provide expertise in water conservation.  Reservoirs would trap the water from rains such as Texas has been experiencing lately and store it for future use in our state’s reoccurring droughts.

The bill also makes changes in requirements for the administration and operation of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, including changing the calculation used for determining withdrawal limits from the Edwards Aquifer.

In addition to Senate Bill 3, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 3.  This bill contains many of the same provisions as Senate Bill 3.  But as we say in Texas, “The devil is in the details.”

Each is a good bill.  When all the provisions of each bill are implemented, they will go a long way in helping ensure that future Texans have good, clean sources of water; however, legislators cannot do it alone.

All of us must do our part to protect and conserve our state’s water supply.  Information about conserving Texas’ water supply and protecting the air we breathe may be found on the Internet at www.caringfortexas.org.   

What we do today determines the purity of air and water that our children and grandchildren will breathe and drink.

Texas State Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) represents District 25, which includes Kendall County and part of Bexar County. He can be reached via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .