Bill Text: TX SB1148 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to authorize certain injection wells that transect or terminate in the Edwards Aquifer.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-04-19 - Left pending in committee [SB1148 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SB1148-Introduced.html
82R5476 SMH-D | ||
By: Wentworth | S.B. No. 1148 |
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relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental | ||
Quality to authorize certain injection wells that transect or | ||
terminate in the Edwards Aquifer. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 26.046(a), Water Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) As used in this section, "Edwards Aquifer": | ||
(1) means that portion of an arcuate belt of porous, | ||
waterbearing limestones composed of the Comanche Peak, Edwards, and | ||
Georgetown formations trending from west to east to northeast | ||
through Kinney, Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, Kendall, Comal, and Hays | ||
counties, respectively, and as defined in the most recent rules of | ||
the commission for the protection of the quality of the potable | ||
underground water in those counties; and | ||
(2) does not include the saline portion of the Edwards | ||
Aquifer as defined by Section 27.051(i). | ||
SECTION 2. Subsection (h), Section 27.051, Water Code, as | ||
added by Chapter 966 (S.B. 2), Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular | ||
Session, 2001, is redesignated as Subsection (i) and amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(i) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, the | ||
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injection well that transects or terminates in the Edwards Aquifer. | ||
The commission by rule may authorize injection of groundwater | ||
withdrawn from the Edwards Aquifer, or injections of water derived | ||
from other natural sources, including storm water, flood water, or | ||
groundwater, through wells, improved sinkholes, or caves located in | ||
karst topographic areas. The commission by rule may authorize the | ||
injection of desalination concentrate in a well that transects or | ||
terminates in the saline portion of the Edwards Aquifer. The | ||
commission by rule may authorize the injection of fresh water in a | ||
well that transects or terminates in the saline portion of the | ||
Edwards Aquifer as part of an aquifer storage and recovery | ||
facility. For purposes of this subsection: | ||
(1)[ |
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Section 26.046(a), except that the term includes the saline portion | ||
of the Edwards Aquifer. | ||
(2) "Fresh water" means water that contains a total | ||
dissolved solids concentration of less than 1,000 milligrams per | ||
liter and is otherwise suitable as a source of drinking water | ||
supply. | ||
(3) "Saline portion of the Edwards Aquifer" means the | ||
part of the Edwards Aquifer that contains only groundwater with a | ||
total dissolved solids concentration of at least 1,000 milligrams | ||
per liter. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |