Preventing Texas water crisis will cost at least $174B, state says

The Texas Water Development Board has published an initial draft of its 2027 State Water Plan, projecting that preventing a water crisis in Texas over the next half-century will cost at least $174 billion. This figure represents more than double the previous $80 billion estimate from a few years ago. The plan, which is updated every five years, integrates findings from 16 regional planning groups and proposes 3,000 projects and 6,700 strategies, including recycled water and conservation, to provide an additional 2.7 million acre-feet of water per year by 2030. The significant increase in estimated costs is attributed to factors like inflation in construction, extending the planning horizon to 2080, and lingering supply chain issues. Population growth and the expansion of strategically important industries, such as high-tech data centers and manufacturing, are cited as major contributors to the strain on Texas's natural water resources. State Senator Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, remarked that the historic $20 billion in water funding recently approved by residents is merely "a drop in the bucket" given the scale of the problem. Planners warn that without the implementation of these strategies, approximately one in four Texans could face severe municipal water shortages during a drought of record by 2080, potentially leading to $177 billion in economic damages annually. The water board's authorization of this draft is an administrative step towards its final adoption by early January. Public comments on the plan are being accepted through May 29, with a hearing scheduled in Austin on May 27.