A public work session will be hosted by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to provide an overview of the process for implementing the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT). The meeting is set for March 24 in Harlingen.
Approved by voters last fall, SWIFT is the $2 billion fund created through Proposition 6 to finance state water plan projects and to provide ongoing state financial assistance for water supplies.
“This will be a great opportunity for folks to give public comment directly to our board, especially regarding the SWIFT rulemaking process,” said Doug Shaw, agriculture and rural Texas ombudsman for the organization.
Some of the issues requiring stakeholder input for the board’s prioritization system of projects include how to score the emergency need of a project and what counts for a regionalization project. In addition, what constitutes a large population and how to measure the demonstrated or projected effect of the project on water conservation will be discussed.
Shaw noted that it is important to have individuals personally involved with agriculture attend the meetings and provide input for the process.