Valero Settlement Enriches Texas

0 Comments | Environmental Insider News, June 17, 2005

House Bill 2430 (Puente) would require the TWDB to establish a rainwater harvesting evaluation committee to study the feasibility of using rainwater as a source of water supply. The panel would consist of representatives of four state agencies, with the TWDB representative serving as presiding officer. Rainwater harvesting is seen as a potentially useful water conservation and reuse technique, but the state currently lacks standards and guidelines (including health and safety standards) for indoor use of rainwater, including the incorporation of rainwater harvests into municipal water systems. The panel is to report to the Legislature by December 1, 2006.

House Bill 3029 (Strama) makes permanent a pilot program created by the 77th Legislature (in 2001) for water and wastewater services that provides for rural communities that need water and wastewater loans. The current pilot program applies only to cities, counties, and certain districts and authorities with a population under 5,000; the expanded program would allow statewide access for disadvantaged rural communities that need services. The bill also repeals sections of the Water Code that limit loan terms to 20 years.

The bill allows for grants (rather than just loans) to political subdivisions or water supply corporations, rather than to rural communities, for the construction, acquisition, or improvement of water and wastewater projects to provide service to disadvantaged rural communities. These entities must include household surveys that are acceptable to TWDB and that contain information adequate to establish specific criteria. Awardees must also follow specific guidelines in all contracts. The Executive Administrator is given delegated authority to review and approve or disapprove plans and specifications for all sewage collection, treatment, and disposal systems for which financial assistance is provided via this new fund.

Senate Bill 425 (Hinojosa) adds Nueces County to the list of counties eligible for colonia assistance. Current law regulating colonias is only applicable to counties within 50 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. This bill will allow Nueces County to prevent future substandard housing from springing up, receive the assistance of a colonia ombudsman, and be eligible for Economically Distressed Areas Program funds. The bill gives the county power to approve plats in its unincorporated areas and to prevent unscrupulous developers from taking advantage of homeowners who are often left without paved roads or basic services such as running water, sewer lines, or electricity.

The bill amends the Local Government Code relating to serving or connecting land with water, sewer, electricity, gas, or other utility service by a municipality, county, special district, or certain water supply or sewer service corporation to specify applicability, except for land within a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Senate Bill 827 (Zaffirini) would require the Secretary of State to report certain information regarding colonias that is tracked by the classification system to the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House in even-numbered years. State agencies currently collect pertinent information (such as information on water and wastewater services projects, paved roads to colonias, and other assistance) concerning colonias, but there is no statewide classification system that monitors the progress of state-funded projects in colonia areas. Sen. Zaffirini argued that state government would be better able to address colonia issues with such a system.