Drought Contingency Plans

• Drought Contingency
• Requirements and Submittal Deadline
• Investor-Owned Utilities
• What Contingency Plans Should Include
• Model Drought Contingency Plans

Drought Contingency

Drought is a frequent and inevitable factor in the climate of Texas. Therefore, it is vital to plan for the effect that droughts will have on the use, allocation and conservation of water in the state.

Water utilities throughout Texas have enacted a variety of measures to reduce peak demands and to extend their water supplies. In some areas of the state, neighboring systems are coordinating their drought response measures.

Because of the range of conditions that affected the more than 4,000 water utilities throughout the state in 1997, the Texas Legislature directed the TCEQ to adopt rules establishing common drought plan requirements for water suppliers. As a result, the TCEQ requires all wholesale public water suppliers, retail public water suppliers serving 3,300 connections or more, and irrigation districts to submit drought contingency plans.

The TCEQ requires retail public water suppliers serving less than 3,300 connections to prepare and adopt a drought contingency plan and to make the plan available upon request.

Requirements and Submittal Deadline

The amended Title 30, Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 288 became effective on January 10, 2008. The next revision of the drought contingency plans for retail public water suppliers serving 3,300 or more connections, wholesale public water suppliers, and irrigation districts must be submitted no later than May 1, 2009, and every five years thereafter to coincide with the regional water planning group process. Any new or revised plans must be submitted to the TCEQ within 90 days of adoption by the governing body of the entity.

For all retail public water suppliers serving less than 3,300 connections, the drought contingency plans must be prepared and adopted no later than May 1, 2009, and shall be available for inspection upon request.

The drought contingency plans required to be submitted to the TCEQ should be mailed to the Resource Protection Team at the following address:

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Resource Protection Team, MC-160, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas, 78711-3087.

Investor-Owned Utilities

Privately-owned water suppliers, called investor-owned utilities (IOUs), are required to complete a drought contingency plan and amend the plan into their tariff. IOUs must submit a letter requesting a tariff amendment with the Drought Contingency Plan (TCEQ-20189) Word or PDF to the TCEQ by May 1, 2009.

What Contingency Plans Should Include

• Specific, quantified targets for water use reductions (New Requirement)
• Drought response stages
• Triggers to begin and end each stage
• Supply management measures
• Demand management measures
• Descriptions of drought indicators
• Notification procedures
• Enforcement procedures
• Procedures for granting exceptions
• Public input to the plan
• Ongoing public education
• Adoption of plan
• Coordination with regional water planning group