TX Agencies Confirm 252 New Cases Of Groundwater Contamination; 2,870 Total Active Cases Statewide

Last edited Mon Dec 16, 2024, 08:57 AM - Edit history (1)

Texas agencies reported 252 new cases of groundwater contamination during 2023 in the Texas Groundwater Protection Committee annual report. The latest report compiles 2,870 open cases of groundwater contamination, some of which date back decades. Nearly every county in Texas is impacted by the problem. During 2023, Texas regulators notified 34 local authorities—from El Paso to Houston—that newly identified contamination could impact their public drinking water. An additional 289 property owners were notified that groundwater contamination may impact their private wells.

Groundwater contamination is costly to remediate and can linger for years or indefinitely. Public water utilities test their wells for regulated contaminants and shut off wells when necessary. But the contamination risk is more insidious at private water wells, which are not subject to water quality standards.

Texas relies on groundwater from aquifers for about 55 percent of its water supply. As the population grows and the climate changes, groundwater will make up an even larger piece of the pie. Texas voters created a $1 billion fund in 2023 to develop more water resources for the state, including desalination of brackish groundwater.

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Currently there are 224 public water supply wells that are considered contaminated, according to the report. There are approximately 17,900 public water supply wells in the state.

But the agency indicated that two public water supply wells were added to the list in 2023. The first is the Hart Municipal Water Supply in Castro County in the Panhandle, where benzene and total xylenes were found. TCEQ spokesperson Richard Richter said the source is unknown but the water utility remains in compliance with regulations. The second is the Grayson Business Park in South Houston, where chlorobenzene and vinyl chloride were found.



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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16122024/texas-regulators-report-new-cases-of-groundwater-contamination/