Recently, the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District board conducted show-cause hearings related to excess production recorded for three non-exempt permit holders.
During the Aug. 19 meeting, the board joined an “agreed order” with two of the permit holders and accepted a penalty of cash from the third permit holder, General Manager Mitchell Sodek told The Highlander.
According to district records, Aqua Texas, the Central States Water Resources Texas Utility Operating Co. and Giacomo Properties all produced groundwater more than 100% above permitted levels last year, even as the district had imposed a mandatory reduction of 15% due to drought conditions.
Giacomo supports the Legends Golf Course. Their administrators hope to implement a new conservation plan and secure more surface water rights during the near future, Sodek told the board.
“We are asking them to become compliant (with district regulation) within one year,” Sodek said.”Their (groundwater production) numbers for 2024 are already drasti- cally lower than before.”
To avoid paying a penalty of $15,250 to the district, Giacomo has agreed to reduce annual groundwater production to no more 111 acre feet through Aug. 19, 2025.
“They are very confident they can go below those limits, Sodek said.
CSWR supports Council Creek Village, Council Creek South and South Silver Creek subdivisions.
The company hopes to acquire additional surface water rights near Lake Buchanan during future months, CSWR Regional Manager Clarence Whitworth told the board.
Also, CSWR plans “within one to two weeks” to conduct one “massive leak detection sweep” of its groundwater system, some of which “is in pretty bad shape,” Whitworth said.
In response to a question by board director Kathy Griffis-Bailey, Whitworth sounded cautious as to how soon CSWR could comply with district regulations.
“To be honest, until I see the results of the sweep survey, I cannot promise anything right now,” Whitworth said.
In any event, to avoid paying a district penalty of $35,250, CSWR has agreed to reduce its annual groundwater production to no more than 6.5 acre feet through Aug. 19, 2025.
Moreover, CSWR and Giacomo have agreed to submit conservation plans and production reports to Sodek until Aug. 31, 2025, so as to help ensure compliance with the agreed order.
Aqua Texas supports the Rio Ancho neighborhood near Liberty Hill, which also includes an area near Burnet County. The group exceeded groundwater district production limits by 3% last year.
“Aqua Texas chose to pay the penalty ($250) versus the agreed order,” Sodek said.
