North Central Texas Water Quality Management Plan

PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement #48000059 to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.

• Acronyms
• Figures
• Executive Summary
• 2023 Population Estimates
• Water Quality Monitoring
• Water Quality Overview
• Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan
• Watershed Protection Plans
• Recreational Use Attainability Analysis Studies
• Wastewater System Overview
• Wastewater Outfalls
• Water Service Areas
• Sanitary Sewer Overflows
• On-Site Sewage Facilities
• Reservoirs, Water Reuse, and Water Conservation
• Water Resource Initiatives and Public Comments

AU - Assessment Unit

CDC - Corridor Development Certificate

CWSRF - Clean Water State Revolving Fund

EPA - Environmental Protection Agency

FOG - Fats, oils, and grease

HCR - House Concurrent Resolution

iSWM - integrated Stormwater Management

I-Plan - Implementation Plan

MPA - Metropolitan Planning Area

MS4 - Municipal separate storm sewer system

NCTCOG - North Central Texas Council of Governments

NTMWD - North Texas Municipal Water District

OSSF - On-Site Sewage Facility

RIS - Research and Information Services Department, NCTCOG

RUAA - Recreational use attainability analysis

SSO - Sanitary sewer overflow

SSOI - Sanitary Sewer Overflow Initiative

TCEQ - Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

TMDL - Total Maximum Daily Load

TPDES - Texas Pollution Discharge Elimination System

TRA - Trinity River Authority of Texas

TRWD - Tarrant Regional Water District

TSSWCB - Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board

TWDB - Texas Water Development Board

UAA - Use attainability analysis

USGS - U.S. Geological Survey

WQMP - Water Quality Management Plan

WPG - Water planning group

WPP - Watershed Protection Plan

•  Figure 1.  Population Estimates for the 16-County NCTCOG Region, 2020-2023
•  Figure 2.  Existing Population Estimates and Projections by Planning Area in the North Central Texas Region
•  Figure 3.  NCTCOG Population Estimates by City, 2020-2023
•  Figure 4.  Top 10 Cities/Towns Experiencing the Largest Percent and Absolute Change, 2022-2023
•  Figure 5.  Core Counties Population Estimates and Projections
•  Figure 6.  Waterways Added to or Downgraded from Category 5 (303(d)) List in NCTCOG Region Between TCEQ's 2020 and 2022 Integrated Report
•  Figure 7.  Status of North Central Texas Watershed Protection Plans and Characterization Project
•  Figure 8 . NCTCOG Region Recreational Use Attainability Analysis Final Outcomes as of May 16, 2023
•  Figure 9.  Comments on the Draft 2023 Update to the WQMP and NCTCOG's Responses

The boundary of the North Central Texas Council of Governments includes five major water sub-regions and seventeen water sub-basins (See map below). As the designated regional water quality planning agency for the North Central Texas area, NCTCOG is responsible for developing the regional Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP), and updating it annually. The purpose of the WQMP is to help identify potential needs and priorities for improving water quality in the region. In meeting that purpose, the WQMP provides data on water quality, water supply, and wastewater sources and discharges. The WQMP also includes information and website links to groups, partners, stakeholders, and NCTCOG’s programs that are currently working to address water resources issues in the region.

The WQMP shows that elevated bacteria levels are a water quality concern in our region. Elevated bacteria levels are not only harmful to public health, but also to aquatic life by reducing oxygen levels in waterways. The sources of elevated bacteria include stormwater runoff of chemicals or trash on our landscapes, such as litter, pet waste, or excess fertilizers, permitted storm sewer sources, or improperly maintained or improperly functioning On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSFs) (i.e., septic tanks). NCTCOG's Environment & Development Department is working to address these issues through its many programs and projects. Some examples of these efforts include engaging regional stakeholders on best stormwater management practices and monitoring, asking residents to “Doo the Right Thing” and pledge to trash pet waste, developing water quality educational materials, and in a new effort that is in its beginning stages, working to gather data about OSSFs in the region.

Water resources planning and coordination is particularly important given that the NCTCOG population has been growing and is expected to continue growing through 2045. This growth impacts both water quality and supply. Since the first WQMP was developed in 1975, the NCTCOG 16-county region has grown by 5.5 million residents to its current 2023 population estimate of approximately 8.2 million. By 2045, the region is projected to increase to a population of about 11.4 million. (Source: 2023 NCTCOG Population Estimates Publication. NCTCOG, May 2023.)

