Tag Archives: water

This drought could last a long time

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In case you needed some gloomy news. Texas’ historic and lingering drought has already worn out its welcome, but it could easily stay around for years and there is a chance it might last another five years or even until … Continue reading →

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Our long term water plan

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We’re in deep trouble if things continue as they are. Every five years, the Texas Water Development Board publishes a water plan for the state. The 295-page draft of the 2012 plan, published last week in the midst of the … Continue reading →

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No funding for long term water needs

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We know what we need to do, we just don’t want to pay for it. On paper, at least, Texas is well-prepared to meet the water needs of its rapidly expanding population — even when Mother Nature lays down a … Continue reading →

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Not a drop to drink

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have two questions regarding this Trib story about the dire drought situation in Odessa. The city of Odessa, facing a dire drought situation, is looking to an unlikely example for help in finding water: the desert city of El … Continue reading →

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Can we have some of your rainwater?

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is just crazy enough that you would hope it might work, but it probably can’t. As the soggy East tries to dry out from flooding and Texas prays for rain that doesn’t come, you might ask: Isn’t there some … Continue reading →

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Baby steps on water conservation

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I found this story about businesses finding ways to conserve water to be strange. I expected to hear about innovation and maybe new technology, but what I got was stuff like this: The 5-star Four Seasons Hotel recently began furnishing … Continue reading →

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No grass, no problems

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Texas is in the midst of one its worst droughts ever, yet one of the more arid cities in the state is seeing no noticeable drop in its reservoirs. How is that possible? Simple: They got rid of lawns years … Continue reading →

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Drought could last a long time

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is by far the scariest thing I’ve read in awhile. As historically bad as this summer’s drought has been, we may not have seen the worst of it. There’s growing concern among some scientists that Texas’ drought could linger … Continue reading →

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Mayor orders water conservation measures

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Parker Orders Mandatory Water Conservation Measures Due to persistent drought conditions and continuously decreasing water levels in Lake Houston, as of Monday, August 15, 2011, Mayor Annise Parker has mandated the implementation of the City of … Continue reading →

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Bettencourt and Hotze lose in court again

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

If there’s a lawsuit against the city over a matter of how money is raised or spent, you can be sure that Bruce Hotze and Paul Bettencourt are involved. Thankfully, they have a lousy record of getting what they want … Continue reading →

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The time to plan for the future was in the past

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a piece in the Rio Grande Guardian by my one-time history professor Char Miller that’s worth your time to read: Today is World Water Day, a U.N.-sponsored event that is an ideal time for communities to strategize about their … Continue reading →

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What now for Renew Houston?

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to the disposal of the red light cameras and the associated costs of their removal, Mayor Parker and City Council now need to work out the details for Prop 1, which created the dedicated fund for streets and … Continue reading →

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“Sprayed Away”

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of months ago, I blogged about a report on water conservation from the National Wildlife Federation and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. Last week, they came out with a new report, on outdoor water usage … Continue reading →

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Water rate rebate passes Council

Posted on July 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Back in April, Council approved a water rate hike. There were some complaints from apartment owners at the time about the size of the rate increase that would apply to them, and the city agreed to make some changes to … Continue reading →

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City gets OK on water rate hike

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

One obstacle cleared. In a letter to lawyers representing the city and conservative activists Bruce Hotze and Paul Bettencourt on Monday, state District Judge Stephen Yelenosky said the rate increases do not violate a charter amendment approved by voters in … Continue reading →

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And the bitching about the water rate hike begins

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It took a little longer than I might have thought it would take, but as the sun rises in the east, the kind of person who gets outraged when the government does something other than lower taxes is outraged about … Continue reading →

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Council adopts higher water rate hike

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

City Council voted to adopt the higher water rate hike that was proposed this week. And apparently set the stage for a lawsuit. Council members Mike Sullivan, Oliver Pennington and C.O. Bradford voted against the plan. Pennington, Bradford and several … Continue reading →

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Council may consider higher water rate hikes

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, a water rate hike of about 12 percent was proposed by Mayor Parker earlier this month. That ran into some resistance from apartment dwellers, since the hike would be higher for multi-family residences than it would be … Continue reading →

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MayorBob on water rates

Posted on April 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Former Mayor Bob Lanier has an op-ed in today’s paper in support of Mayor Parker’s proposed water rate hike. I believe Mayor Parker will work with council members, homeowner associations and the Houston Apartment Association to develop a plan that … Continue reading →

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Apartment dwellers push back on water rate hike

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From Prime Property: The Houston Apartment Association is urging its members to resist the city’s proposed water and sewer rate hikes that, in their current form, would hit apartment tenants much harder than single-family homeowners. In a blog entry on … Continue reading →

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Water rate hike coming

Posted on April 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We knew this was coming, and now here it is. Mayor Annise Parker’s administration is proposing drastic water and sewer rate increases to shore up Houston’s Combined Utility System, which has operated with multimillion-dollar budget deficits for several years. The … Continue reading →

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Another reason why water conservation matters

Posted on April 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Because, as we learn from this Q&A that Forrest Wilder did with conservationist Andy Sansom, we’re already in a position where demand may exceed supply. 3) For many of our most cherished rivers, the government has appropriated more water than … Continue reading →

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San Antonio to introduce tiered water rates

Posted on March 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The San Antonio Water System presented a proposed rate structure to the City Council on Wednesday that would penalize high-volume users while rewarding those who use less. “This is designed to change behavior,” said Doug Evanson, SAWS … Continue reading →

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“Drop by drop”

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve talked a lot about flooding and drainage issues, and about the possibility of water rate increases in Houston, but something that has not gotten a lot of attention is water conservation. I want to call your attention to a … Continue reading →

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Fixing flooding

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m glad to see that the city is taking the issue of flooding and drainage seriously, as this is an increasingly urgent problem. It’s really one of infrastructure, which like everything else in this world eventually wears out and needs … Continue reading →

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Water rate hike on the table

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure there will be a massive freakout over the possibility that water rates could be increased, but that won’t stop me from expressing the naive hope that we can have a rational discussion about it anyway. The increase could … Continue reading →

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Drilling for water

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been hearing for a long time that water rights will be the big fight of this century. So I suppose stories like this will be more commonplace. In a scorching cow pasture silent save the lowing of cattle, Terry … Continue reading →

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