ASAN (KXAN) – The priority of the governor of the state, Greg Abbott, is approaching the eighty -ninth legislative session of reality: a major investment in water.
On Monday, the Texas Committee of the Senate for Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs met to vote on the Senate Bill 7. If the law will add, if approved, one billion dollars annually for a period of 50 years to the Texas Water Fund. After the general comment, the committee voted to transfer the bill to the Senate Hall, where it will witness a vote after that.
The Texas Water Fund (TWF) is controlled by the Texas Water Development Council (TWDB). It was established three years ago, TwF can be used to support projects that generate new water supply, such as building desalination plants, or the seized infrastructure repair.
TWF has started investing one billion dollars, but experts appreciate this will not be enough to support the increasing need for water in the state.
Non -profit organization Texas 2036 estimates that the country will need more than $ 150 billion over the next fifty years to support the growing demand. Their report represented new industries, the increasing population, and flood control strategies and infrastructure replacement.
Patch for more water
Senator Charles Perry, R-LUBBOCK, heads the Senate for Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs and led the charge on SB 7.
The draft law is one of the two of this session with a focus on TwF development. And the other, the House Law 16-Written Deputy Cody Harris, R-PALESTINE-differs in several ways.
Money will be controlled by both bills by the Twdb panel. They will specify projects that receive money.
“There is no silver bullet. We often say that Buckshot silver. As you know, it is like a number of things. The infrastructure is one of them. Maintaining one of them. And more innovative, the water supply is also one of these,” said Dr. Robert Mass, Executive Director of Practice Professor at the Geography Department, at the Meydos Center in Texas.
Find new water
Mas said that one of the main parts of the Perry plan is to focus on desalination. These plants take sea water and turn them into drinking water.
Mas said: “The Gulf is what allows me to sleep at night.
At the committee meeting on Monday, Corpus Cristi Polit Gogardo’s mayor supported the plan during the general suspension period.
“We believe that regional water suppliers, such as Corpus Christie, are the best to develop new water supplies,” said Gogardo.
The city recently received approval to build a desalination plant. At least four for the area were planned.
Many people spoke against water desalination during the general suspension period. Some have focused on the damage that these plants could have environments along the coast, while others had a problem with the cost. He pushed some speakers back against the need to build a new infrastructure that will be necessary to transport water from the coast to places like Lubok.
“You know what is more expensive than the perceived sea water? There is no water,” Mas said.
MACE is a special lecture for this month in the Cool Talks lectures chain at the University of Texas. His session, which is called the “Texas Water”, is scheduled to be held on March 28 at 7 pm in the Welsh Hall in Uti. The event is free.