Texas uses water like it is going out of style. Between fracking, out of date agricultural practices, crazy water rights laws, explosive population growth, and the over a decade long drought, we are rapidly heading towards a crisis. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as many as 30 communities could run out of water by the end of the year. In early October, Governor Perry has even refiled a disaster proclamation, stating that "exceptional drought conditions pose a threat of imminent disaster in a specified number of counties in the state of Texas". Texans waste about 50% of the water we use, the big offenders being the fracking industry and ancient agricultural practices. Another factor as far as personal use is involved, is folks obsession with keeping the status quo. Not being able to accept that most of Texas is a desert or near a desert causes much water waste on keeping landscapes alive that are not meant to thrive in this environment.
Tragically there is little being done to address this issue. Proposition 6 was passed recently, but that really only put a band-aid on a wound that is in need of critical surgery. In order to face this beast head on, we are gonna have to do the unthinkable in Texas...make water waste reform a serious deal and hold offenders accountable for their actions. The government needs to stop attracting water heavy businesses (such as catfish farms) to the state, stop subsidizing extreme water usage, and charge fair market prices for water in order to really start making progress on our water problem. With 5+ cities in the state ranked in the nation's top growing cities, it is going to take a lot of effort from each and every one of us. Are we as a state up to the task?
