'Unacceptable' drawdowns eyed within water district

MILANO—Needs of water-thirsty Central Texans are looming as a potential problem for the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District (POSGCD), which is charged with keeping Milam and Burleson counties’ underground water “at home.”

Gary Westbrook, general manager, told POSGCD board members Tuesday that future projections from Groundwater Management Area 12, which includes the Bryan-College Station area, “far exceeds what our management plan allows.”

Westbrook said POSGCD’s plan calls for a water table drawdown of no more than 50 feet in the affected shallow aquifer. “Area 12’s projections call for a drawdown of 20 to 90 feet.

“Those Area 12 projections may or may not be accurate,” Westbrook said. “But we do know this. If there’s lots of deep production sooner or later its going to affect shallower production.”

“We need to make a decision now, before it happens, if we’re going to lobby for some changes in the overall regional water plans before they start affecting us,” he said.

“We don’t sit here all by ourselves,” he added. “What happens regionally is going to affect Milam and Burleson counties in big ways.”

Westbrook said POSGCD is working out an agreement with Alcoa’s Rockdale Operations to share water data for use in modeling impact projections.

“Obviously no one in this area has the resources to collect water data as does Alcoa,” he said. “We’re excited about this opportunity.”

In other business Tuesday, the POSGCD board:

• Heard Westbrook report US Geological Service water quality testing has begun on three wells near Milano and Thorndale.

• Okayed operating and production permits for Chuck’s Oilfield Services near Texas 36 and FM 976 in Burleson County after holding a public hearing during which no one contested the permits.

• Allowed Adrob Inc. 30 days to obtain state paperwork and obtain a permit concerting a rules violation.

mike@rockdalereporter.com

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