Before Texas Builds More Water, Let’s Stop Losing What We Have

Texas growth creates jobs, homes, and opportunity. It also adds demand to water lines, treatment plants, storage, and the crews that keep those systems working. Responsible growth means treating water capacity as basic infrastructure—not as an afterthought.

Texas already has a statewide roadmap

The Texas Water Development Board adopted the 2027 State Water Plan on July 23, 2026. The plan identifies thousands of strategies and projects intended to help communities meet future needs and stay resilient during drought. A proposed amendment is still a draft, with public comments accepted through September 25, 2026, so it should not be confused with a completed project or final law.

Stopping water loss is real infrastructure work

TWDB explains that a water loss audit helps a utility identify where and how much water is being lost, establish a baseline, and improve efficiency and long-term sustainability. Retail public water systems with more than 3,300 connections—and systems with a financial obligation to TWDB—must submit audits annually. Smaller systems are required to submit every five years, while TWDB encourages annual audits for all suppliers.

That work matters because water saved through better measurement, leak detection, pressure management, meter accuracy, and targeted line replacement can reduce waste before a community pays for more distant or expensive supply. Conservation and repair will not eliminate the need for new water projects, but they should be compared honestly with every other option.

My proposal: growth should help pay for water growth

I believe major new development should come with a transparent water-capacity review and a dedicated contribution toward the infrastructure it requires. That could include treatment, storage, pumping, reuse, supply, and replacement of undersized lines. This is a policy proposal for public discussion—not a statement of current Texas law.

Texas should fix what leaks, build what the future needs, and make sure growth pays a fair share of the water growth it creates.

What should your community prioritize first: repairing old lines, adding new supply, expanding reuse, or doing all three together?