Texas Law Limits Groundwater Moving Out of Districts

House Bill 24 is a Texas state law that protects our water supply. It adds a new rule for groundwater conservation districts when they approve permits. The rule says districts cannot let any single company pump and move more than 5 percent of the district's total available groundwater to areas outside the district.

Groundwater is water stored underground in rock and soil. Many communities in Texas depend on groundwater for drinking water and farming. When companies pump large amounts of groundwater out of a district, it can lower water levels and harm local water supplies. This bill helps prevent that problem.

The 5 percent limit applies to all permits a company holds in the district combined. So if a company already has permits to pump groundwater, any new permit cannot push them over the 5 percent threshold. The executive administrator of the water board will measure how much modeled available groundwater each district has.

This law takes effect 91 days after the Texas legislative session ends. It only applies to new permits issued after that date. Permits approved before the law takes effect are not affected. Our community can now have more confidence that groundwater will be managed carefully for everyone's benefit.