By Jissela Cabrera
Assistant Director of News
SAN MARCOS — The Hays County Commissioners Court has approved a countywide water study to analyze current water conditions and plan for long-term sustainability across the region.
According to a news release, the study will take approximately 11 months to complete and aims to support responsible water management amid environmental changes and rapid growth. The county’s last water analysis was conducted in 2011.
Hays County officials said the study has a broad scope and forward-looking approach. It will assess water supply planning, wastewater effluent management, localized flood planning and existing water use regulations. The study also will include flood assessments for all four precincts and a focused evaluation of centralized sewer options for Hillside Terrace.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Morgan Hammer said water studies are costly, making them impractical to conduct annually. However, given current water conditions, she said it was necessary to conduct the study this year.
“I think water is a vital resource for every person on this earth, and our current water situation doesn’t have the ability to sustain us,” Hammer said. “We have to understand the problem in the situation, which is what this study is going to do.”
Hammer said the county intends to review subdivision and development regulations, as the study will provide a comprehensive understanding from a water standpoint. That information will help officials determine where restrictions can and cannot be placed within regulations and rules.
Over the past decade, Hays County has experienced significant growth, increased development pressure and ongoing water challenges, particularly in West Hays County.
Hammer said West Hays County includes Wimberley, Woodcreek and Driftwood, all of which depend on the Trinity Aquifer. She said the aquifer has experienced extremely low water levels, including at Jacob’s Well, which has not flowed in several years.
“Most of the state of Texas is going to go through some challenges with water within the next coming years, if they already are not currently,” Hammer said. “I do give credit to our state for spending money and putting money into our water situation. That’s great, but it’s not enough. Unfortunately, we need to continue on that same path.”
Following a competitive selection process, HDR Engineering Inc. was chosen to conduct the study. The contract includes a not-to-exceed cost of $542,360, and the study is expected to take approximately 11 months to complete.
Hammer said HDR Engineering conducted the county’s 2011 water study and was selected again because of its staff and resources within its water resources division.
“Not only do they still have the files, data collection, and understanding of what we looked at in 2011, they could use that and help us within this 2026 water study as well,” Hammer said.
She said HDR Engineering will provide regular updates to the Commissioners Court and maintain consistent engagement with the community in each precinct.
“I think with the current leadership that we have, we’re seeing some significant progress, and we’ll continue to see significant progress when it comes to water sustainability planning and understanding our water situation,” Hammer said.
“I will continue to collaborate and work with our partners and be of support in any way that I can because this is my top priority.”
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