After the Storm: Legislative Solutions to Texas’ Water Infrastructure Emergency

Tuesday press conference will cover three bills to add needed resiliency to our water infrastructure

Environment Texas

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ water systems were already under serious strain before Winter Storm Uri wiped out significant portions of our water infrastructure, leaving many residents without safe drinking water. As of March 5th, three public water utilities were still inoperable and 46,068 people are still under a water boil notice according to the TCEQ. In response, State Rep. Erin Zwiener has filed three bills to tackle the issue head on, investing in water infrastructure, rainwater harvesting, and other nature-based solutions such as rain gardens and constructed wetlands. 

Tuesday, March 9th’s 1:00pm press conference with Rep. Zwiener will explain the bills in detail and provide video footage of what nature-based infrastructure looks like. Speakers will include:

• State Representative Erin Zwiener, District 45, Texas House of Representatives

• Anna Farrell-Sherman, Clean Water Associate, Environment Texas

• David Batts, Construction EcoServices

The three bill water infrastructure package includes: HB 2350, which will provide financial assistance to communities seeking to improve their stormwater infrastructure resilience through nature-based projects; HB 186, which provides incentives for rainwater harvesting; and HB 2275, which sets up funds for critical infrastructure repair and weatherization. 

“Texans have faced a multitude of natural disasters just in the last few years,” said Rep. Erin Zwiener. “Investing in our infrastructure supports resilient communities. These three bills would do just that by supporting local nature-based infrastructure initiatives and overdue improvements.”

In their February 2021 scorecard, The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave Texas a “C” for our infrastructure, with even worse grades for water infrastructure (C- for drinking water, C- for flood risk mitigation, D for wastewater). One of ASCE’s top three recommendations was to employ “new approaches, materials, and technologies to ensure our infrastructure can withstand or quickly recover from natural or man-made hazards.”  Nature-based infrastructure, of the kind promoted by State Rep. Zwiener’s bill package does this by incorporating the power of rain gardens and constructed wetlands to take pressure off traditional infrastructure systems.

“I am still waking up cold in the night, fearful that the power has gone back out: this storm was a state-wide wake up call,” said Anna Farrell-Sherman, clean water associate with Environment Texas. “Experts have proven time and again that nature-based infrastructure is the most resilient to flooding, drought, and natural disasters. It’s time we embraced it here in Texas.”

Available b-roll for news stories: 

• San Marcos CM Allen Parkway – from 1:09 clips of a nature-based street design in San Marcos, Texas.  

• Wimberley One Water School – clips of nature-based infrastructure incorporated into a school in Wimberley, Texas. 

Photos: 

CM Allen Parkway Rain Garden. Credit: Greg Schwartz City of San Marcos

Nature-based infrastructure in San Antonio’s Confluence Park. Credit: Francisco Perez.