TWDB's latest drought report shows contraction for the first time in 11 weeks. 2026 is on pace to be even hotter than 2024, making it the hottest year in Texas since data collection began in 1895.
Regardless of demanding discourse from Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, data centers in Texas are facing fines of just $500 for failure to disclose information on water use. This $500 fine is enforced under state law as a Class C misdemeanor. Currently, "State officials don’t know whether misdemeanor penalties have been issued against data centers," with only 30% of data centers responding to surveys that have been sent out, according to the TWDB.
Austin Water officials recently asked residents, "How should the city manage its largest water users?" These answers were recently sought at an open house for the City of Austin Permitting and Development Center and must be presented by City Manager T.C. Broadnax to the Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee by December 9. A report will be made public by May 2027.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has found that claims of parasites being found in tap water in the city of Groves, Texas, are false. The claim was spread on Facebook, attempting to market parasite treatment. Similar claims have been found in the states of Pennsylvania and Indiana, as well as other Texan cities like San Antonio.
A recent study conducted by the North Central Texas Council of Governments found that flood damage costs over the next 50 years could amount to $1.2 billion in North Texas if improvements are not made to stormwater, environmental, and transportation infrastructure. Trinity River watersheds were of particular focus as the study looked at possible integration of transportation, vegetation, environmental, and stormwater updates that haven't been focused on since the early 1900s.