Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra held a press conference Monday, Feb. 16, at Spring Lake in San Marcos to announce his intent to pursue a moratorium on development permits for new industrial operations requesting more than 25,000 gallons of water per day. The temporary pause would allow the county to evaluate impacts and ensure long-term water security for residents and agriculture, said Becerra. “Relying solely on residential conservation is insufficient and unfair when high water demand industrial developments continue to be approved. While I have always supported business, I opposed unchecked water use. We must pause approvals for high impact operations, until scientific evidence confirms they will not harm our residents’ water supply,” said Becerra. Although the details are not finalized, he shared that he will be creating a task force and bringing the item to the Feb. 24 Hays County Commissioners Court meeting.
Brittany Kelley
