They say everything is bigger in Texas—and water delivery infrastructure is no exception. This month, Municipal Water Leader features a number of large regional water providers in the Lone Star State. Our cover story features David Montagne of the Sabine River Authority, which delivers raw water to municipal and industrial customers across millions of acres, from Dallas down to the Gulf of Mexico.
We also hear from Rodney Rhoades, the interim executive director and general manager of the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), about the exciting progress that is being made on Bois D’Arc Lake, the first major reservoir to be constructed in Texas in 30 years. We also welcome Tom Kula, NTMWD’s former executive director, for a retrospective on his time at the district, his second career after three decades in the U.S. Army.
Donovan Burton, the vice president of water relations and government relations at the San Antonio Water System, tells us about how his agency has been diversifying San Antonio’s water sources. Ken Satterwhite of the Texas Panhandle’s Canadian River Municipal Water Authority tells us about his agency’s top issues and its impressive groundwater rights holdings.
Finally, we check in with Paul Jones and Doug Hefley of Southern California’s Eastern Municipal Water District about the district’s impressive safety programs.
Texas is a fast-growing state with rapidly expanding water needs. Municipal water providers in the region are deploying considerable energy and ingenuity to address and meet those needs over the coming decades. I hope you enjoy reading their inspiring stories in this month’s Municipal Water Leader.
Kris Polly is editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader magazine and president and CEO of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He may be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.