The WQMP contains data from NCTCOG, the GIS Data Hub from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and local sources. The WQMP is divided into 13 other sections, which are linked at the gray bar above. Starting in 2020, the WQMP transitioned to this online interactive mapping journal to make the information easier to digest and more user-friendly. Please feel free to click on the maps in this report and read the pop-up windows that will appear or zoom in for more information on your local area.

The population for the 16-county NCTCOG region is estimated yearly by NCTCOG's Research and Information Services (RIS) Department. For 2023, the total population of the NCTCOG region is estimated to be 8,284,890. In 2022, the region's population increased by 161,433, which is higher than the amount added in 2021 by about 4,000 people. Fort Worth added more people (18,943) than any other city in 2023. The top ten most populous cities in the region are listed in the table below.

The newly updated population data show that the 16-county NCTCOG region continues to experience significant population growth.  Figure 1  shows the high levels of population growth in the Dallas-Fort Worth region from 2020 to 2023. Forecasts project this trend will continue through 2045. The continual growth in the region is an important factor to consider for agencies tasked with maintaining or improving water quality, providing adequate capacity for wastewater treatment, and ensuring sufficient drinking water supplies.​

NCTCOG uses several methods of growth analysis to establish existing and projected growth trends in the North Central Texas region. Through this effort, as mentioned above, NCTCOG produces annual population estimates, and in 2017, population projections were estimated for 2045 for the 12-county Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA). The 2045 projection and the most recent population estimates can be found in  Figure 2 . The projected population data is useful for infrastructure planning and resource allocation in the MPA. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) also produces population projections, which NCTCOG references in its population measurements.

Analyses of where existing growth is occurring within the region are important to understand growth patterns and assist with future planning needs. To assist with this effort, NCTCOG develops an annual list of the population estimates for cities/towns in the NCTCOG region. The most recently updated list with estimates from 2020 - 2023 can be viewed or downloaded in  Figure 3 . Additionally, the map below shows the top ten cities/towns with the highest percent growth (in red) and largest absolute growth (in blue). Percent growth in population is defined as the relative change in population size from 2022 to 2023 and tends to be higher in smaller cities/towns. Absolute growth is defined as the actual number of people the population increased by from 2022 to 2023 and tends to be higher in larger cities/towns. The absolute growth and percent growth values for the top ten cities or towns can also be viewed in a tabular format in  Figure 4 .

The map below also shows that the four core counties in the NCTCOG region, Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant counties, contain most of the region's population and are also experiencing the most significant portion of the population growth compared to the rest of the NCTCOG region. These counties are responsible for an estimated 85% of the 2023 population in the NCTCOG region and will continue to increase in population through 2045, according to the NCTCOG 2045 population projections. Actual values can be found in in  Figure 5 .​

The North Central Texas region has an extensive network for water quality monitoring, which is supported by state and local governments as well as citizen scientists. NCTCOG gathers data on the water quality monitoring activities occurring in the region to provide a more complete view of efforts being implemented to improve or maintain water quality. The map below shows TCEQ's Surface Water Quality Monitoring stations in orange and the sites currently monitored in association with NCTCOG's Regional Stormwater Monitoring Program in green. ¹ 

 ¹  TCEQ's Open Data Portal, Water Category, File Name SWQM Stations available at:  https://gis-tceq.opendata.arcgis.com/search?categories=water&q=water%20quality%20monitor , Last updated May 1, 2023.

NOTE: All the water quality data in this interactive mapping tool was downloaded from TCEQ's  GIS Data Hub, Water Programs , which uses data from the most recent report on the status of Texas' waterways, the  2022 Texas Integrated Report of Surface Water Quality and Texas 303(d) List  (Integrated Report). TCEQ adopted the 2022 Integrated Report on June 1, 2022, and EPA approved the 2022 Texas 303(d) List on July 7, 2022.

The water quality in the NCTCOG region is important to the health, safety, and welfare of residents, ecosystems, and long-term economic growth. TCEQ administers the water quality standards for Texas and assigns a category of 1 through 5 to a water body based on its attainment of the water quality standards. Categories 4 and 5 include all the waters that are "impaired," meaning they are not attaining the water quality standard. TCEQ defines the categories 4 and 5 as follows:

• Category 4 includes impaired waters for which Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) have already been adopted or for which other management strategies are underway to improve water quality, and
• Category 5 includes impaired waters for which TMDLs or other management strategies are planned. This category is also known as the Texas 303(d) List. ¹ 

A TMDL establishes the amount of pollutant that a stream segment can receive and still maintain the water quality standards for its designated use. It is used as a planning tool for restoring water quality in a specific area. Another planning tool to restore water quality is a  Watershed Protection Plan  (WPP). WPPs address nonpoint source pollution in a watershed through the consensus of stakeholders. They are mostly funded through TCEQ, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but can also be funded from local sources. The TMDL Implementation Plan and WPPs in the NCTCOG region are discussed in more detail in the next two sections of this report. The planning areas for these efforts in the NCTCOG region are shown on the map below with the TMDL planning area shown in bright green near the center. More information about each specific planning area can be found by clicking on the map and reading the pop-up window.

