Texas Water & Green-Industry Roundup

Corpus Christi
Status & Restrictions

• Stage 3 drought rules remain in effect: no lawn watering.
• Hand-watering of trees, garden beds, shrubs, and potted plants is allowed before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. using a hose, bucket, or watering can.

Desalination Decision

• After a 13-hour meeting, the City Council voted to cancel the Inner Harbor seawater desalination contract (est. cost had risen to $1.2B, up from ~$160M in 2019).
• The city will ask TWDB to redirect ~$210M previously targeted to the project. Some debt from prior planning may remain.
• City staff warned that without new supply, Corpus could face an emergency by Dec. 2026, including potential 25% cuts for large industrial users.
• Read more here

Bottom line: The Inner Harbor desal plan is off the table for now; expect debate to shift to alternative supply options under close public scrutiny.


Austin
New Irrigation/Plumbing Requirements (new one- and two-family homes permitted after July 10, 2025)

Pressure Regulation

• ≥ 80 psi: PRV required + pressure-compensating heads
• 45–80 psi: Pressure-compensating heads required
• < 45 psi: No additional pressure requirement

50% Irrigation Cap

• Permanent irrigation systems may cover no more than 50% of landscaped area.

Exceptions (do not count toward the 50%)

• ROW strips < 6 ft: Drip allowed; excluded from 50% cap
• New trees: Individual bubblers on a separate zone; excluded
• Foundation watering: Single-zone drip line allowed; excluded
• Grandfathering: House building permit submitted before 1/1/2025 → 50% cap does not apply (proof required before inspection)
• Existing homes adding irrigation: 50% cap does not apply; pressure controls still apply

Enforcement Timeline

• Oct 1, 2025 – Apr 1, 2026: Education period (inspectors note issues, no fails)
• Starting Apr 1, 2026: Missing pressure controls or 50% compliance = failed inspection

Houston
What Council Approved

• $8.5M to replace ~25,300 aging water meters (many 20+ years old); part of a broader billing and infrastructure modernization push.
• 12-month pilot: ~25,000 smart meters installed (including ~2,000 in hard-to-connect areas) across all council districts; near-real-time usage data for customers.

Why It’s Happening

• Significant water loss and erratic bills tied to failing meter hardware and estimated reads.
• The meter project complements ongoing replacement of remote reading devices (RRDs).

What Customers May Notice

• Bills may increase after meter swaps (old meters often under-register usage).
• Near-real-time usage helps catch leaks/irrigation issues quickly.
• Read more here

Central Texas (Highland Lakes)

• Lakes Buchanan & Travis are designed to fluctuate—store in wet times, draw down in dry—and have anchored regional supply since the 1940s.
• Early-July 2025 rains boosted combined storage from ~51% to >90% within days; first time both were full since July 2019.
• Even with higher levels, expect ongoing conservation messaging from utilities.

San Antonio (SAWS)

• San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is working to clarify “soil” in the City of San Antonio development code.
• Current ordinance (since 2006) requires 4" soil with ≥ 0.25" Soil Organic Matter (SOM) under turfgrass on new construction.
• SAWS intends to move toward soil inspections on new builds after definitions are tightened.

East Texas
Groundwater Fight (Special Session)

• Governor added groundwater to the call; HB 27 advanced.
• Core concept: Pause on new/expanded export permits in the Neches & Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation Districts until Nov. 1, 2027, plus a TWDB study to inform future decisions.
• The Texas Senate amended the bill, removing the moratorium, and House Author Rep. Cody Harris pushed back, The bill ultimately died in the 2nd special session
• Read more here.

Why it matters:
This signals a larger groundwater debate ahead—potentially export guardrails, stronger ties to available water in aquifer, and more monitoring/reporting next regular session (2027).


El Paso / Far West Texas
Rio Grande Compact Settlement (Proposed)

• Texas, New Mexico, Colorado (and the U.S.) filed a settlement to end the long-running Rio Grande case.
• The deal would tighten operations below Elephant Butte and require New Mexico to curb groundwater depletions so deliveries to Texas are more reliable.
• A Special Master hearing is set; Supreme Court has final say.
• Read more here

Who it affects in Texas

• El Paso municipal customers and irrigators who rely on Elephant Butte releases.
• Even with a settlement, Elephant Butte remains extremely low, so expect continued focus on conservation, leak reduction, and diversified supplies in that region.