| 7 | 2 | | |
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| 8 | 3 | | |
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| 9 | 4 | | SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 10 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Among the most urgent issues facing Texas is the |
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| 11 | 6 | | recent prolonged drought that has resulted in a diminished |
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| 12 | 7 | | freshwater supply and the need to find alternative water sources; |
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| 13 | 8 | | and |
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| 14 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Montgomery County is one area that is facing special |
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| 15 | 10 | | difficulties in sustaining an adequate water supply, not only |
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| 16 | 11 | | because of the drought, but also because of its increasing |
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| 17 | 12 | | population, which grew by 9.5 percent between 2010 and 2013, and its |
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| 18 | 13 | | need to comply with a mandate to reduce usage of the Gulf Coast |
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| 19 | 14 | | Aquifer by 30 percent by the year 2016; and |
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| 20 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Texas is estimated to have more than 2.7 billion |
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| 21 | 16 | | acre-feet of brackish groundwater, a crucial option for an |
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| 22 | 17 | | alternative water supply, and desalination techniques can reduce |
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| 23 | 18 | | the saline content of those brackish supplies to meet freshwater |
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| 24 | 19 | | standards; and |
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| 25 | 20 | | WHEREAS, The City of El Paso and Fort Bliss have established a |
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| 26 | 21 | | successful desalination program at the Kay Bailey Hutchison |
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| 27 | 22 | | Desalination Plant, which can produce up to 27.5 million gallons of |
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| 28 | 23 | | potable water each day from brackish water; employing a similar |
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| 29 | 24 | | desalination method, Montgomery County could replenish and |
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| 30 | 25 | | maintain a sufficient water supply through its access to brackish |
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| 31 | 26 | | groundwater sources; and |
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| 32 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Treating the abundance of brackish groundwater in |
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| 33 | 28 | | the area to comply with freshwater regulations has the potential to |
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| 34 | 29 | | provide Montgomery County residents with sufficient water |
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| 35 | 30 | | resources while alleviating pressure on freshwater resources, and |
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| 36 | 31 | | this innovative process is indeed deserving of further research; |
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| 37 | 32 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 38 | 33 | | RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 39 | 34 | | hereby direct the Texas Water Development Board to conduct a |
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| 40 | 35 | | feasibility study on the use of desalinated brackish groundwater |
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| 41 | 36 | | from brackish groundwater sources for water supply in Montgomery |
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| 42 | 37 | | County; and, be it further |
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| 43 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That this study be completed no later than January |
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| 44 | 39 | | 1, 2018; and, be it further |
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| 45 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the board submit a full report, including its |
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| 46 | 41 | | findings and recommendations, to the 85th Texas Legislature, the |
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| 47 | 42 | | county judge of Montgomery County, and the county commissioners of |
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| 48 | 43 | | Montgomery County no later than June 1, 2018. |
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