According to the 2022 Integrated Report, the NCTCOG region has 73 waterways, meaning both stream segments and lakes/reservoirs, that are considered "impaired" because they fall in either Category 4 or 5. Of these 73 segments, 59 waterways fall in Category 5 and are on the Texas 303(d) List. The map below displays the 2022 Texas 303(d) List of impaired waterways in red. The dark blue waterways indicate Category 4 stream segments as well as one Category 4 lake, Fosdic Lake in Tarrant County.  Figure 6  shows the new waterways added to and downgraded from the Category 5 list in the NCTCOG region between the 2020 Integrated Report and the 2022 Integrated Report. 

NCTCOG and entities across the region actively engage in pollution prevention strategies to reduce the amount of pollution entering into the regional waterways. These activities help improve the water quality throughout the region and support efforts that work towards removing water bodies from the Texas 303(d) List. Such strategies include:

• Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) operators (such as cities and transit authorities) are required to reduce pollution that could contaminate stormwater and run off into local waterways. NCTCOG coordinates the  Regional Stormwater Management Program  to engage MS4s in regional efforts to achieve the permit requirements for their individual permits. This program receives input from the  Regional Stormwater Management Coordinating Council  and its task forces, and covers various stormwater topics from illicit discharge detection and elimination to yard and pet waste to monitoring. 
• Entities throughout North Texas have been developing and implementing WPPs in an effort to improve and prevent water quality pollution. 
• Entities throughout North Texas participate in the  TMDL Implementation Plan Program , which aims to reduce the amount of bacteria entering into the Greater Trinity River and some of its tributaries through the implementation of water quality improvement strategies.
• There are eight WPPs currently under development or implementation in the NCTCOG region and one Watershed Characterization study, the Rowlett Creek Watershed Characterization Project, that is now in the early stages of developing a WPP. WPPs are designed to prevent, reduce, or manage nonpoint source water pollution.
• Volunteer organizations, such as the  Texas Stream Team , coordinate with citizens to monitor water quality to provide cities and other entities supplemental information to help recognize waterways being impacted by pollution.

 ¹  TCEQ website, Texas Integrated Report of Surface Water Quality for Clean Water Act Sections 305(b) and 303(d).  https://www.tceq.texas.gov/waterquality/assessment 

NCTCOG supports the development and implementation of the  TMDL Implementation Plan (I-Plan)  to address bacteria levels in the Greater Trinity River Region. TMDL boundaries in the NCTCOG region are shown on the map below. A TMDL establishes the amount of pollutant that a stream segment can receive and still maintain the water quality standards for its designated use. 

The I-Plan was approved by TCEQ Commissioners in 2013 and initially included 17 TMDLs. It was updated in 2017 to include an additional 4 TMDLs, and again in mid-2019 to include an additional TMDL for Sycamore Creek. In late 2019, it was updated to include segment 0841Q in the Mountain Creek Lake Tributaries portion of the TMDL I-Plan area. The I-Plan describes strategies that can be taken to reduce the levels of bacteria loading in portions of the Trinity River and its tributaries that are listed as impaired for bacteria in the Integrated Report and Texas 303(d) List. The I-Plan has outlined implementation strategies to reduce bacteria loading in the following waterways:

• Upper Trinity River (Segment 0805)
• Cottonwood Branch and Grapevine Creek (Segments 0822A and 0822B)
• Lower West Fork Trinity River (Segments 0841, 0841B, 0841C, 0841E, 0841G, 0841H, 0841J, 0841L, 0841M, 0841R, 0841T, and 0841U) 
• Mountain Creek Lake Tributaries (Segments 0841F, 0841K, 0841N, 0841Q, and 0841V)
• Sycamore Creek (Segment 0806E)

The efforts underway since the inception of the TMDL I-Plan have been outlined in the most recent  TMDL Annual Program Summary , a two-page, user-friendly document.

