| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to state and local planning for and responses to drought. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 10.010, Water Code, is amended to read as |
|
|
follows: |
|
|
Sec. 10.010. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COUNCIL. (a) The council |
|
|
shall: |
|
|
(1) monitor trends in water conservation |
|
|
implementation; |
|
|
(2) monitor new water conservation technologies for |
|
|
possible inclusion by the board as best management practices in the |
|
|
best management practices guide described by Section 16.0552 |
|
|
[developed by the water conservation implementation task force
|
|
|
under Chapter 109, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session,
|
|
|
2003]; |
|
|
(3) monitor the effectiveness of the statewide water |
|
|
conservation public awareness program developed under Section |
|
|
16.401 and associated local involvement in implementation of the |
|
|
program; |
|
|
(4) develop and implement a state water management |
|
|
resource library; |
|
|
(5) develop and implement a public recognition program |
|
|
for water conservation; |
|
|
(6) monitor the implementation of water conservation |
|
|
strategies by water users included in regional water plans; and |
|
|
(7) monitor target and goal guidelines for water |
|
|
conservation to be considered by the board and commission. |
|
|
(b) To assist with drought preparedness and response, the |
|
|
council shall: |
|
|
(1) monitor and develop strategies for responding to |
|
|
drought; |
|
|
(2) monitor new drought response technologies for |
|
|
possible inclusion by the board as best management practices in the |
|
|
best management practices guide described by Section 16.0552; and |
|
|
(3) recommend methodologies for conducting drought |
|
|
contingency plan evaluations described by Section 11.1272(g). |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 11.1272, Water Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) to read as follows: |
|
|
(f) At least once every five years, a wholesale or retail |
|
|
public water supplier or irrigation district shall review and, as |
|
|
necessary, update the supplier or district's drought contingency |
|
|
plan and submit to the commission the reviewed or updated plan. |
|
|
(g) A wholesale water supplier, a retail public water |
|
|
supplier that provides potable water service to 3,300 or more |
|
|
connections, or an irrigation district shall include in each |
|
|
reviewed or updated drought contingency plan submitted to the |
|
|
commission under Subsection (f) an evaluation of the effectiveness |
|
|
of strategies in the plan that were implemented by the supplier or |
|
|
district during any period of significant drought that occurred in |
|
|
the preceding five years. The commission by rule shall define |
|
|
"significant drought" for purposes of this subsection. |
|
|
(h) A wholesale or retail public water supplier shall notify |
|
|
the commission not later than the fifth business day after the date |
|
|
the supplier implements, changes the manner of implementing, or |
|
|
ceases to implement a mandatory provision of the supplier's drought |
|
|
contingency plan. The commission by rule shall establish criteria |
|
|
for determining the actions that must be reported under this |
|
|
subsection. |
|
|
(i) The commission shall maintain on its Internet website a |
|
|
list of wholesale and retail public water suppliers that are |
|
|
currently implementing a drought contingency plan that displays for |
|
|
each supplier: |
|
|
(1) the degree of drought severity in the county or |
|
|
counties in which the service area of the supplier is located; |
|
|
(2) whether the service area of the supplier is in a |
|
|
county subject to a declaration under Section 418.014 or 418.108, |
|
|
Government Code, of a state of disaster due to drought conditions; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(3) the drought response stage the supplier is |
|
|
implementing. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 16, Water Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Section 16.0552 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 16.0552. BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES GUIDE. (a) In this |
|
|
section, "best management practices" has the meaning assigned by |
|
|
Section 11.002. |
|
|
(b) The board, in coordination with the commission and the |
|
|
Water Conservation Advisory Council, shall: |
|
|
(1) regularly review and update the water conservation |
|
|
best management practices guide developed by the water conservation |
|
|
implementation task force under Chapter 109 (S.B. 1094), Acts of |
|
|
the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003; and |
|
|
(2) include in the guide best management practices for |
|
|
drought response. |
|
|
(c) The board shall make the guide available on its Internet |
|
|
website. |
|
|
SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
|
|
of this Act, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shall |
|
|
adopt rules as necessary to implement Section 11.1272, Water Code, |
|
|
as amended by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |