Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 1806	House Author:  King, Tracy O.
Effective:  Vetoed	Senate Sponsor:  Campbell

            House Bill 1806 amends the law to authorize a retail public utility that is an initial regular permit holder and the service area of which is contained wholly or partly inside the boundaries of the Edwards Aquifer Authority to use water withdrawn from the Edwards Aquifer to provide retail water service in a county adjacent to the boundaries of the authority within the utility's certificated service area. The bill authorizes a municipally owned utility owned by the City of San Antonio to sell not more than 6,000 acre feet of water withdrawn from the aquifer per year at wholesale to a retail public utility or river authority for use in any county adjacent to Bexar County but requires the municipally owned utility to obtain the consent of the Kendall County Commissioners Court for the sale of water for use in the county if the sale would cause the total sales of such water to exceed 1,500 acre feet of water per year.

 

Governor's Reason for Veto: "House Bill 1806 would allow the San Antonio Water System to sell water from the Edwards Aquifer to adjacent counties, many of which are outside the regulatory jurisdiction of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, without any input from other permit holders or the governing board of the Edwards Aquifer Authority. The goal of the Edwards Aquifer Act, which was passed by the 73rd Legislature, was to treat all permit holders equally. This bill goes in the opposite direction by elevating the rights of one user above all others. Vetoing this bill maintains the careful balance of water rights within the Edwards Aquifer Authority and ensures that the resources of the aquifer remain protected."