A WPP is a coordinated framework for implementing water quality protection and restoration strategies within a watershed. WPPs holistically address all the sources and causes of impairment to both surface and groundwater resources. Developed and implemented through a diverse, well-integrated partnership of stakeholders, a WPP assures the long-term health of the watershed and is one of the ways that entities in the NCTCOG region are helping with pollution prevention efforts. As the map below shows, there are nine WPPs either under development or engaged in implementation of water quality strategies in the region. The status of each WPP in the region, as of May 2023, can be seen in  Figure 7  or by clicking on the map and viewing the pop-up window. Rowlett Creek, one of the WPP boundaries below, is wrapping up the watershed characterization stage of its planning efforts. This is the very early stages of WPP development and includes collecting and analyzing water quality data. At the time of this report, the project is just beginning to engage stakeholders in WPP development.

TCEQ is responsible for establishing and enforcing water quality standards for Texas waterways and employs several tools to define appropriate water quality standards for each stream segment across Texas. One tool, the Use Attainability Analysis (UAA), reevaluates the designated (or presumed) use of a water body. A UAA will be performed if a water body's water quality standard is questioned as appropriate for local conditions. Analysis of use is based on the physical and flow characteristics of the stream, supporting information from individuals and organizations with firsthand knowledge, and historical and existing patterns of use. ¹ 

The most common UAA is the Recreational Use-Attainability Analysis (RUAA), which determines what category of recreational use is appropriate for a particular water body. There are four categories:

• Primary Contact Recreation: Activities that are presumed to involve significant risk of ingestion of water.
• Secondary Contact Recreation 1: Activities that commonly occur but have limited body contact, incidental to shoreline activity.
• Secondary Contact Recreation 2: Activities with limited body contact, incidental to shoreline activity.
• Non-contact Recreation: Activities that do not involve a significant risk of water ingestion, such as those with limited body contact, incidental to shoreline activity. 

RUAA studies within the NCTCOG Region, as of May 16, 2023, can be viewed by clicking on the map below or viewing  Figure 8 . Performing a RUAA has the potential to change the designated water quality standard of a waterway, which could cause a waterway to achieve attainment for certain pollutants and no longer be considered impaired. Stream segments with pending outcomes are still awaiting EPA approval of TCEQ recommendations.

 ¹  TCEQ's RUAA Website:

 https://www.tceq.texas.gov/waterquality/standards/ruaas 

Ensuring adequate capacity to treat wastewater from new residential and commercial development in addition to existing residents and businesses is a long-term planning need in the NCTCOG region. Wastewater service providers monitor growth trends to ensure their systems address issues such as plant expansions or new infrastructure that might be needed to meet future wastewater demands. Furthermore, several communities in the region have invested in wastewater infrastructure over the past year to upgrade or build new wastewater treatment facilities to treat increasing amounts of wastewater. 

Communities located on the perimeter of the urbanized area and rural communities may become more dependent on each other to partner, or engage in existing partnerships, to provide cost efficient wastewater services. For such a densely populated and growing region, the need for adequate treatment services is a crucial component to protecting water quality and is a priority to the seven wastewater joint system providers and individual wastewater system operators. The joint system providers in the region serve many local governments as members or customers.  NCTCOG's Water Resources Council  recommends that regional wastewater system providers aim to incorporate new entities into the existing systems, rather than have new systems operate independently. Service areas of wastewater systems, as seen on the map below, can serve as an indicator of the expanding wastewater capacity within the region.

Local, state, and federal regulations require pretreatment programs as part of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which is administered at the state level by TCEQ’s Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) program. The TPDES program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waterways. Any industrial, municipal, or other facility must obtain a TPDES permit if their discharge goes directly into surface waters. This includes but is not limited to wastewater treatment plants. The map below shows all the wastewater outfalls regulated by TCEQ with a TPDES permit as of May 2, 2022, the latest data available from TCEQ. ¹  By clicking on the points on the map, you can obtain the name and permit number for each outfall.

 ¹  TCEQ's GIS Data Hub, Category "Water," File name: Wastewater Outfalls, Updated May 2, 2022,  https://gis-tceq.opendata.arcgis.com/search?categories=water .

A water district is a local, governmental entity that provides limited services to its customers and residents. Water districts are created when a group of cities and utilities come together for the purpose of planning water use on a multi-community basis. Water districts help to plan for current and future water use by collecting funds and allocating capital for water related infrastructure projects within the region.

The map below shows the major water providers in the NCTCOG region and the areas served with a diverse set of water needs and services. The cooperation of multiple cities and utilities on the water districts' boards help to facilitate compliance with water, wastewater, and reclaimed water.

Sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) are a type of unauthorized discharge of untreated or partially treated wastewater from a collection system or its components. ¹  SSOs can occur if there is significant inflow/infiltration, if the collection system is poorly operated or maintained, or the collection system lacks adequate capacity to collect or store flows for treatment. The map below shows the reported SSOs from January - December 2022 for the NCTCOG region that included enough information for mapping purposes. Note that most of the SSO reports contained enough information for mapping, but not all.

Infrastructure solutions to address SSOs can be both time consuming and costly. The NCTCOG region has recognized that a significant way to minimize the number of SSOs is with education and outreach aimed at the proper disposal of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) which cause blockages in the sewer mains. The  Wastewater And Treatment Education Roundtable (WATER)  supports a region-wide effort to educate the public on FOG and to educate regional entities with trainings and workshops through the  Defend Your Drains North Texas  educational campaign.

Additionally, TCEQ has a voluntary program called the  Sanitary Sewer Overflow Initiative  (SSOI). The SSOI program was started in 2004 when an increase in SSO events was observed due to aging wastewater collection systems. ² 

 ¹  TCEQ Website, "Top Subjects of Interest: Sanitary Sewer Overflows."

 https://www.tceq.texas.gov/agency/subjects-of-interest/wastewater/sanitary-sewer-overflows 

 ²  TCEQ Website, "Sanitary Sewer Overflow Initiative."

 https://www.tceq.texas.gov/compliance/investigation/ssoinitiative 

At TCEQ's request, NCTCOG performs conformance reviews and provides the project plans to the Water Resources Council for expert input. NCTCOG compiles the feedback and submits responses to TCEQ for each project, acknowledging whether they are consistent with the current WQMP. Due to changes in the review process, TCEQ does not anticipate as many projects for NCTCOG to review in coming years. In FY2023, NCTCOG received no requests from TCEQ to complete a conformance review. In fact, the last conformance review that NCTCOG completed for TCEQ was in August 2021. For the details of past reviews, refer to the 2022 Update to the North Central Texas Water Quality Management Plan, which can be found on  NCTCOG's Water Resources webpage .

Starting with the 2021 Update to the North Central Texas WQMP, NCTCOG initiated work to create a centralized, spatial database of OSSFs in the 16-county NCTCOG region, and this effort continues in the 2023 Update to the WQMP. An OSSF, also known as a septic system and usually consisting of a septic tank and a drainage field, treats and disposes wastewater at the site where the wastewater is created. These sites are typically single-family residences and businesses that do not have access to public wastewater infrastructure and can be found in either rural or urban areas. In Texas, there are over 2 million OSSFs, and they are installed at approximately 20% of the new homes built. ^1,2 

NCTCOG obtained the locations of OSSFs shown on the map by contacting authorized OSSF permitting agents in the region. A permit is required to construct, alter, repair, extend or operate an OSSF in Texas after September 1, 1989. TCEQ regulates OSSFs in Texas, but delegates this authority to authorized agents at the local level. ³  Over 70 authorized agents in the NCTCOG region maintain the permit data in various formats: digital spreadsheets, digital shapefiles, paper files, or a combination thereof, so contacting these agencies and collecting the data is a substantial effort. ⁴  The map below shows locations gathered and geocoded as of May 18, 2023, for Erath County, Hood County, Hunt County, Johnson County, Kaufman County, Navarro County, and Parker County, along with the communities of Arlington, Cedar Hill, Ennis, Grand Prairie, and Millsap. In Denton County locations are mapped for the unincorporated areas, and the communities of Bartonville, Crossroads, Flower Mound, Hickory Creek, Krugerville, and Oak Point. Data gathering efforts will continue over the next year and an update will be provided in the 2024 Update to the WQMP. The locations of unpermitted OSSFs built prior to September 1, 1989, are more difficult to determine and will likely be included in the database at some point, but not until efforts to collect the permitted locations are further along.

Proper design, installation, and periodic routine maintenance are key to keeping OSSFs functioning properly, and therefore, maintaining their ability to effectively treat wastewater. However, OSSFs can leak untreated wastewater into groundwater and surface waters when not properly designed or maintained. These leaks endanger human health by releasing pathogens into the environment, and threaten the health of our waterways through increased nutrient loading, decreased dissolved oxygen levels, fish kills, and problems with other aquatic life. ⁵  In Texas, estimates show that an average of about 13% of OSSFs are failing. ⁶ 

A lack of knowledge about the proper maintenance of OSSFs has been identified as one of the contributing factors to failing OSSFs. ⁶  In order to assist communities with educating homeowners, NCTCOG has expanded its outreach resources to include an OSSF Educational Social Media Toolkit, an OSSF mailer, an educational video for homeowners, and workshop materials. These items can be found on  NCTCOG’s TMDL website  under the green banner called “Septic System (OSSF) Resources."

