System Operation Permit & Conformed 2018 Water Management Plan

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In 2004, the BRA filed a water right application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for what would become known as the System Operation Permit. The application sought to appropriate a distinct water supply that was made available through the coordinated use of the BRA’s Water Supply System. As such, the application was the first of its kind in Texas, and the complex permitting process lasted until 2018.

The System Operation Permit (Water Use Permit 5851) was formally issued by the TCEQ on November 30, 2016, and the TCEQ Executive Director approved the conformed 2018 Water Management Plan (Conformed 2018 WMP), the accompanying Technical Report in support of the Conformed 2018 WMP, associated appendices, and the revised Accounting Plan on April 2, 2018.

The Conformed 2018 WMP and accompanying Technical Report are incorporated into the System Operation Permit and governs the operating principles upon which decisions are made for the diversion, storage, and use of the water appropriated under the Permit. More specifically, the Conformed 2018 WMP guides only the use of the System Operation Permit and does not constrain the use of the BRA’s other water rights.

The Conformed 2018 WMP and associated documents, including a Drought Study, which was required by TCEQ during the permitting process, are available by clicking the links below. Additionally, BRA has developed a timeline of the administrative events that occurred during the permitting process. The 2018 Conformed WMP and Technical Report are lengthy documents including six sections or chapters, 18 appendices, and BRA’s revised accounting plan. Due to the size of the documents, each section has been made available as an individual file to simplify the download process. Click on the blue section links to access each file.

System Operation Permit

Drought Study

Water Management Plan