San Marcos - Buda - Kyle Edition | March 2025

BY JAMIE MOORE

Projected municipal water needs by county in 2070 By 2070, several counties in Central Texas are projected to require signišcantly more municipal water.

Legislative approach

Acre-feet per year:

State legislators are working on solutions to support water infrastructure across the state. Sen. Charles Perry is pushing for $5 billion to help local utilities purchase more water and upgrade infrastructure, with an additional $1 billion annually for the state water fund, accord- ing to previous reporting by Community Impact . However, some believe that current state legislation may be exacerbating water infrastruc- ture problems. Virginia Parker, executive director of the San Marcos River Foundation, is particularly con- cerned about Senate Bill 2038, which took e™ect in September 2023. The bill allows properties in a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction to opt out of city authority through a petition or election. Parker argues that developments leaving a city’s ETJ could face less stringent water regulations.

<1,000

1,000-25,000

25,000-100,000

>100,000

Williamson County

Travis County

Bastrop County

Hays County

Comal County

Bexar County

NOTE: THIS MAP DOES NOT REFLECT THE DEMANDS OF THE UPDATED PROJECTED POPULATION THAT WAS PRESENTED AT CITY COUNCIL.

SOURCE: TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD COMMUNITY IMPACT

N

Going forward

San Marcos’ comprehensive approach to meet state supply targets beyond 2075:

Expansion of ARWA projects by 2027 and recycled water applications, both potable and nonpotable

To support conservation, the city ožers various water rebate programs, including rebates for rainwater harvesting and irrigation system upgrades. Rainwater harvesting can help collect water for outdoor plants. Robert Mace, executive director of the Meadows Center, said that conservation may mean having more e¢cient toilets and bathroom šxtures, or watering as e¢ciently as possible outdoors.

Along with diversifying water resources, San Marcos is prioritizing conservation ežorts. Since Oct. 27, San Marcos has been under Stage 3 drought restrictions—the highest available status, which will remain in ežect indešnitely. Under Stage 3, activities such as at-home car washing, šlling decorative water features, šlling swimming pools and washing impervious surfaces are prohibited. There are also restrictions on irrigation, according to the city website.

Ongoing ežorts to increase water conservation and optimize usage

Pursuing new water supplies as needed

Continuous monitoring of water consumption trends and infrastructure

SOURCE: CITY OF SAN MARCOSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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SAN MARCOS  BUDA  KYLE EDITION

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