‘Unprecedented’ rollback threatens Texas’ waters

It could get harder for Texans to enjoy swimming and fishing in our local ponds, lakes and streams, and to drink water from our taps, without worrying about whether the water is clean.

On Sept. 12, the Trump administration announced it is rolling back the Obama-era Clean Water Rule, which is designed to protect Texas wetlands and more than 140,000 miles of streams. The move could open state waterways, including Lake Livingston and Galveston Bay, to more upstream pollution, threatening the drinking water for millions of Texans.

“It is unconscionable that we’re jeopardizing the drinking water of 1 in 3 Americans—not to mention damaging the waters where we swim and fish and that wildlife calls home,” said Environment Texas’ Clean Water Associate Anna Farrell-Sherman to the Houston Chronicle. “This repeal will not go unchallenged. We are confident that this unprecedented rollback of the Clean Water Act will be struck down by the courts.”

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Photo: The rollback threatens the drinking water sources for millions of Texans, including Lake Livingston. Credit: Larry D. Moore via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0