 ¹ Texas Water Quality and Septic Systems. Kerry Halladay. Texas Water Resources Institute. August 2020.  https://twri.tamu.edu/news/2020/august/texas-water-quality-and-septic-systems 

 ²  TCEQ website, "Basics for Septic Systems."

 https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assistance/water/fyiossfs.html 

 ³  TCEQ website, "Getting a Permit for an On-Site Sewage Facility - Such as a Septic System."

 https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/ossf/ossfpermits.html 

 ⁴  TCEQ website for locating OSSF permitting authorities.

 https://www6.tceq.texas.gov/oars/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.county 

 ⁵  EPA website, "Why Maintain Your Septic System."

 https://www.epa.gov/septic/why-maintain-your-septic-system 

 ⁶  Reed, Stowe, and Yanke, l.LC. Study to Determine the Magnitude of, and Reasons for, Chronically Malfunctioning On-Site Sewage Facility Systems in Texas. Austin, Texas: On-Site Wastewater Treatment Research Council, 2001.

The NCTCOG region utilizes analyses on available water supply, water shortage, and water demand developed by the  Region C Water Planning Group  (WPG) who are tasked with developing a regional water plan to recommend management strategies for water in North Texas. The  2021 Region C Water Plan  projects that over 90% of the water demand in 2070 will be for municipal users and predicts Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant Counties will have the largest water needs in the Region C area in 2070. ¹  These forecasted needs encourage regional stakeholders to continue collaborating on best management strategies for meeting future water supply demands. NCTCOG supports the Region C management strategies for achieving water supply goals as laid out in the 2021 Region C Water Plan. 

There are 16 regional water planning areas in Texas. Six NCTCOG region counties fall into different regional water planning jurisdictions (see map below). However, the recommendations for water management strategies serve to accomplish the same goals as Region C. The  Region G Water Plan  serves Palo Pinto, Erath, Hood, Somervell, and Johnson Counties, and the  Region D Water Plan  serves Hunt County.

In the 2021 Region C Water Plan, the Region C WPG defines major water management strategies as those that would supply more than 30,000 acre-feet per year or more. (An acre-foot is defined as 325,851 liquid gallons.) ²  Two new reservoirs currently under development will supply water to the northern portion of the NCTCOG region and can be found on the map below just outside the NCTCOG region in Fannin County: Bois d'Arc Lake and Lake Ralph Hall.

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) began constructing Bois d’Arc Lake in Fannin County in May 2018. NTMWD began impounding water in April 2021. Construction of the reservoir is now complete and it was opened in the fall of 2022. Once the water level increases, it will be opened for recreational use. The reservoir comprises about 26 square miles of surface area and provides a firm yield of 82 million gallons per day. Water from Bois d’Arc Lake will help supply projected water demands in the region until almost 2040. In spring of 2023, water delivery from Bois d-Arc Lake began from NTMWD’s new water treatment plant in Leonard. The construction of this reservoir is a recommended strategy from the Region C WPG. ³ 

In September 2013, Upper Trinity Regional Water District was granted a water rights permit from the State of Texas to develop Lake Ralph Hall on the North Sulphur River in Fannin County. In January 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a section 404 Clean Water Act permit. This is the final federal permit required to construct the reservoir. Currently under construction, Lake Ralph Hall is projected to produce 39,220 acre-feet a year, or 54 million gallons per day, 19 million gallons a day of which will be from reuse. Water from Lake Ralph Hall will be delivered to Denton County and is expected by 2026. ⁴  The construction of this lake is a recommended water supply strategy from the Region C WPG. The locations for Bois d’Arc Lake and Lake Ralph Hall can be seen on the map below, along with a timeline of overall reservoir construction in the North Central Texas region. 

According to the 2021 Region C Water Plan, reuse of treated wastewater effluent is becoming an increasingly important source of water in Region C. Reuse is projected to comprise 31% of the 2070 water supply for the Region C water planning area, which includes most of the NCTCOG region. ⁵  The two types of reuse are:

 Indirect Reuse - the placement of water, typically treated effluent, back into a water supply source, such as a lake, river, or aquifer, and then retrieved to be used again; and

 Direct Reuse -treated wastewater is delivered from a wastewater treatment plant to a water user, with no intervening discharge to waters of the state.

