The Texas agency watching over how water is supplied throughout the state has now been tasked to manage it.
Months before Harvey flooded much of Houston, state lawmakers allocated $600,000 to the Texas Water Development Board to develop with a first-ever statewide flood plan.
“Our goal is to try to compile these projects into a state plan, and get a clear idea of where across the state these needs are, as well as how much these projects will cost moving forward,” says board member Bech Bruun who testified Wednesday before a special subcommittee of the Texas House Natural Resources Committee.
“In areas like Houston that see a tremendous amount of growth, it's all the more important for local governments to be proactive in trying to build these projects before that kind of development can unfortunately get in the way.”
The agency will present its plan before the state legislature reconvenes in January 2019.
“That's not to say the city or Harris County Flood Control District can't develop their own plans, we have programs at the TWDB available today that can help them with financing to move forward with projects,” says Bruun.