Presented by Bech Bruun at the Texas Water Conservation Association Conference in The Woodlands, Texas - March 2014

1. Texas Water Development Board
Update
Bech Bruun
Member, Texas Water Development Board

2. TWDB Mission
To provide leadership, planning,
financial assistance, information, and
education
for the conservation
and responsible development of
water for Texas.

3. How off the charts
was the summer of 2011?

4. Texas Drought
October 4, 2011 February 25, 2014

5. Wichita Falls – Lake Arrowhead
January 22, 2014
27% Full

7. The SWIFT was created
and funded by
House Bill 4
Senate Joint Resolution 1
House Bill 1025

8. House Bill 4
–Provided TWDB governance
changes
–Created Advisory Committee
–Created SWIFT and SWIRFT
–Defined how funds can be used
–Defined prioritization processes
–Outlined technical aspects of
legislation

9. House Bill 4 Governance Changes
Three full-time Board members:
• One with experience in engineering,
one with experience in finance, and
one with experience in law or business
• Reflect geographic regions and
population groups of the state
• Staggered six-year terms
• May serve for no more than two terms 9

10. Board Members
10

11. Open Meetings

12. HB 4 Advisory Committee Members
• Comptroller or designee
• Three members appointed by the Lt.
Governor:
– One from Senate Finance
– One from Senate Natural Resources
• Three members appointed by the
Speaker of the House:
– One from House Appropriations
– One from House Natural Resources
12

13. Senate Joint Resolution 1
• Provided for constitutional
amendment submitted to voters on
November 5, 2013
• Discusses SWIFT, SWIRFT and funding for
the state water plan
• Provided basic framework
• Passage of proposition allowed
$2 billion to be transferred from the
Rainy Day Fund to SWIFT

14. The objective of the SWIFT
is to provide financial assistance
to ensure adequate future
water supplies for Texas.

15. Financial Assistance
• Up to 50% of the interest rate available
to TWDB
• Up to 30-year amortization
• Deferral of loan repayment for
principal and interest

16. Undertake to use:
At least 20 percent of SWIFT
to support water conservation
and reuse projects.
At least 10 percent of SWIFT
to support projects serving
rural communities and Texas farmers.16

18. The SWIFT was
exclusively created
to support projects in
the state water plan.
18

19. Only political subdivisions and
nonprofit water supply corporations
will be eligible for funds.
19

20. 20
$
Rural Water
Infrastructure
Fund
How do the $6Billion authorization
and the $2Billion Capitalization work
together to fund future State Water
Plan Projects?
$6 Billion
GO Authorization
No State
Appropriated
Funding for Debt
Service
$2 Billion
Upfront
Capitalization
To be Leveraged to
Generate more
Funding Capacity
How will the $2 billion and
the $6 billion work together?

22. A stakeholders group developed
uniform standards that all 16
regional water planning groups
will use to prioritize projects.
22

23. 23
Minimum
criteria
considered
by the
stakeholders
committee
Decade in which project is needed
Feasibility of project
Viability of project
Sustainability
Cost effectiveness
Prioritization by regional water planning groups

24. 24
Serve a large population
Assist a diverse urban and
rural population
Provide regionalization
Meet high percentage of
water users’ needs
Highest
consideration
Prioritization by TWDB

25. 25
Local financial contribution
Financial capacity of applicant to repay
Ability to leverage with local and federal funding
Emergency need for project
Readiness to proceed with project
Effect on water conservation
Priority given by regional water planning group
Additional
Criteria
Prioritization by TWDB

27. Nov. 5, 2013 • Voters passed Proposition 6
Dec. 1, 2013
• Stakeholders group submitted
prioritization standards to TWDB
Summer 2014 • Publish draft SWIFT rule
June 1, 2014
• Regional water planning groups submit
draft prioritized list of regional projects
Sept. 1, 2014
• Planning groups submit final prioritized
list of regional projects
March 1, 2015 • Deadline to adopt SWIFT rules

28. Agency Changes
• Reorganized into six planning and
development teams
– Organized by geographic areas
– Provides for better customer service
• Provide more emphasis on outreach,
including a new Agriculture and Rural
Texas Ombudsman
• Create a public rulemaking process
28

29. Team Leads
Team 1 – Luis Farias
Team 2 – Brenner Brown
Team 3 – Jessica Zuba
Team 4 – Nancy Richards
Team 5 – Clay Schultz
Team 6 – Mireya Loewe

30. Interactive 2012 State Water Plan

36. ‘modules’ to be released through the
fall of 2014:
I. water needs
(March 24th target release)
II. population projections
III. water demand projections
IV. water management strategies
V. existing water supplies
Interactive 2012 State Water Plan

37. Bech Bruun, Board Member
Bech.Bruun@twdb.texas.gov
512-463-7384
Follow on Twitter @twdb_bech
Lauren Graber, Chief of Staff
Lauren.Graber@twdb.texas.gov
512-463-7329
Contact Information

38. Texas Water Development Board
Update
Bech Bruun
Member, Texas Water Development Board