Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra is convening a regional water summit this month to assess the county’s current and future water resources, but the planned gathering has already drawn bipartisan criticism from some local elected officials and water activists.
The Clear Water Summit is scheduled for March 27 at Twisted X Brewery in Dripping Springs. The meeting will be closed to the public and limited to invited participants.
Becerra framed the effort as a response to mounting pressure on the county’s water resources from rapid population growth and drought conditions. In a Facebook post announcing the summit, he struck an urgent tone.
“This issue is not going away,” Becerra wrote. “I will be bringing people together from every corner of our county and leading a conversation with the professionals who understand what is at stake. This is not the time to focus on personalities or who likes who. This is the time for our community to stand together and defend our precious drinking water.”
The summit’s agenda is expected to cover historical water usage, current consumption, projected demand, and the long-term capacity of water supplies across the county. Becerra said the goal is to build a shared, data-driven understanding of available resources to guide future planning decisions.
“As County Judge, my responsibility is to bring everybody to the table when the future of our water supply is at stake,” Becerra said in a statement. “This meeting represents the highest level of regional cooperation on water issues that Hays County has undertaken, and it reflects the seriousness of the challenges ahead.”
Expected participants include groundwater conservation districts, water supply corporations, municipal representatives, and emergency management officials, as well as representatives from the offices of state Senators Judith Zaffirini and Donna Campbell, State Representative Carrie Isaac, and Commissioner Precinct 3 Morgan Hammer. Regional water authorities including the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, and the Texas Water Development Board are also expected to attend, along with Dr. Robert Mace, executive director of the Meadow Center.
The Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation is assisting with outreach to help ensure broad participation.
The judge’s recent actions surrounding groundwater, including calling the summit, have drawn criticism from elected officials and local water activists. State Representative Erin Zwiener (D) said she was concerned about who the judge is relying on for advice on the issue.
“I’m deeply concerned with who he appears to be leaning on, including Mark Key, the Chair of Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation,” Zwiener wrote in a Feb. 27 Facebook post outlining her concerns in detail before the summit was formally called. She went on to allege that Key was part of a group that helped “secure the veto” on the bill that would have created new fees to fund the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, which water activists have fought for years to achieve. Zwiener later stated on Facebook that she would try and attend the summit if she was invited.
Key, who is helping Becerra organize the summit, said he was proud to have fought the legislation.
“I fought it tooth and nail, because that legislation would have stripped away all exempt well rights for people with less than 10 acres,” Key said. “...Their wells would have suddenly been subject to fees, fines and legislation by the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, so you’re damn right I fought it.”
Hays County Commissioner Walt Smith (R) called the summit “political football” as Becerra faces a Democratic primary runoff. Smith also accused the judge of impropriety and a lack of understanding about water policy.
“The question then becomes why, after over 7 years in office, is this issue front burner for the Judge?” Smith said. “More importantly, can you trust that when Judge Becerra put coyotes in charge of the chicken coop, can you believe he’s really attempting to protect the eggs?”
Key said he has worked with Becerra for years on groundwater conservation issues. He also alleged that Smith was pushing surface water solutions, noting Smith serves on the board of the West Travis County Public Utility Agency. The agency provides water to portions of Hays County from Lake Austin.
“I’ve been involved in this for 25 years,” Key said. “Never made a penny off it ... not trying to make a penny.”
This story has been updated to include Mark Key’s comments.
