Will New Wetlands Help Address Fort Worth's Water Needs? Tarrant Regional Water District Says Yes

Arlington TX

11 January, 2022

7:30 PM

Description

By Haley Samsel, Fort Worth Report January 11, 2022 As Fort Worth attracts thousands of new residents each year, the Tarrant Regional Water District is tasked with estimating how much water will be required to support population growth, not just a decade from now, but 50 years into the future. By 2070, demand for water across 11 north central Texas counties will grow by at least 54 percent, according to a 2020 analysis published by TRWD officials. That reality has led the water district to invest millions into the Cedar Creek Wetlands project, a water reuse facility that is expected to provide 80 million gallons of water per day and support an additional 560,000 people in the Fort Worth area. The district's first wetlands project, located at the Richland Chambers Reservoir near Corsicana, opened in 2013. "This option just keeps coming to the top as the next obvious water supply strategy for us because we've done so much legwork that we can get it done in a timely manner," Rachel Ickert, the district's chief water resources officer, said. "It produces a large amount of water for a relatively low cost when you're comparing it to other supply sources." To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.