Each category can be further defined by the end use, either potable (drinking purposes) or non-potable (non-drinking purposes). In North Central Texas, reuse typically occurs as direct non-potable reuse or indirect potable reuse. Direct non-potable reuse programs require notification to TCEQ, obtainment of a 210 Use of Reclaimed Water permit, and meeting state designated regulations designed to protect public health. This type of reuse is most commonly used to supply water to landscape irrigation and industrial uses.

Indirect potable reuse effects water rights in Texas and requires entities to demonstrate that its reuse scheme will not negatively impact downstream water rights holders. ⁶  Indirect potable reuse programs use reclaimed water to augment drinking water supplies by discharging it to a water body, such as groundwater or surface water, which is subsequently treated for potable consumption. NTMWD implemented an indirect potable reuse project in Lavon Lake in 1985, diverting water from a wastewater treatment plant and treating it for municipal use as drinking water. ⁷ 

During the 84th Texas Legislative Session, TWDB and TCEQ were directed to support the creation of a direct potable reuse model under House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) No. 74. ⁸  HCR 74 identified the Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex as the region to develop the model, as it is projected to house 32% of the state’s population by 2070 and has the largest projected demand for new water supplies between 2020 and 2070, a 71% increase. ⁹  The model reuse project, in conjunction with renewable energy technologies, could provide opportunities for public education on water reuse and renewable energy.

The Legislative action predicts that creation of a direct potable reuse project in Region C of the TWDB Water Planning Area has the potential to yield sufficient water supply to region residents while alleviating the depletion of already scarce resources.

Water conservation is a crucial part of ensuring future water supply and improving water quality for North Central Texas. Based on questionnaire responses on existing water conservation strategies occurring in Region C and historical water use data, the Region C WPG determined that significant efforts have been made by water providers and water users to conserve water in the region. To this end, the WPG will continue to place a strong emphasis on water conservation and reuse as a means to reach water supply goals for future needs.

In the NCTCOG regional planning area, there are large efforts underway to promote the effectiveness of water conservation. Conservation is an important component to water resources in the region. Regional stakeholders and municipalities conduct public education, develop water conservation plans, implement green infrastructure, utilize water reuse, and implement watershed protection strategies in order to obtain water conservation goals for future demands.

  ¹  2021 Region C Water Plan. p. 14-15.

 https://www.twdb.texas.gov/waterplanning/rwp/plans/2021/index.asp#region-c 

 ²  2021 Region C Water Plan, p. 5C-1. 

 https://www.twdb.texas.gov/waterplanning/rwp/plans/2021/index.asp#region-c 

 ³  Bois d'Arc Lake website. 

 https://boisdarclake.org/about/fast-facts/ 

 ⁴  Lake Ralph Hall website. 

 https://lakeralphhall.com/ 

 ⁵  2021 Region C Water Plan. p. ES.8, Figure ES.4.

 https://www.twdb.texas.gov/waterplanning/rwp/plans/2021/index.asp#region-c   ⁶  Requirements for Reclaimed Water, TCEQ February 28, 2020.

 https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assistance/water/reclaimed_water.html 

 ⁷  History of Water Reuse in Texas, TWDB February 2011. 

 http://www.twdb.texas.gov/innovativewater/reuse/projects/reuseadvance/doc/component_a_final.pdf 

 ⁸  HCR No. 74, 84th Texas Legislative Session, 2015. 

 https://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/billtext/html/HC00074I.htm 

 ⁹  2017 Texas State Water Plan, p. 52 and 55, respectively, updated February 2020.

 https://www.twdb.texas.gov/waterplanning/swp/2017/index.asp 

In North Central Texas, many entities are working together through regional collaboration to help protect water resources. By 2045, the population of the NCTCOG region will increase by approximately 3 million people. In order to keep up with the growing demands on our water resources, regional entities are working to improve the quality and quantity of water in this region. Often, people do not think about the scarcity and importance of water when it is available to them every day. Water, however, is a precious resource that needs protection. Ensuring appropriate water quality and quantity is a big job. With the help of individuals, communities, and local governments, the North Central Texas region can work towards gaining a better understanding of where our water comes from, how to protect the quality, and how to ensure availability of clean water for future generations. Many North Central Texas communities and regional entities are working hard to protect water resources through outreach, incentives, and active communication. In addition, NCTCOG actively engages regional entities in water quality and water resources efforts and initiatives. A list of these NCTCOG programs and projects are provided below.

