TCEQ hosts drought emergency planning workshop

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will conduct a workshop in Brownsville on June 14 to give water system operators, board members, and local government officials information and planning tools to help them avoid water outages due to drought.

Introductory remarks will be given by Representative Eddie Lucio, III; TCEQ Commissioner Carlos Rubinstein; Texas Water Development Board Chairman Billy R. Bradford, Jr.; and others. Attendees will get a status report on drought conditions and an overview of the emergency process. A technical presentation will address measures public water systems can take to create and maintain an adequate emergency plan including obtaining interconnections, requirements for drilling emergency wells, and possible sources of assistance.

Staff members from the TCEQ, TWDB, Texas Department of Emergency Management, and Texas Department of Agriculture will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance following the presentation.

The workshop runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Brownsville Events Center, 1 Events Center Blvd., Brownsville Texas 78526. There is no charge, but registration is encouraged as seating is limited.

The Texas Drought Information Web page has the most current information on drought information in Texas as it applies to public drinking water systems and surface water impacts and management.