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There is little agreement on how to measure the amount of groundwater reasonably available to pump. Thirsty cities looking for groundwater in remote areas complain of dealing with provincial districts that are too stingy with their water, while some rural landowners fear losing local control over a precious resource. And concern is mounting over the amount of fresh groundwater used by energy companies for fracking. The same conflicts hinder access to the estimated trillions of gallons of brackish groundwater — which can be drinkable after expensive treatment called desalination — and lawmakers can’t even decide how to define the word “brackish.”</p><p>More recently, a company's proposal to pump huge amounts of groundwater from underneath Hays County without almost no oversight <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150511070324/https://www.texastribune.org/2015/01/23/hays-county-pumping-project/">has spurred</a> Hill Country residents to demand a better statewide system.  </p><p>Will the Legislature try to expand state authority over local groundwater districts, and figure out how to make desalination easier?</p> <p class="update-time">Updated: May 6, 2015</p> <section class="related-legislation"> <header> <h5 class="sub-section-header">Relevant Legislation</h5> </header> <ul class="sans"> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB30/">HB 30</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB655/">HB 655</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB835/">HB 835</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB836/">HB 836</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB950/">HB 950</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB1221/">HB 1221</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB1232/">HB 1232</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB1248/">HB 1248</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB1635/">HB 1635</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB1856/">HB 1856</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB1972/">HB 1972</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB1991/">HB 1991</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/HB2132/">HB 2132</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/SB78/">SB 78</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/SB517/">SB 517</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/SB854/">SB 854</a></li> </ul> </section> </section> <section class="related-content"> <header> <h5 class="sub-section-header">Story Timeline</h5> </header> <ul class="story-timeline"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150511070324/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/01/supreme-court-punts-major-water-case/">State Supreme Court Punts on Major Water Case</a> <p class="pub-date">May 1, 2015</p> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150511070324/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/25/hays-county-groundwater-bills-go-committee/">Hays County Water Fight Tumbles Into Committee</a> <p class="pub-date">March 23, 2015</p> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150511070324/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/25/hays-county-groundwater-bills-go-committee/">Hays County Water Fight Tumbles Into Committee</a> <p class="pub-date">March 23, 2015</p> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150511070324/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/25/hays-county-groundwater-bills-go-committee/">Hays County Water Fight Tumbles Into Committee</a> <p class="pub-date">March 23, 2015</p> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150511070324/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/12/legislation-proposed-hays-county-water-fight/">Isaac Jumping Into Hays County Water Fight</a> <p class="pub-date">March 12, 2015</p> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150511070324/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/12/legislation-proposed-hays-county-water-fight/">Isaac Jumping Into Hays County Water Fight</a> <p class="pub-date">March 12, 2015</p> </li> </ul> </section> </section> <section class="share-box"> <p class="sub-text">Share this issue: <a href="/web/20150511070324/http://txlege.texastribune.org/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#95aae6e0f7fff0f6e1a8c1fdf0b0a7a5c1f0edf4e6b0a7a5c1e7fcf7e0fbf0b0a7a2e6b0a7a5c1f0edf4e6b0a7a5d9f0f2fce6f9f4e1fce3f0b0a7a5d2e0fcf1f0b0X3A%20Reforming%20how%20groundwater%20is%20managed&body=I%20read%20about%20an%20issue%20that%20you%20might%20be%20interested%20in%20at%20The%20Texas%20Tribune:%20Reforming%20how%20groundwater%20is%20managed%20%0D%0Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ftxlege.texastribune.org/topics/environment/reforming-how-groundwater-is-managed/"> <i class="fa fa-envelope"></i> </a> <a 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