The rapidly growing Texas population will require more water — but the supply isn’t projected to keep up with demand. In its 2022 State Water Plan (SWP), the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) projects the Texas water supply to decrease by 18 percent by 2070 and water demand to increase by 9 percent (Exhibit 1). Approximately one-quarter of Texas’ population would face municipal water shortages without additional supplies by 2070. As a result, Texas leaders are actively working to address factors that affect the availability and variability of water supplies: population growth, water scarcity, climate-related impacts such as drought and extreme weather events, contaminants and aging water infrastructure. The significance of these issues has compelled the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to analyze the state’s water supply in a new report, Texas Water: Present and Future Needs 2023. As Comptroller Glenn Hegar says, “The future of water in Texas is the future of the Texas economy.” This article offers a synopsis of the report and highlights some of the efforts to address water needs in Texas. EXHIBIT 1 TEXAS’ EXISTING WATER SUPPLY AND PROJECTED WATER DEMAND, 2020-2070 Sources: Texas Water Development Board; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts FISCAL NOTES SEPTEMBER 2023 | 1 GLENN HEGAR, TEXAS COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS A Review of the Texas Economy from the Office of Glenn Hegar, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts BUILDING STRONG INFRASTRUCTURE 28 STATE REVENUE WATCH 33 Texas’ Water Demands Could Outpace Supply in Parts of Texas by 2070 By Astrid Alvarado, Morgan Hecht, Moise Julot SEPTEMBER 2023 FISCAL NOTES 2070 2060 2050 2040 2030 2020 DEMAND EXISTING SUPPLIES MILLION ACRE FEET PER YEAR 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 COMPTROLLER’S REPORT HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES, PROGRESS IN PROVIDING WATER FOR A GROWING STATE 27 DEALERS’ CHOICE
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