Little known agency has plans to pipe groundwater into Hays County

Note: Barbara Hopson is a Hays County resident and retired educator. She also has a real knack for reporting. While researching water issues, she stumbled upon this little known agency operating virtually in our back yard. They have big plans to import groundwater from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer that lies beneath neighboring Caldwell and Gonzalez counties. Get to know the name. One day you may be paying your water bill to the HCPUA. We appreciate Ms. Hopson's willingness to share the news.

This may be coincidence, but just above the HCPUA area on their map graphic, a new Municipal Utility District is being considered. Just days ago our State Rep. Jason Isaac introduced HB 3813 to create the Oatman Hill MUD in northern Caldwell County, in what looks like that NW corner. The MUD would be 1,380 acres approximately.

Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Ms. Hopson at hopsonbarbara@yahoo.com or click on the "comments" button at the bottom of the page

By Barbara Hopson
Special to the RoundUp

I'd never heard of the Hays Caldwell Public Utility Agency (HCPUA) until yesterday. Right now it is of interest mostly to San Marcos, Kyle, and Buda, but we in Wimberley may be buying (expensive) water from HCPUA or from one of its participants one day.

Map of HCPUA members/Click to enlarge

HCPUA was formed in January 2007, and there is nothing Machiavellian about its formation. It was a matter of three cities and three water suppliers getting together to mutually assure their future water needs. They hope not to depend on anyone else for water. General manager of the project, Graham Moore, was quoted last June that the HCPUA was the only one in the state.

HCPUA cannot impose a tax, but it can issue bonds and apparently plans to do so. (In summer 2010 they were advertising for a bond counsel service. Presumably they now have one.)

HCPUA would get its water from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer beneath NE Caldwell and NW Gonzales counties. A 45-mile pipeline would bring the water from the pumping site to Kyle – if the Gonzales County Underwater Groundwater Conservation District gives a pumping permit.

HCPUA is already buying right of way for the pipeline. The project will cost over $120 million. Kyle will pay more than $34 million for its share in the project. That city wants to sell water to other communities to help pay its own bond debt for the pipeline.

Coincidentally, the Hays County Water and Wastewater Plan (accepted by Hays County Commissioners Court in Feb. 2011) mentions a Kyle-Wimberley pipeline as a possible source of imported water for Wimberley.

The pipeline would travel along FM 3237 to the edge of Wimberley. It's unclear what city or agency would pay for construction of that pipeline. The water that came from Kyle would be expensive, but as the water suppliers are saying now, "There ain't no more cheap water. Deep wells and pipelines are very expensive." The first phase of the pipeline to Kyle is slated to come on line in 2015.

An alternative for Wimberley to buying water from Kyle would be to buy it from San Marcos (also mentioned in the Hays County Plan). A private consortium, Sustainable Water Resources (SWR), wants to build a $500 million pipeline from the part of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer northeast of Austin (Simsboro formation in Bastrop County), all the way to Schertz (San Antonio). An offshoot of that pipeline, to San Marcos, is planned. Wimberley could buy water from HCPUA (at Kyle or at San Marcos) or from SWR – whichever could get the water to Wimberley first, all other things being equal.

The next meeting of the HCPUA Board of Directors is Wednesday, March 23 at 3 p.m. at Kyle City Hall, 100 W. Center Street. The San Marcos City Council will hear a report from Kim Porterfield (SM Council member & Vice Chair of HPCUA) on Thursday night, March 24 in San Marcos.