Water Efficiency Network meeting on Regional Water Planning

The Water Efficiency Network of the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation Network welcomes Jason Afinowicz, P.E., Associate and Project Manager for Freese and Nichols, Inc., in a talk titled “Regional Water Planning: What Is It & Why Is It Important to Me?”

Jason Afinowicz is managing the Region H Water Plan, a part of the Texas State Water Plan. In 1997, the state legislature determined that a Texas State Water Plan for the 2000-2050 timeframe would be developed through a regional water planning approach. Revised plans would be developed every 5 years. To accomplish this, 16 “regional” water planning groups were formed. Montgomery County and all or part of 15 other counties in our area are within Region H. The stakeholder-driven process includes the culmination of a long-range plan to meet the region’s need for water in 2070, when the population of the region is expected to reach almost 12 million people, as well as the sustained growth of the region’s massive industrial complex. Region H is in the fifth cycle of the 5-year planning process and is currently preparing the 2021-2071 plan. Each plan includes determining how much water the region will need over the 50-year period (demand), the supply of water that is available during that time frame (available groundwater, surface water, etc.), and what strategies the region can implement in order to meet deficits (desalination, new reservoirs, increased conservation, etc.). This process affects every resident and business in Montgomery County and the region. Moreover, Region H wants you to get involved.