Water School

The Texas Water Code allows water permitting in a “first in time; first in right” basis. This practice establishes a place in line for water users with the earliest permits being guaranteed priority to take water. This date is important as it determines who has junior and senior water rights.

A perpetual water right (also called a Certificate of Adjudication) is a permit issued by the State of Texas that does not have an expiration date.  It specifies a volume of water that may be used on an annual basis.  This water may be used for consumptive purposes or may be stored and consumptively used on an annual basis.The permit specifies a priority date for use but does not guarantee that water will always be available.  Perpetual rights are considered property interests and may be bought,...

Other specified uses as stated as a water permit exemption in the State of Texas refers to the less-common water uses such as water in fish or shrimp farming, in drilling for oil and for sediment control in surface coal mines.

Emergency use of water is an exemption to the state’s water rights permitting that allows counties and rural fire departments to draw water from surface water sources in the event it is needed for an emergency situation.

Domestic and Livestock use is available only to those whose property adjoins a stream or river.  This use is for water utilized by livestock, household needs and to irrigate a yard or home garden.  This same exemption to Texas water rights allows property owners to impound or store water in stock tanks on larger than 200 acre-feet of storage volume.

Yes, there are exceptions to the need for a surface water permit or contact to access water in Texas.  The Texas Water Code states four “exempt uses” under which water may be made available without the need for a permit or contract.  These are domestic and livestock use, wildlife management, and emergency use.

Yes, permission is required in order to ensure that there is enough water for all in need.  The state has established procedures and requirements for obtaining access to state surface water.  Water use may be sought through application for a state permit through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) or through the contract purchase of water from an already permitted entity.The Brazos River Authority holds numerous state issued permits for water use and provides this water to other...

Surface water in Texas is owned by the state and held in trust for the citizens of Texas. The state grants the right to use water to public and private interests, industry, businesses, cities and farmers or ranchers.

Water planning in Texas is the process where officials take a long-term look at Texas’ water needs and how to meet them. The current method of water planning stems from the passage of Senate Bill 1 by the 75th Texas Legislature in 1997. This bill set its goals providing for the development, management, and conservation of water resources and preparation for responding to drought conditions.The planning process takes place to ensure that sufficient water will be available at a reasonable co...

Invasive plants are non-native, typically exotic plants that thrive when introduced into areas where they have no predators or disease control. They quickly reproduce and grow unchecked, crowding out native species that use the same habitat. Some examples of invasive plants in Texas include the Chinaberry tree, running bamboo, and kudzu vine.Invasive water plants have a direct impact on Texas lakes.  Plants such as giant salvinia, a floating plant native to Brazil, are especially harmful as...

MGD or million gallons per day is a measurement of water flow frequently used in measurement of water consumption. One mgd equals 133,680.56 cubic feet per day, 1.5472 cubic feet per second or 3.0689 acre-feet per day.

Chlorine is one of the elements known as halogens that are commonly used in bleach.  It is used in potable water treatment plants to eliminate bacteria and to minimize odor and taste.The amount of chlorine needed to purify drinking water is known as the chlorine demand.

Filtration is the process of separating solids from water during the potable treatment process using a porous material such as a permeable fabric called a membrane or by using sand.

Sedimentation in water treatment is a process in which water is cleaned by allowing solids to settle out of the water by gravity during treatment.

Potable water treatment is the process to purify water to make it acceptable to drink.  Most water treatment processes include some form or a combination of sedimentation, filtration, and chlorination.To view an illustration of the potable water treatment process at the East Williamson County Regional Water System, click here.

Reclaimed water is treated wastewater or effluent that can be used for certain beneficial purposes, such as irrigation, without first being returned to the water cycle.

Raw water is ground or surface water that is taken directly from its source without treatment. Typically, most water is considered to be raw until it is treated by a potable water treatment process.

Separate from sanitary water lines or wastewater sewers, storm sewers carry away surface rain runoff, street wash and snow melt via curb-side drains.  Also unlike sanitary sewers, these systems usually drain directly into a creek, river, or other body of water without treatment.  This is also how a lot of the trash ends up in our rivers and lakes.  Everything thrown out in the street or dumped in a street drain (storm drain) ends up in a nearby river or lake.Dumping hazardous substances into the...

Wastewater treatment plants are typically located near creeks and rivers.  The treated effluent is returned to the water cycle by being released into these waterways.  As water sources become less abundant, many municipalities have chosen not to release effluent into the water cycle; rather to reuse the effluent for irrigation and industrial purposes directly from the water discharged from the treatment plant.

