By District 48 Rep. Donna Howard

Special to the Picayune

In the words of Marty Robbins, “And souls that cry for water – cool, clear water.” Here in House District 48 we love our water. It’s our refuge from the blistering summer heat, an economic driver in our community, and, of course, the source of life. I want to bring you up to date on several water-related issues that have the potential to impact the health, natural resources, and economics of our community.

Accidental drowning is one of the leading causes of death among infants, toddlers, and young children in our state. Last year, 113 children drowned in Texas – the most since the state began keeping count in 2005 – and at least 40 children have drowned in 2010. The state has a public awareness campaign titled “See and Save” directed at preventing accidental child death or injury during the summer months, especially during the most dangerous period between Memorial and Labor Day. For more information about children and water safety, please visit the “See & Save” website at www.seeandsave.org.

Speaking of safety, by the time you read this, Aquapalooza will be just a memory and, hopefully, one of good times and, hopefu lly, one without incident. During the event, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will continue its efforts to control the spread of the highly invasive zebra mussel in Texas lakes. To date, zebra mussels have only been found in Lake Texoma. However, state officials are very concerned about the number of boats that will be visiting the Highland Lakes for Aquapalooza from other states and Lake Texoma, potentially aiding in the spread of this species.

Once established , these mussels are virtually impossible to eradicate with the technology currently available. The cost of dealing with zebra mussels varies widely, but many water treatment plants have reported spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Boaters and anglers can help slow the spread of zebra mussels by utilizing simple boat and boat trailer cleaning and maintenance practices when transporting boats to/from water suspected of having zebra mussels. Please visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/boat/protect_water/ for more information.

In other news, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recently changed our Water Quality Standards, which the state is required to periodically review under the federal Clean Water Act. Unfortunately, the agency staff recommended weakening the public health protections from bacteria for streams and lakes where major recreation activities occur. Hundreds of Texans communicated their opposition to the staff recommendations, as did I. On June 30, following the public and legislative outcry, the TCEQ Commissioners decided not to alter the current bacteria pollution standard.

In other areas, the Commissioners agreed to adopt weaker water quality standard revisions. Next, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has ultimate approval authority, will weigh in as to whether the federal regulators agree the new standards comply with the Clean Water Act. I will continue to closely monitor EPA and TCEQ’s discussions about this matter.

Finally, we’re anticipating a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court in the Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day case, which may have far-reaching impacts on the very limited regulatory authority the state has to protect groundwater resources. Debate centers on whether owners have a constitutional right to draw unlimited amounts of groundwater out of their property, or, whether elected groundwater district managers have authority to limit such pumping in order to protect aquifers for all users, including wildlife.

We here in Central Texas know the value of water. While we’re enjoying its refreshing qualities this summer, let’s keep in mind all we need to do to be safe and to ensure the longtime benefits of our cool, clear water.