The Sunnyvale View > News
Bill passed to provide water exemption: President, House, Senate agree to grant relief to North Texas
Kelsey Kruzich / Staff Photo - The $300 million pipeline, which is expected to be completed in the fall, will carry water from the Texas/Oklahoma reservoir to a water treatment plant in Wylie to prevent further spread of mussels into Lake Lavon and the Trinity River Basin.
By Zach Markovic, zmarkovic@starlocalnews.com
Both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives passed and President Obama on Monday signed a bill that allows the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) to resume pumping water from Lake Texoma when a new $300 million pipeline is completed in fall 2013.
Currently, NTMWD cannot utilize water from Lake Texoma, which represents 28 percent of its water supply, because of the invasive zebra mussel. With the congressional exemption from the Lacey Act, NTMWD will be allowed to use the soon-to-be-completed 46-mile pipeline to transfer water from the Texoma pump station directly to the water treatment plant in Wylie.
The closed pipeline and the water treatment process will prevent any invasive species, including the zebra mussels, from being released into the environment, while restoring a major portion of the NTMWD's water supply.
Despite the legislative action that will restore the Lake Texoma water supply late next year, the NTMWD remains under Stage 2 water management measures in response to the current drought conditions. An unseasonably dry summer and fall has resulted in Lavon Lake, the district's primary reservoir, to drop almost 10 feet below the normal water level. Water-efficient practices are necessary to extend the current available supplies until Lavon Lake receives much-needed rain inflows and the Texoma supply is restored.
For information visit ntmwd.com
Currently, NTMWD cannot utilize water from Lake Texoma, which represents 28 percent of its water supply, because of the invasive zebra mussel. With the congressional exemption from the Lacey Act, NTMWD will be allowed to use the soon-to-be-completed 46-mile pipeline to transfer water from the Texoma pump station directly to the water treatment plant in Wylie.
The closed pipeline and the water treatment process will prevent any invasive species, including the zebra mussels, from being released into the environment, while restoring a major portion of the NTMWD's water supply.
Despite the legislative action that will restore the Lake Texoma water supply late next year, the NTMWD remains under Stage 2 water management measures in response to the current drought conditions. An unseasonably dry summer and fall has resulted in Lavon Lake, the district's primary reservoir, to drop almost 10 feet below the normal water level. Water-efficient practices are necessary to extend the current available supplies until Lavon Lake receives much-needed rain inflows and the Texoma supply is restored.
For information visit ntmwd.com
Copyright © 2013 - Star Local News