How does North Texas water deal with rapid growth? Leaders outline the plan

At the annual EarthX Climate Conference in Dallas, global sustainability, climate change and population demand were one of the biggest issues discussed by environmental advocates and officials.

But in the Ballroom, which will host the conference’s April 23rd North Texas Climate Symposium, Dallas-Fort Worth leaders hone how they tackle local air and water quality issues with public health in mind.

When it comes to water quality, not all cities in northern Texas have reliable sewers. This is essential to maintaining water treatment systems, said Susan Alvarez, director of environmental development at the Northern Texas Government Council.

The Government Council is responsible for creating water quality management plans for North Texas, including Tarrant, Dallas and 14 other counties.

To develop that plan, the council coordinated with more than 200 local governments and communities to address issues relating to water treatment, plant capacity, wastewater treatment and septic tanks.

“What we are doing is very important to address the water quality of our rivers,” Alvarez said.

One of the agency’s ongoing commitments to water quality involves the Council of Government impairment programme, which focuses specifically on the treatment of contaminated water.

The Council is updating its program to minimize the amount of bacteria in the Trinity River Basin, one of the main sources of consumption and recreation in Tarrant County, next to reservoirs in Eagle Mountain Lake, Cedar Creek and East Texas.

Alvarez praised the plans for future water supply to agencies such as the Tarrant Region Water District and North Texas Water Supply District, but said population growth should be taken into consideration.

Over 200,000 people moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2024, Alvarez said. If growth continues at that rate, the government council will not be able to provide enough water to meet the demand. Through conservation, government councils and local plumbers can address the challenge, but officials say they must pursue controversial plans to build a reservoir in East Texas amidst the opposition of strong residents.

Cancelling the water main “dead end” could be a useful strategy in making up for lost water. Dead-end Watermain is a water pipe that terminates in places where there are no other connections or loops, which can lead to the growth of water bacteria that arise from stagnant flows.

Local governments and residents need to crack down on leaks and maintain water pipelines to compensate for lost water, Alvarez said.

“We’ve come a long way to conserve water as a resource,” Alvarez said.

Dallas-Fort Worth cannot meet federal aviation standards

In addition to water quality, the Government Council is focusing on transportation plans to improve air quality in Dallas-Fort Worth.

According to Senior Air Quality Program Manager Chris Krauss, the Council’s latest transportation plan highlights $1500 billion in needed investment by 2050.

The money flowing into the plan is designed to support projects, programs and policies aimed at promoting sustainability and safety on North Texas roads. These programs include environmental protection to implement infrastructure that improves highways and transportation lines, reducing negative environmental impacts such as vehicle emissions.

The area does not meet federal air quality requirements, but the Dallas-Fort Worth area currently has the cleanest air ever recorded in the area, Klaus said.

He said air quality measurements are inaccurate and can meet the nuances of data from state regulators and limited air quality monitors.

The council will deploy new air quality monitors to better reflect air pollution across Fort Worth, Air Quality Planner Daniela Tower told the report in January.

The council has a network of monitors that it is currently installing, and they are installing them to better determine why there is a higher level of contamination in the area, Klaus said. With the support of Grant Money, these monitors will assist the council in providing more information to the public, including how current air quality measurements affect certain areas.

So far, in 2025, North Texas ozone levels have been at 78 parts per billion, according to the latest data from the Government Council. For sensitive groups, ozone levels per 71-85 parts are considered unhealthy. If ozone levels cannot be kept at 75 parts or under per billion, the area could face fines of millions.

To further mitigate air pollution, local governments will be financially encouraged when adopting ordinances outlined in the council’s traffic plan.

“We don’t push, but we basically encourage and allow local governments to make those decisions,” Klaus said.

One ordinance proposed by the Council involves addressing idling vehicles. There is also a policy regarding other factors that contribute to air pollution, such as land use and traffic congestion.

More recently, the government council adopted an air quality monitoring policy designed to measure particulate matter and ozone levels. This is primarily in efforts to inform the public and educate them on best practices to minimize air pollution and emissions.

Policy removal affecting North Texas government

Local governments continue to face challenges in addressing health issues related to environmental factors caused by cancelled programs at the federal level, according to Kathryn Guerra, director of the Public Environmental Campaign.

In his first week of office, the Trump administration eliminated a team of federal advisers tasked with overseeing the implementation of environmental justice in communities nearby heavy industry and infrastructure.

“There have been a lot at the federal level over the past four years.

Cities could face more challenges as Texas legislators consider eliminating their ability to fund climate action initiatives at the city level, Klaus said. Senate Bill 2235 would prohibit local governments from raising public dollars to fund Climate Action Plans.

According to a previous Fort Worth report, of the top 25 major cities in the United States, Fort Worth is the only city without a climate action plan. The plan will derive long-term strategies to reduce carbon footprint, achieve sustainability goals, and address the challenges posed by climate change.

“We are under an appetite threat at legislative meetings and we are trying to take it all out of the locals,” Klaus said.

Even with the elimination of environmental policies at the state and federal levels, safeguards are still being implemented at the urban level in northern Texas, Guerra said.

She pointed to Dallas’ Climate Action Plan, outlines goals for reducing emissions, conserving water, defining specific land use at zoning conferences, and addressing environmental injustice in underrepresented areas. The Brookings Agency, a nonpartisan think tank, first ranked Dallas in its analysis of its 2022 Climate Action Plan, which ranked cities such as Boston, Portland and San Francisco, according to a previous Fort Worth report.

“The policies we have now given us a really long way to go,” Guerra said. “We still have a lot to do.”

Nicole Lopez is an environmental reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.

In the Fort Worth report, news decisions will be made independently of board members and financial advocates. For more information about editorial independence policies, please see here.

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