State Rep. Harris watches as Texas Governor signs water bill

TYLER – Gov. Abbott signed Senate Bill 7 and Joint House Resolution 7, what he calls is the largest generational investment in the states’ water infrastructure.

Texas is growing but the water supply is not keeping up, the 89th legislature invested $20 billion to fund water projects. A part of the $20 billion investment is to fix old, decaying and costly infrastructure.

“What we’ve done with this legislation impacts generations of Texas,” State Representative Cody Harris said.

“We lose about 88 billion gallons of water a year because of broken, busted and aged pipes. We have an across-the-board urgency to make sure that we address the water issue. The good news is we had the legislature step up and get that job done with the largest water law in the history of the great state of Texas,” Abbott said.

The second part of the money would identify new sources for water. Representative Harris said East Texas water is not for others to take.

“While we’re celebrating this and the accomplishment that this is, I’m ready to dig my heels in and fight like a mad dog on that same time,” Harris said.

Twenty-one high-capacity wells are currently being reviewed for permits in Anderson County. The wells could extract 10 billion gallons of water a year.

Harris said there are other avenues to be explored, so all of Texas can prosper.

“We will be taking a hard look at this interim. What changes need to be made at the statute level to make sure that this never is as a threat of happening again?” Harris said.

In November, Texas voters will have the option to approve an annual $1 billion deposit (HJR 7) for the next 20 years and prevent the precious water resource from drying up.