The  Water for North Texas Online Library  is a compilation of existing local, state, and federal resources on water topics in five main categories: Water Supply/Conservation, Water Management, Water Quality, Seasonal, and Other. These resources include explainer videos, brochures, webinars, and social media toolkits and are intended to be used by member governments to both learn about other's efforts and to educate residents about the value of water across the growing NCTCOG region. New resources are continually being added to the library. 

Aiming to reduce potential damage to the region’s household plumbing systems and wastewater treatment systems and decrease hazards to water quality, the  Wastewater And Treatment Education Roundtable (WATER)  supports educational efforts related to the proper disposal of items such as wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene and personal care products, medicines, household hazardous waste, and FOG. As part of this effort, WATER supports a regional FOG collection, the Holiday Grease Roundup, during the holidays through the  Cease the Grease  program, which encourages residents to bring their grease and used cooking oils to collection sites where it is recycled into biodiesel or biogas. 

NCTCOG is currently working in conjunction with TCEQ on the  TMDL I-Plan Program  addressing bacteria loading for several impaired water bodies in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. A TMDL measures the amount of pollutant that a waterway can have and still meet the water quality standards for its designated use. Twenty-three waterways in North Central Texas are currently included in the current TMDL I-Plan program. 

NCTCOG also coordinates with regional entities on a basin-wide approach to conduct and document efforts that help reduce the bacteria impairments in the Upper Trinity River Basin, one of the major river basins in the region, through the  Upper Trinity River Basin Coordinating Committee .

 Texas SmartScape  is an outreach program that educates residents on landscape best management practices, including the benefits of using plants that are native or adapted to our regional climate and local conditions. The program goals are to conserve local water supplies and improve stormwater runoff quality by reducing the amount of water needed to maintain landscapes as well as decreasing the amount of pesticide, fertilizer, and herbicides used. Many cities in the North Texas region have also participated in a recent effort to promote Texas SmartScape plants and the program by partnering with nurseries and garden centers on plant sale events. 

Flooding of roadways, homes, and businesses is a significant issue in the NCTCOG region, as in many other urban areas, because it can cause fatalities and economic damage in many cases. The  Upper Trinity River Transportation and Stormwater Infrastructure Project , or TSI Project, aims to reduce flooding by examining how to integrate regional planning for transportation and stormwater management and develop a model for replication in other areas. The project is a joint effort between NCTCOG, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the University of Texas Arlington, Texas A&M AgriLife, the Tarrant Regional Water District, and Texas A&M Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas, along with funding partners. The project area, shown below, includes Wise County and portions of Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Parker, and Tarrant counties.

The  integrated Stormwater Management (iSWM) program  is a cooperative initiative that helps cities and counties achieve their goals of water quality protection, streambank protection, and flood mitigation, while also helping communities reach their construction and post construction obligations under state stormwater permits. The program consists of four types of documents and tools that can be utilized by regional entities. There are 15 founding iSWM communities in the North Central Texas Region. Moving forward, cities will go through a certification to become an iSWM community. 

The  Trinity River COMMON VISION Program  facilitates the coordination of local governments along the Trinity River. They launched a regional initiative that promotes a safe, clean, enjoyable, natural, and diverse Trinity River. The program established the Corridor Development Certificate (CDC) process to stabilize flood risks along the Trinity River. A CDC permit is required to develop land within a specific area of the Trinity floodplain. Under the CDC process, neighboring local governments along the Trinity River Corridor are given the opportunity to review and comment on projects in each other’s jurisdiction. This process will help prevent any increase in flood risks as the region continues to grow. 

EPA's Trash Free Waters program is focused on national and regional actions that support trash prevention and reduction initiatives by many public and private stakeholders, resulting in significantly less trash entering watersheds. The overall goal is to reduce and prevent trash loadings into coastal watersheds and ecosystems within 10 years.

In June 2020, EPA announced NCTCOG was one of seventeen awardees to receive funding under its Trash Free Waters program. This 3-year project, which began in fall 2020, aims to expand the  Trash Free Texas website  by adding more litter adopt-a-spot locations, reduce the use of single use plastics in restaurants, and partner to coordinate regional cleanup events. Visit the  NCTCOG's Trash Free Waters project webpage  for more information on the latest activities.

For more information on these and other NCTCOG programs, visit the  NCTCOG Environment & Development webpage . 

The public comment period for the Draft 2023 Update to the Water Quality Management Plan was open from May 25, 2023 to June 28, 2023. All comments received, as well as NCTCOG's responses can be found  here .

End of Report