Texas Water Plan: $174B Needed, 53% Population Growth

0:00Texas Water Development Board just dropped a draft for their 2027 state water plan, warning that the Lone Star State needs about $174 billion to build out water projects and dodge a major crisis down the line. From 2030 to 2080, the population here is set to jump 53%, water demand rises 6%, but available water drops. 9% in supplies shrink 10% overall. That cash would cover designing and constructing over 3,000 strategies, though it doesn't factor in inflation yet. Skip these moves and a bad drought hits with $91 billion in economic damage by 2030, ballooning to 177. Billion dollars a year by 2080. The plan pushes 10 key legislative tweaks, from picking four new reservoir spots and streamlining groundwater rules to better drought planning and A. State wide well tracking system, all aimed at keeping taps flowing smooth. From your city, powered by AI, this is El Paso News Today.