While some might think we pay a lot for water whether it's through the cities of Bryan, College Station, or Wellborn...I can assure you we have a very good supply of water that is cost effective when compared to other areas in Texas. Sure, we might get restrictions every other summer; however, it is fair to say the foundation of our water supply system here is strong...currently.

"Water is the new oil." With population growth, especially in places with limited water supply, this resource has become valuable. Look no further than the Austin area - too many people, not enough water.

That brings me to the deal where Georgetown was going to take water from the aquifer that supplies BCS. While those efforts have been staved off (kudos to all involved there), another run will come. I admit to not knowing the details of this, so I'm not sure how long we are "safe."

What do we need to do as citizens to protect our water supply? I realize this isn't a hot topic right now...but I don't ant to wait until it's too late to know what the threat is so we, as a community, can do what we can to protect ourselves.

Thanks.

Don't forget the data centers that everyone seems to want to bring to Brazos County.

Those things suck up a massive amount of water for cooling.

Rapier108 said:

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Don't forget the data centers that everyone seems to want to bring to Brazos County.

Those things suck up a massive amount of water for cooling.

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Not modern ones. There is recirculation and even using wastewater.

Good point. We live right on the edge of what is borderline desert to our west. And unfortunately that area is growing faster than anywhere else in the country. They will run out of water and will be coming for us. At some point, it's likely to get very nasty.

Although we have enough water it is has a total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration of about 500-550 ppm, with roughly 200-250 parts per million (ppm) being dissolved sodium. I find the water a bit high in salt for my liking (for drinking), maybe to people of Georgetown will think so too.

It is time to rethink the Navasota river reservoir.

plant science guy - you might be interested in Texas AWWA's Agricultural Water Sustainability Summit. I don't have dates for 2026 (will be announced soon) but this is a link to last year's summit: https://www.tawwa.org/page/awss2025

Speaking broadly, water must be used more efficiently and it must be valued higher than it is currently. That said: decisions about whether or not to allow development, data centers, water export, etc., are made way above my pay grade, so I doubt I will be able to contribute much to this discussion. Just turn your dang sprinklers off, LOL. (so many edits trying to add a smiley face).

doubledog said:

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It is time to rethink the Navasota river reservoir.

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The NIMBYs got it killed by claiming it would flood much of College Station and other such hysteria.

Don't see how it would ever get built at this point, although it should have been.

From a FB site "Texas Tested Seed & Plants"--Edwards Aquifer, and the Burleson/Milam counties water propping up San Antonio.

"While the 1950s were drier, the most severe legal restrictions in history occurred just last year, in May 2025. For the first time since the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) was created in 1993, the region entered Stage 5 Critical Period Management.

Groundwater permit holders (cities AND farmers) were ordered to cut their water use by a staggering 44%. The 10-day average at J-17 hovered near the 625-foot mark during a time when pumping demand was at its absolute peak.

But there is a major difference between the 50's and 2026 and why we are now in "Uncharted Territory". In the 1950s, San Antonio had about 500,000 people. Today, the metro area has over 2.6 million! This is why the 2025 and 2026 restrictions feel so much more "severe"…because there are FIVE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE people trying to share the same amount of water that once failed in 1956!

The J-17 reading of 628.9' today is a warning. The water table is currently only 16 feet away from the 1950s record, but with millions more wells sucking water out of the ground!

The Vista Ridge Pipeline is the reason the J-17 doesn't look worse right now. As of April 2026, Vista Ridge is providing roughly 20% of San Antonio's total water supply. Here is how that 142-mile pipeline acts as a shield for the J-17 monitoring well.

Before Vista Ridge was completed in 2020, every time San Antonio grew, it had to pump more from the Edwards Aquifer. Today, when the J-17 starts dropping toward Stage 4 (as it has this month), San Antonio Water System (SAWS) can "turn down" its Edwards pumps and "turn up" the flow from Vista Ridge.

By using the 50,000 acre-feet of water Vista Ridge brings in annually from Burleson County, SAWS effectively leaves that same amount of water inside the Edwards. This keeps the pressure higher and keeps the J-17 from hitting the "dead pool" levels of the 1950s.
The water in the pipeline doesn't come from a lake…it comes from a different aquifer system called the Carrizo-Wilcox. The pipeline pulls water from a massive well field in Burleson County (near Bryan/College Station) and pipes it 142 miles southwest to San Antonio.

While this saves the Edwards (and the J-17), it is putting immense pressure on the Carrizo-Wilcox. Critics in 2026 point out that while San Antonio's "well" (J-17) looks better, the water levels in Burleson and Milam counties are dropping significantly. Some models predict a 400-foot drop in those local wells over the life of the project.
In May 2025, when the region hit Stage 5 restrictions for the first time, Vista Ridge was the only thing that prevented a total "Day Zero" scenario for San Antonio.
Because Vista Ridge is non-Edwards water, it is not subject to those 44% cuts. It provides a "guaranteed" flow of 50 million gallons a day regardless of how dry the J-17 gets.
This security is expensive. San Antonio is currently paying roughly $2,200 per acre-foot for Vista Ridge water…almost five times what it costs to simply pump water out of the Edwards. This is a major reason why water bills in San Antonio are significantly higher in 2026 than they were a decade ago.
Vista Ridge protects the J-17 by moving the "hole" in the water table from San Antonio to Burleson County. In 2026, San Antonio is safer, but the rural counties to the east are now the ones watching their own wells with concern.

Aggie Lake needs to be big enough to hold a gambling casino...the Indian burial ground needs to be used.