Nominations begin for NETRWPG positions

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

April 24, 2003 -- "Send in water surveys," is the message the North East Texas Regional Water Planning Group (NETRWPG) wants water user groups to know. Surveys were sent to water user groups in the NETRWPG area two weeks by planning group consultants to determine future water needs.

The consultants reported the Round 2 Water Demand Projections by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) at the NETRWPG April 16 meeting. Board members quizzed the consultants on how the TWDB got the numbers they were projecting.

"The projected capita numbers are based on numbers turned in by water user groups and divided by consensus numbers," was the reply. "That's why these surveys are so important."

Water user groups are entities that supply the counties water.

After reviewing the report, Chair Tony Williamson cited the numbers could not be correct because "a little old widow woman using a dishpan to wash her dishes was not going to use that much water."

Williamson asked for consideration by the board to have a minimum, but reasonable, floor level for water usage.

"I don't think 115 (gallons/per-son/day) is an unreasonable floor," Williamson said.

Walt Sears, NETRWPG administrator, added the reason for a floor would be so that every community has access to 115 gallons of water per person per day.

"We need to make sure our area (North East Texas) has enough water for our area," Sears said.

Accurate survey information is needed to allocate how much water is going to be needed in the future, Sears stated.

Before the board voted to have a minimum floor, Sears told them TWDB's statewide goal is 150 gallons/person/day.

The motion carried for the 115 gallons minimum.

The consultants said they would be contacting the water users who have not returned the surveys in the next couple of weeks.

Another agenda item was discussion of expiring terms of eight board members.

Sears asked the board if notices could be sent to newspapers seeking nominations for terms starting in September.

Members with expiring terms are Billy Adams, Cass County, agricultural; Alton Dockery, Lamar, water districts; John Durgin, Van Zandt, counties; Mike Huddleston, Bowie, river authority; Gary Jackson, Smith, river authority; William Justiss, Lamar, agricultural; Larry Olson, Hunt, municipalities; and Beth Wisenbaker, Hopkins, small business.

Nominees are asked to identify county residence and interest group they would like to represent. Interest groups include agricultural, water districts, counties, river authority, municipalities, small business, industries, public, environmental, water utilities, and electric generation utilities.

Nominations will be accepted until July 1 and can be mailed to P.O. Box 955, Hughes Springs, Texas 75656; faxed to 903-639-2208; or hand delivered to Sear's office on Highway 250 in Hughes Springs.

For more information about the nominations, contact Sears at 903-639-7538.

The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for June 18, 2 p.m., Titus County Agriculture Building in Mount Pleasant.