Effluent is the water that leaves a sewage treatment plant after it has been treated.

Greywater is wastewater from household or small commercial establishments that includes water from clothes washing machines, showers and bathtubs, and sinks used for handwashing.  Greywater does not include water from the kitchen sink used for the cleaning of food and from toilets, dishwashers, or water used for washing diapers.In some areas, greywater may be released into the environment without going through a treatment process. Texas laws prohibit the release of greywater into or near la...

A wastewater treatment plant is a system used to clean wastewater generated within municipal areas.  Most wastewater treatment plants utilize aerobic forms of cleaning water and removing waste so that water may be returned to the water cycle.At the treatment plant, the waste is separated into liquids that are purified and solid sludge that may be used in a number of recycling systems or taken to land fills.

Where wastewater goes once you are no longer using it depends on whether your plumbing is connected to a private septic system or a public sewage line.A septic system is normally used for wastewater treatment in areas where public sewage service is not available, such as rural areas.  In areas where public sewage treatment is available, homes are usually linked to the public system by pipelines that take waste to a wastewater treatment plant that serves an area.

While water treatment plants can remove some chemicals, at this time, wastewater systems are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals.  At this point, the best way to reduce the number of chemicals in our water is at their source.Pharmaceuticals enter the water cycle through a variety of sources including drugs that pass through the human body or domestic animals that are not completely absorbed and byproducts of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process.Additionally, improper disposal of old ...

Artesian, spring, well and ground water comes from an underground aquifer and may or may not be treated. Well and artesian water are tapped through a well.Spring water is collected as it flows to the surface, and ground water can be either.Distilled water comes from steam from boiling water that is condensed. Distilling kills microbes and removes minerals, giving water a “flat” taste.Drinking water is simply intended for human consumption and can come from a variety of sources, including publi...

The main difference between water from a faucet and bottled water is the source. Water from your faucet comes from a local source - ground or surface water that is treated for contaminants at a municipal plant before it is sent through pipes to your home. In the case of some rural residents, water is drawn directly from the ground through nearby wells and may or may not be treated in a home-based system.Bottled water can come from anywhere across the country, ranging from artesian wells to ...

Desalination is the process of removing dissolved minerals (including total dissolved solids, chlorides, and others) from water to produce potable water for human consumption or fresh water for industrial use. The two most popular methods are thermal and membrane technologies.In the thermal process, salty water is heated to make vapor, which is condensed and collected as fresh water leaving the minerals behind. Membrane processes use high pressure to filter water through permeable membranes...

The woody, musty, earthy taste that shows up from time to time in our drinking water is normally due to natural causes. The main culprit: algae. When blue-green algae end their lifecycle they emit an oily substance called geosmin, which has a distinctive earthy taste that humans can detect in even small concentrations. While this added flavor in drinking water can be annoying, it poses no health hazard.While water utilities have long worked to reduce the prevalence of the offensive taste and odo...

The mineral content determines whether your elements' water is either “hard” or “soft.”  The higher the mineral content, the harder the water. Minerals affecting water hardness can include calcium and magnesium bicarbonate or calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloride.The harder the water, the more soap is needed to make foam or lather. Hard water also produces scale in hot water pipes, heaters, boilers and other places where the ...

Your water comes from either a nearby reservoir, stream, or from groundwater.  Where your water originates depends largely on where you live. Water sources can vary between surface water and ground at different locations within a relatively small geographical area. Many municipalities blend both surface water and groundwater together before sending it to your home.The State of Texas requires that your water provider inform you of where your water originates.  Most providers send t...

Water rights are issued by the State of Texas with a small annual fee necessary to pay the costs of the permitting program at the issuing agency.  In many cases the State of Texas has created special districts, such as the Brazos River Authority, to develop and manage surface water supplies.The cost of building and maintaining dams and reservoirs, and all the other costs for managing water supplies, is not paid by the state and is not supported by any tax revenue.  The revenue to pay those costs...

Erosion is the process in which soil is moved or carried away by water, air or other natural processes.

An off-channel reservoir is a water supply lake built next to or near a river.  Off-channel reservoirs are considered by some to be environmentally friendly, lessening the impact on fish and other wildlife by avoiding the need to place a large dam directly on the main stem of the river.An example of an off-channel reservoir is the Brazos River Authority’s planned and permitted Allens Creek Reservoir, near Houston. For more information about Allens Creek, click here.

A channel is a watercourse or path taken by a river, creek or brook. It may be natural or man-made and includes a definite bed and banks that directs the flow of water.

