Law changes could provide for groundwater district

The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District may find a new source of funding.

Since it’s inception in 2001, the district has not had the full powers of the Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code, which governs what conservation districts can and cannot control in the state.

While full Chapter 36 privileges are not being discussed, House Bill 1304, filed by Representative Erin Zwiener, would give the district a boost in authority and funding if passed.

The largest proposed change would give the district the authority to charge a production fee, which would be a base rate charge for water used by any non-exempt well within the district.

Wimberley Water Supply estimated that a production fee would increase the average household’s water bill $1.79 per month. The increase would be based around total water usage per month. Linda Kay Rogers, Board President of HTGCD, said the average increase would likely be similar for Aqua Texas customers.

The board of directors has not yet determined if the conservation district would implement the fees immediately, or if it would wait to do so. That is if the bill even passes.

“Our only revenue is the connection fees when a new building goes in,” Rogers said. “Those are going to run out when we get to where we can’t permit water or when building slows down. We are looking for something that would be more stable.”

Rogers said that the implementation of a production fee would raise about $75,000 per year for the district.

The Wimberley Water Supply Corporation has not voted to support the measure at this point. Exempt wells, such as most residential well owners, would not pay into the system the same as people who are purchasing water from a water system like Wimberley Water or Aqua Texas.

“Our biggest issue is that we are not exempt. Exempt wells don’t have to pay anything,” Garrett Allen, with Wimberley Water Supply Corporation, said. “That is one thing we are trying to get the district to entertain is for everybody to have some responsibility.”

Allen said the district could pass a flat fee, with an example of $25 per year, for all wells in the district.

Rogers said the addition of a fee for exempt wells could possibly be added to the bill but was not currently included.

There are other parts of the bill that may change some of the districts rules also. Rogers said that the Texas Legislature has made it a priority to try and make the rules of each groundwater conservation district similar.

“Basically the bill is bringing us up to pace to all of the groundwater districts,” Rogers said. “They want the groundwater districts to be as much a like as possible. We couldn’t do that because we were the most outstanding under-legislated district in the state out of 100 districts. This is trying to get us in line with the other districts.”

Rogers was careful to note that any portion of the proposed bill could change once it begins getting debated by the Texas Legislature.