AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Central Texas water utility is facing more than $70,000 in fines after regulators said it repeatedly exceeded groundwater pumping limits during a declared drought.
The Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District voted unanimously this month to penalize Aqua Texas for multiple violations tied to over-pumping in several systems within the Barton Springs segment of the aquifer.
The district oversees more than 150 square miles of the aquifer and is responsible for enforcing groundwater regulations — particularly during drought conditions when pumping limits are tightened to protect water levels and spring flow.
How the violations happened
According to Regulatory Compliance Manager Erin Swanson, utilities operating under district permits are given monthly pumping targets during drought. If a permit holder exceeds that target by 5% or more, it triggers what the district calls an “occurrence of noncompliance.”…