| TO: | Honorable Allan Ritter, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB181 by Shapiro (Relating to the calculation and reporting of water usage by municipalities and water utilities for state water planning and other purposes.), As Engrossed |
The bill would amend the Water Code to require municipalities and water utilities with more than 3,300 connections to implement reporting measures established by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Municipalities and water utilities would be required to implement the reporting measures only at a level currently available to the entity. TCEQ could not adopt a rule that would require an entity to report water use data that is more detailed than the entity’s billing system is capable of producing; however, the rules may require billing systems purchased after September 1, 2011, be capable of reporting detailed water use data as described in the subchapter.
The commission and TWDB would be required to consult with the Water Conservation Advisory Council to develop uniform methodology and guidance for calculating and reporting municipal water use and conservation to be used in water conservation plans and reports and must be available by September 1, 2012.
The bill would require TWDB and TCEQ to adopt rules on the reporting of water conservation measures by municipalities and water utilities. The TWDB would be required to bi-annually submit a report to the Legislature on statewide water usage, projected water use and conservation, and the status of implementation of state water plan projects beginning January 1, 2015.
The TWDB and TCEQ indicate that any costs associated with the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within the agency's existing resources.
| Source Agencies: |
| LBB Staff: | JOB, SZ
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