KLTV News on Water! Chairman Cody Harris water bills challenge Texas Rule of Capture!

Texas House Committee Hearing, July 28, 2025, is contained in this KLTV segment.

The chair of the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Cody Harris, has filed 4 water bills that we at LIV wholeheartedly support, especially as the water bills challenge Texas Rule of Capture What can you do? Call your State Representative and Senator NOW to urge them to become CO-AUTHORS of this legislation!

Go here to find your reps.

Here's what Chairman Harris has posted about the bills:

BREAKING: Today, I filed 4 different bills addressing the groundwater crisis. These bills represent a massive step towards ensuring the long-term viability of our precious groundwater across the state of Texas - not just East Texas alone. Here’s what they do:

HB 215: Changes the Rule of Capture and creates liability on an entity that pumps over 25,000 gallons of water per day and the pumping damages its neighbors.

HB 216: States that a groundwater conservation district MAY NOT approve an application for a well if the production and export of all of the wells that the applicant applied for total more than 5% of the modeled available groundwater for the conservation district.

HB 217: Provides liability protection for groundwater conservation districts to deny a permit based on the long-term damage to the aquifer.

HB 218: Requires 2/3 of the surrounding groundwater conservation districts to approve an export permit - no longer leaving the decision to only one GCD.

If you're thinking these would have put the lid on Vista Ridge -- the San Antone Hose -- in 2014, you could be correct. Better late than never, folks. That Rep. Cody Harris, has filed these 4 water bills is a big deal for Texas water.

Go to Legislature Online to learn more about the bills and all others in this special session: HERE.

Got questions or ideas? Send an email to LIV at contact@livtx.org. Spread the word, y'all.