Everyone should understand the tremendous importance and impact of the water wells that are now being drilled in the heart of Hays County. This issue has made people a lot hotter than Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic. But this act deserves this type of heat and concern – it’s a thrust into the heart of our very existence.
Hundreds of residential wells in the Trinity Aquifer are threatened by Houston-based company Electro Purification (EP). This private company has secured contracts to provide water from the Hays Trinity aquifer for a minimum of 1.9 billion gallons a year to several public entities and developments – which equates to 5,830 acre feet of water. If one acre foot fills about 22 average size swimming pools, that’s more than 128,000 swimming pools – almost unimaginable.
Based on news reports and independent analysis, the EP reports of available ground water is highly suspect. Furthermore, they have seriously undercounted the number of private wells in the surrounding area that rely on water from this segment of the aquifer. Yet the train keeps rolling.