A watershed is the land area or topographic region that drains into a particular stream, river, or lake. This land feature can be identified by tracing a line on a map along the highest elevations between two areas.Large watersheds may contain hundreds or thousands of smaller subwatersheds that drain into the river or other waterbody. The Brazos River watershed encompasses more than 42,000 square miles and includes many smaller streams and rivers with their own smaller watersheds.

Did you know that water will never laugh at puns or jokes because it is not a fan of dry humor?Besides the most obvious use of water for drinking, the precious resource is also used for multiple other practices that don’t regularly cross our minds. This includes domestically in our homes, agriculturally for our food, and industrially in business.Water in our homes can be used to bathe, cook, wash dishes and clothes, keep pools clean and full, water grass and lawns and flush toilets. Accord...

Percolation is the movement of water through soil and its layers by force of gravity.

Turbidity is the amount of particles suspended in water. It is the factor that causes water to appear cloudy or even opaque.  It is measured by how the particles scatter light rays moving through the water.

An aquifer is an underground geological formation that stores and transmits water in amounts that can be extracted by a water well in useful quantities. For a full size map, click here.

The Brazos River Authority owns and operates the East Williamson County Regional Water System serving the cities of Taylor, Hutto and Thrall, the Jonah Special Utilities District and the Nowak Water Supply Company. The BRA also contracts to operate the Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant in Leander and the Lee County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1, serving the community of Dime Box.

The Brazos River Authority operates the Temple-Belton Wastewater Treatment System as well as wastewater treatment centers for the cities of Hutto, Sugar Land, Dime Box, Clute and Richwood. Other operations include the Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater System, which serves the cities of Round Rock, Cedar Park, Austin and the Fern Bluff and Brushy Creek municipal utility districts.

The Brazos River basin covers a swath across Texas more than 600 miles long, beginning near the Texas-New Mexico Border and ending at the Gulf of Mexico in Brazoria County.The basin includes all or part of 70 Texas counties within 42,000 square miles and includes numerous smaller tributary rivers including the Double Mountain, Salt and Clear Forks, the Paluxy, Bosque, Nolan, Little, and Navasota Rivers and dozens of smaller rivers and tributaries.For a full-sized map, click here.

As the name implies, water supply lakes are built primarily to provide a place to store water for Texas residents, communities, businesses, agriculture, industry and others who all depend on water to survive and thrive. Such lakes are especially vital during periods of drought, when other sources of water may be limited.  Many of Texas’ flood control lakes serve a secondary purpose as a water storage facility.  However, reservoirs designed for water supply, do not necessarily also provide flood...

A dam is a structure designed to hold back water in a lake, river, stream or other waterbody. Large dams typically include gates or other outlet devices that can be raised or lowered, opened or closed to allow variable amounts of water to pass downstream or leave the lake. The path the water takes to leave the reservoir through the gates is called a spillway.There are several styles of dams used for different purposes to meet specific conditions at the dam site.  The design of the dam is in...

Beneficial use represents the amount of water necessary when reasonable intelligence and diligence are used for a stated purpose authorized by a water rights permit. Such uses include watering crops, municipal, mining, and industrial use.Beneficial use results in a gain or benefit to the user and society, which is consistent with state law. Most states recognize the following uses as beneficial: domestic and municipal, industrial, irrigation, mining, hydroelectric power, navigation, stock r...

To overdraft a reservoir, aquifer or basin is to withdraw water out faster than the water can be replenished by rain, runoff or percolation.  Overdraft may also refer to an use of the permitted yield of a reservoir.

Yield refers to the amount of water produced by a water treatment process or the quantity of water that can be collected for a given use from surface or groundwater sources. The yield may vary depending on the proposed use, the development plan, location of the water source, and economic considerations.

Evaporation is the process in the water cycle in which liquid water becomes water vapor.

This doctrine has its roots in the 1800s, when Texas officials determined riparian doctrine did not address the needs of more arid parts of the state. Since the late 19th century, land acquired from the state has used prior-appropriation doctrine instead of riparian when considering water rights.Under this approach, water rights are based on seniority.  In other words, one’s water rights are based on the date one applied for the right, with older claimants having seniority. However, those pre-e...

Water rights in Texas are complicated.  They date back to Spanish colonial law, but also include influences from English common law, a history of state legislation as well as judicial decisions. Water rights in Texas are further complicated because ground and surface water rights are approached differently. Generally, water rights law determine who can use water, how much may be used and for what purpose.