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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Among the most urgent issues facing Texas is |
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recurrent prolonged drought that results in a diminished water |
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supply, and new strategies need to be developed and implemented to |
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ensure that Texas can meet its future water demands; and |
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WHEREAS, Purifying and recycling treated effluent has been a |
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successful approach for providing additional clean, safe drinking |
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water supplies; Big Spring has implemented such a project, and |
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others are planned for El Paso and San Angelo, as well as for the |
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Laguna Madre Water District; and |
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WHEREAS, Of the 16 water planning districts in Texas, Region |
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C, which includes the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and serves more |
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than 25 percent of the state's population, has one of the largest |
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projected demands for new water supplies, and several cities in the |
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region have the ability to develop a model project that would purify |
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and recycle significant amounts of treated effluent into water for |
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drinking and other household uses; and |
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WHEREAS, An advanced purification plant could provide a |
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crucial new supply of water to a number of water planning regions in |
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Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, The development of a direct potable-water model |
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project in conjunction with the use of renewable energy |
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technologies could provide an excellent opportunity for public |
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education on direct water reuse and renewable energy; and |
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WHEREAS, The creation of a direct potable-water project in |
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Region C has the potential to yield a sufficient water supply to |
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area residents while alleviating the depletion of already scarce |
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resources, and the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas |
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Commission on Environmental Quality should provide funding, |
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authorizations, and technical assistance to aid in that endeavor; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby direct the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas |
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Commission on Environmental Quality to assist the Region C Water |
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Planning Group in the creation of a large-scale direct |
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potable-water recycling and reuse project as a model for the state; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the board and the commission seek federal |
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funds or use available state funds or loan programs to assist with |
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the creation of a direct potable-water recycling facility in Region |
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C; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the board and the commission encourage the use |
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of renewable energy sources and the development of educational |
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programs along with the potable-water recycling and reuse project; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the board include the creation of a direct |
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potable-water recycling facility in Region C as a priority for |
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support pursuant to Section 16.1311, Water Code; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the chair and the executive |
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administrator of the Texas Water Development Board and to the chair |
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and the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental |
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Quality. |