[UPDATE: Sept. 3, 2014] Thank you to everyone who attended public hearings and/or submitted comments to the Texas Water Development Board in favor of water conservation funding. Your efforts are much appreciated, and you have definitely made an impact! The turnout for the evening hearing in Fort Worth was particularly impressive. Though the comment period for TWDB's proposed rules to implement Prop 6 is now closed, the process is not yet complete. The agency staff and Board will review comments and consider changes to the rules over the next few months, with an anticipated adoption date in early-to-mid December. Sierra Club will continue to be involved in this process and work towards greater water conservation in Texas.
[Original post] Less than two weeks remain for Texans to speak up for water conservation! The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has set September 1 as the deadline to receive comments on the agency’s proposed rules to implement Proposition 6. Prop 6 – passed overwhelmingly by Texas voters last November – created new state water funds to help Texas communities meet their water needs. The Sierra Club supported Prop 6 because not less than 20% of the new funding is intended for water conservation or reuse and, for the first time, projects in the state water plan must be prioritized before being eligible for state funding.
To be sure that the new State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) and a related fund achieve their potential, however, Texans need to show support for water conservation! TWDB has made it easy to do so, and the agency leadership is eager to hear your opinion. Tell the state water agency you want water conservation projects to be the first priority for funding!
These hot August days remind us that we Texans always need to conserve our precious water resources. Let’s make sure the new state water fund helps us do that!
You can read more about our suggestions for posting comments to HB4 by clicking here (PDF) .