If we do nothing, a quarter of all Texas’ municipal water users would have less than half of the water supplies that they require to live and work by 2070, per the State Water Plan. 

It’s a sobering reality as we face projections of a population increase in Texas by 73% between 2020 and 2070, going from about 29.71 million to about 51.5 million individuals, according to the State Water Plan.

People need water. Whether it’s to drink, keep our lights on, or raise our food, a reliable water supply is essential to supporting Texas’ economy, its agricultural and natural resources, 

So how can we make a difference in ensuring our future and future generations have the water they need to survive?

Conservation. 

You’ve heard it before, and you may already be conserving in some ways such as turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth. But does one person’s efforts really make that much of a difference?

Yes! 

Because when you combine everyone’s water conservation practices, the results are tremendous. These practices need to be incorporated into daily life, not only implemented during drought. 

Ensuring adequate and affordable water supplies for all Texans to withstand future droughts requires planning and implementation prior to the onset of drought, according to the State Water Plan. 

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is the state’s lead water planning and infrastructure financing agency and adopts the State Water Plan every five years. The plan forecasts 50 years and considers changes in population, water supplies, technology, economic shifts, project viability, and state policy.

“The goal of the state’s water planning process is to ensure adequate water supplies for all Texans in times of drought. Texas has a long history of drought, and there is no indication of that pattern changing; in fact, recent droughts remind us that more severe drought conditions are likely to continue to occur at some point in the future,” – State Water Plan

Existing water supply — categorized as surface water, groundwater, and reuse water — is projected to decrease about 18%, from 16.8 million acre-feet per year in 2020 to about 13.8 million in 2070.

“Because the existing water supply is not enough to meet the future demand for water during times of drought, Texas would need 6.9 million acre-feet of additional water supplies, including in the form of water savings through conservation, to meet the demand for water in 2070,” states the State Water Plan. “If a recurrence of the drought of record had occurred in 2020, the state would have faced an immediate need for 3.1 million acre-feet per year in additional water supplies. Of that, 7 percent (215,000 acre-feet) would have been required for municipal water users, who face the largest water demand increase over the next 50 years.”

So how do you meet the water needs of the future?

On one side of the coin, the 2022 State Water Plan includes $80 billion in capital costs for water management strategies and projects. But on the other side, water conservation remains vital.

“These [water conservation] practices either reduce everyday water consumption or increase water use efficiency, allowing more to be done with the same amount of water and resulting in additional available water supplies. Conservation requires a continuous effort, occurs throughout both wet and dry weather cycles, and maintains all normal economic and domestic activities,” according to the State Water Plan.

Conserving water can be one of the easiest and most effective ways to positively impact our environment as well as our communities. Water conservation can take a variety of forms; each of them is important in preserving one of the Earth’s most valuable resources.