Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

_______________ N ATURAL
/Water
ATURAL RESOURCES/Water
77 th Texas Legislature
improve or conserve water resources. Most growers are considered animal feeding operations, rather than
confined animal feeding operations, which means they are not required to have a permit from TNRCC.
Requires each owner or operator of a poultry facility to implement and maintain a water quality
management plan (plan), certified by the board.
Authorizes TNRCC to bring a cause of action to remedy or prevent a violation of this bill’s provisions.
Water Service Conditioned Upon Easement for Access - H.B. 924
by Representative Walker
Senate Sponsor: Senator Brown
Allows a water supplier to require a service applicant to provide an easement granting it reasonable right of
access as a condition of service. A water supplier may not require an applicant to provide an easement for
the sole benefit of another applicant.
Allows a water supplier to make service to a new subdivision conditional upon the developer’s granting the
supplier easements necessary to serve the subdivisions anticipated need when it is fully occupied.
Lower Colorado River Authority Sells Water Outside District - H.B. 1629
by Representative Cook, et al.
Senate Sponsor: Senator Armbrister
The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) currently may not sell water outside its service area without
specific authorization from the state legislature.
Enables LCRA to contract, with certain imitations, with the City of San Antonio for the sale of water from the
Colorado River. This arrangement benefits San Antonio, while supplying agricultural needs in the Colorado
River Basin and conserving water in the Highland Lakes.
Submetering to Better Measure Water Consumption - H.B. 2404
by Representative Ron Lewis
Senate Sponsor: Senator Brown
Under current law, apartments can include water charges in the rent, and may allocate water bills by
dividing the charges among tenants by the number of occupants and/or square footage.
Requires a manager of a condominium or the owner of an apartment house, manufactured home rental
community, or multiple use facility built after January 1, 2003, to provide for the measurement of water
consumed by the occupants of each unit through the installation of submeters or individual meters.
Senate Research Center 237