Megan Navarro
WIMBERLEY — After years of facing several challenges with the utility service provider, members of the Wimberley Valley community have stepped up to form a coalition against Aqua Texas.
Water is a precious resource, especially for the residents of Wimberley and Woodcreek. They have questioned if there will be anything coming out of the faucet or, in some cases, if they will be able to run the shower and washing machine at the same time, emphasized Louie Bond, executive chair of the newly-created “Say No to Aqua Texas” coalition, which is comprised of neighbors, well owners, scientists, business owners and local leaders.
This has been since the onset of Aqua in the area.
“For so long, we have fought every challenge that comes to our valley to threaten our water supply and to try to control our wastewater situation and it's always reactive. There's a threat; we fight. Sometimes we win, sometimes we don't,” Bond said.
“I think, finally, we've been studying it long enough, working on it long enough, with the cooperation of Hays County elected officials present and past, with the groundwater districts and with all of the coalitions that have been formed,” she continued. “I think that we have finally found a pathway to have local control over our water and our wastewater, so that we can be proactive for the first time, so that we can be in control. The people who have a stake in this are the ones who should be deciding how it's governed and how it's distributed.”
The coalition — officially launched in July and funded by Our Water Our Texas — cites multiple problems with the way Aqua has been managing its water and wastewater services.
Pumping and permits
A major issue is that Aqua has overpumped 238 million gallons per year in excess of permits from 2022 to 2024, allegedly contributing to the diminishing flow at Jacob’s Well, according to the coalition.
In response, however, the provider shared that while production exceeded permitted amounts in 2023, it has made significant progress in reducing groundwater production through investing in the system and implementing conservation measures.
“In the Woodcreek area alone, Aqua has replaced nearly 16,000 feet of aging water main to reduce water loss and we have worked with customers to promote water conservation, including the addition of technology to let customers see their water usage hourly,” said regional communications specialist Jennifer Tuminelli. “These efforts have reduced the amount of water needed to serve our customers, while helping to preserve local water resources.”
Litigation
Accountability on Aqua’s part has also been questioned, as it elected to sue the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District in 2023 and there have been “years of undocumented overpumping,” Bond stated.
“When we try to get them to be accountable for these things, instead of working with us to create a better system and to secure our water supply, they sue the groundwater conservation district on which we rely to protect our natural resource,” the executive chair said.
The litigation, which remains pending in federal court, was due to the district applying regulatory standards against Aqua “in a manner that is not consistent with its treatment of other utilities and permittees. Regulated entities should be treated fairly and consistently under the law,” Tuminelli stated.
She added that the provider’s employees have remained committed to improving the system, reducing water loss, promoting conservation and providing reliable service to its customers.
There were also penalties issued by the Barton Springs Edwards-Aquifer Conservation District in February 2026, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch, for multiple violations. According to Tuminelli, those were related to groundwater production resulting from several system leaks, but Aqua has repaired the leaks, reduced water loss and remained in compliance with its groundwater production limits.
Rate increases
With the challenges that customers have had to face, another would be an increase in their rates. In 2023, Aqua filed for a system improvement charge to cover capital spent on the infrastructure improvements in specific areas; however, that was denied by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), as previously reported by the News-Dispatch.
Then, in 2025, Aqua filed for another rate increase, but until the proceeding by the PUC has reached a final decision, interim rates are currently in effect. Individual customer impacts will vary based on the system they are served by and their water usage, Tuminelli explained, as, in Hays County, the increase is “lower than the statewide average for both water and wastewater service.”
“We understand customers’ concerns whenever rates change. However, maintaining safe and reliable water service requires continual investment in infrastructure,” she emphasized. “Across Texas, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars replacing aging infrastructure, improving water quality and strengthening system resilience. Those investments help ensure reliable service for customers today and in the future.”
Local control
Aqua was founded in Pennsylvania and is a subsidiary of Essential Utilities, which is a large water, wastewater and natural gas company in the U.S. — this leaves residents in Wimberley and Woodcreek concerned about lack of local control.
“[In the] Wimberley Valley, the constituents are more informed about water than just about anywhere because it's so near and dear to us. We enjoy the creek and river, but we also know that the water's not always going to come out every time we turn on the tap and so, that really motivates us to use the very powers that we're given in this country to speak up for ourselves, to do our own control of the things that are important and not just let big corporations make decisions for us,” Bond said. “They don't live here. They don't care about us. They're clearly in business to make a profit and that's not what we are looking for as local residents.”
On the other hand, Tuminelli confirmed that Aqua Texas is a state corporation subject to regulation by Texas agencies with purview over it and operations are managed by those who work and live in the communities it serves. Being part of a larger regulated utility also allows Aqua to make significant long-term investments, said Tuminelli.
“We understand that community members care deeply about protecting local water resources and so do we. That’s why Aqua Texas has focused on tangible improvements, like replacing aging water mains, reducing groundwater production and implementing technology to aid in water conservation right at the customer’s home,” the regional communications specialist said. “We remain committed to working with regulators, customers and community stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability of the region’s water supply.”
Future goals of coalition
Every person in the Wimberley Valley should have a fresh supply of drinking water that is secure and sustainable, Bond said, as well as wastewater that is disposed of in a way that does not threaten the local creeks and rivers or back up into homes.
Because of this, there are three main goals that the coalition has, Bond explained:
• Give communities a pathway to local control and create real change in how the valley’s water is run
• Document the “failures” of Aqua Texas
• Engage policymakers and regulators to work toward change
The executive chair urged people to understand the power of their voice and use it to bring their own cases forward on how Aqua has been serving them or not.
“We want clean water and enough of it for everyone,” Bond said. “I know that the people of this valley have raised their voices before and it's time to do it again.”
Learn more about the Say No to Aqua Texas coalition at www.saynotoaquatexas.com and Aqua Texas at www.aquawater.com.
