The Lone Star State ends the first quarter as the fifth driest on record, which may result in some small Texas public water suppliers running out of drinking water in 45 to 90 days.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) assures that no Texan will go without water. If the more than 30 small Texas public water suppliers run out, water will be trucked in. Most of these suppliers are located in rural areas or outside large metropolitan areas, with the worst situations in West Texas, according to The Galveston County Daily.
TCEQ, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) are continually working to improve Texas’ water shortages. They help secure new water supplies, provide conservation guidelines and provide grants and low-interest loans to fund the drilling of wells, moving intakes or interconnect water suppliers.
Water shortages are a consequence of the lack of rainfall, causing Texas reservoirs to be at only 64 percent capacity. A reprieve could be here later this year, as weather predictions of the El Nino system in the Pacific Ocean could bring good rains for Texans.