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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to withdrawals of water from the Edwards Aquifer to supply |
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a military installation. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The heading to Section 1.33, Chapter 626, Acts of |
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the 73rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1993, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 1.33. WELL METERING AND PERMITTING EXEMPTIONS |
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[EXEMPTION]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 1.33, Chapter 626, Acts of the 73rd |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 1993, is amended by adding |
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Subsections (e), (f), and (g) to read as follows: |
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(e) In addition to permitted withdrawals from the aquifer, a |
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municipally owned utility owned by the City of San Antonio, without |
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a permit, may withdraw groundwater from the aquifer if: |
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(1) the utility uses the groundwater to supply a |
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military installation with water for human consumption, |
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irrigation, operations, mission support, or infrastructure |
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maintenance; |
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(2) the utility and the military installation enter |
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into a contract requiring the installation to reduce its |
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groundwater withdrawals from the aquifer by the same amount of |
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withdrawn water the installation receives from the utility; and |
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(3) the utility complies with rules adopted by the |
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authority that allow the authority to monitor groundwater |
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withdrawals from the aquifer by the utility and determine amounts |
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of groundwater exempted from permitting in accordance with this |
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subsection, including rules requiring the reporting of amounts |
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supplied by the utility to the military installation and amounts by |
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which the military installation reduces the installation's |
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groundwater withdrawals from the aquifer. |
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(f) Subsection (e) of this section does not alter the |
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obligations of a military installation under a biological opinion |
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issued by a federal agency. |
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(g) The amount of water provided by a municipally owned |
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utility to a military installation under Subsection (e) of this |
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section may not exceed the maximum amount of water that the military |
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installation is authorized to withdraw from the aquifer under a |
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biological opinion issued by a federal agency. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |