Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plans
An entity applying for a new water right or an amendment to an
existing water right must prepare and implement a water
conservation/drought contingency plan, and submit that plan with
the application. To be administratively complete, the plan must
meet all minimum requirements contained in TCEQ rule Title 30,
Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Chapter 288.
The TCEQ is required to determine whether requested
appropriations of state water are reasonable and necessary for the
proposed use(s), and that water right applicants will conserve and
avoid wasting water. This determination is made through reviewing
the applicant's water conservation plan and is considered in the
decision to approve or deny a water right application.
In addition to water right applicants, the following entities
are required to develop, implement and submit water conservation
plans that meet the requirements:
- Municipal, industrial/mining and other non-agricultural water
right holders of 1,000 acre-feet of water per year or more.
- Agricultural water right holders of 10,000 acre-feet of water
per year or more. In addition, all wholesale and retail public
water suppliers and irrigation districts are required to develop
drought contingency plans.
Requirements and Submittal Deadline
The amended
Texas Administrative Code Title 30, Chapter 288 became
effective on January 10, 2008.
The next revision of water conservation plans for municipal,
industrial, and other non-irrigation uses must be submitted to the
TCEQ no later than May 1, 2009, and every five years after that
date to coincide with the regional water planning process. The
Chapter 288 Rules require specific, quantified five and ten year
targets for water savings to be included in all water conservation
plans. In addition to the revised water conservation plans, water
conservation Implementation Reports must be
submitted to the TCEQ no later than May 1, 2009. Any revised plans
must be submitted to the TCEQ within 90 days of adoption and must
also include implementation reports.
Those water conservation plans that are required to be submitted
to the TCEQ should be mailed to the Resource Protection Team at the
TCEQ address indicated below:
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Resource Protection
Team, MC-160, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas, 78711-3087.
Submissions to Texas Water Development Board
For retail public water suppliers providing water service to
3,300 or more connections, a water conservation plan meeting the
minimum requirements of Subchapter A of Chapter 288 and using
appropriate best management practices must be developed,
implemented, and submitted to the Texas Water Development Board
(TWDB) no later than May 1, 2009, and every five years after that
date to coincide with the regional water planning process.
Each entity that is required to submit a water conservation plan
to the TCEQ shall submit a copy of the plan to the TWDB no later
than May 1, 2009. Each entity that is required to submit a water
conservation plan to the TWDB or the TCEQ, shall file a report no
later than May 1, 2010, and annually thereafter to the TWDB on the
entity's progress in implementing the plan.
The water conservation plans required to be submitted to the
TWDB should be mailed to the address indicated below:
Texas Water Development Board, 1700 North Congress Avenue, P.O.
Box 13231, Austin, Texas, 78711-3231.
Please contact Ethan Ham at 512/463-4292 or by email to ethan.ham@twdb.state.tx.us
for additional information
(TWDB Conservation Link).
Water Conservation Plan Forms
Water Conservation Plan forms are available in MSWord and PDF
formats. The forms for the following entity types are available
below. You can receive a print copy of a form by calling
512/239-4691 or by email to wras@tceq.state.tx.us.
(Help with Downloading
Files.)
Water-Saving Plumbing Fixture Program
This program was created by the Texas Legislature on Jan. 1,
1992 to promote water conservation. Manufacturers of plumbing
fixtures sold in Texas must comply with the Environmental
Performance Standards for Plumbing Fixtures, which requires all
plumbing fixtures such as showerheads, toilets and faucets sold in
Texas to conform with specific water use efficiency standards.
Because more water is used in the bathroom than any other place
in the home, water-efficient plumbing fixtures play an integral
role in reducing water consumption, wastewater production, and
consumers' water bills. It is estimated that switching to
water-efficient fixtures can save up to 21 gallons per person per
day and the average household between $50 and $100 per year on
water and sewer bills. Many hotels and office buildings find that
water-efficient fixtures can save 20 percent on water and
wastewater costs.
Water Conservation-Related Regulations
Water conservation-related regulations can provide more
information for conservation issues concerning water right
applications.
