The Alliance will have the authority to issue bonds for water infrastructure projects and can impose fees and assessments to support its operations. However, officials stressed that there will not be any tax increases, as the group will operate solely on administrative fees. The Alliance has been supported by a broad spectrum of entities, both public and private, to include Bell County, McLennan County, Lampasas County, Fort Cavazos, the Brazos River Authority, Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District, Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 (WCID 1), multiple cities, multiple water-supply corporations, and private entities. McLennan County Water Resources Group (McL WRG) Participation in the CTWA is nothing new for McLennan County. The county is unique in Texas for its collaborative approach to helping resolve water issues. Working with Waco and other cities, both large and small, and rural water systems throughout the County, meets to discuss and take action on water problems. This cooperation became critical in 2006 when the EPA set a new arsenic standard of 10
parts per billion—roughly equivalent to a single drop of ink in a large backyard swimming pool. Several rural systems that had relied on groundwater for decades found themselves marginally exceeding the new limit. In response, the McL WRG was formed in 2014 through the leadership of County Judge Scott Felton and then-Waco City Manager Wiley Stem. Since its inception, the group has provided a vital forum for cities and water systems across the County to work together in addressing current and future water needs. The McL WRG applied for and received WaterSMART grant to prepare three key water planning documents: • The McLennan County Drought Contingency Plan; • Conjunctive Use of Groundwater and Surface Water Plan • Arsenic Mitigation Guide for rural, arsenic- impacted systems. Further, McLennan County Commissioners contributed $4 million toward rural water system projects to mitigate arsenic concentrations and
“This moment has been a long time coming,” said Bell County Judge David Blackburn. “There is no issue more important to all of us than water, and I’m confident the CTWA will positively impact not just the residents of Bell County, but the entire region for generations to come.”
24 | WINTER
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs