| | | | The Latest Water Policy News from Texas Water Association
| | | | | ANNUAL CONVENTION. The TWA 2026 Annual Convention is just two weeks away and our final agenda is now live. We’re pleased to announce two additional keynote speakers — Administrator Scott Mason, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, and Colonel Calvin A. Kroeger, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. They join this year’s distinguished keynote lineup, which includes State Rep. Ramón Romero, Jr., Texas House District 90, Director Ashley Morgan, Texas Water Development Board, and Commissioner Morgan Johnson, Public Utility Commission of Texas. Additionally, this year’s programming features sessions on important issues impacting Texas water, including Flood Warning Systems, P3s, Data Centers, Groundwater, Case Law Updates, and presentations from the TWA Water Quality and Federal Affairs Committees. Plan to join us and register today!
| | | 2026 Annual Convention Keynote Speakers | | | | | Rep. Ramón Romero, Jr. Texas House District 90 Wednesday – 2:30 pm
| | | | | | | Colonel Calvin A. Kroeger US Army Corps of Engineers Thursday – 1:30 pm
| | | | Director Ashley Morgan Texas Water Development Board Thursday – 3:15 pm
| | | | | Commissioner Morgan Johnson Public Utility Commission of Texas Friday – 9:30 am
| | | | Administrator Scott Mason US Environmental Protection Agency Friday – 10:00 am
| | | | | A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are still available until Friday, February 27, including high-visibility options such as the Ice Cream Treats Break and Charging Station. View sponsorships here. View the full program and event details on our 2026 Annual Convention page. We look forward to seeing you in Fort Worth!
| | | Hotel Information. Our room block and waitlist for The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth are currently full. Attendees on the waitlist will receive an update on room availability by March 6. We anticipate being able to accommodate early waitlist requests over the next two weeks. If you are not on the waitlist or would like to have a backup, cancelable accommodation in the event we cannot secure a room for you, please try booking directly with the hotel or find nearby hotels here. | | | BYLAWS AMENDMENT. During the board and membership meetings at the 2026 Annual Convention, we will consider a simple amendment to the Association's Bylaws that reflects our assumed name, Texas Water Association, adopted in 2024. View the proposed amendment here.
| | | | | | | 2026 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. Sign-ups are now open for the TWA 2026 Legislative Committee, which will work during the interim to inform our state legislative agenda. This Committee is open to all current, dues-paying TWA members. The first meeting is expected to be held in late March or early April. Please complete this form to join the Legislative Committee. | Previous Legislative Committee members are not automatically added to the Committee and must sign up to participate.
| | | LEGISLATIVE NEWS SERVICE. TWA’s Legislative News Service is now available to all dues-paying, level B–F members as a membership benefit! This service provides expert policy analysis on bills and legislation of significant interest to our members, regular bill tracking and updates during the legislative process, and timely alerts on relevant committee hearings. Please complete this form to be added to the Legislative News Service email list. | | | TWA COMMENT LETTER. In response to TWDB’s public comment solicitation regarding its proposed Water Supply and Infrastructure Grants Program, TWA submitted a comment letter highlighting the gap in funding for State Water Plan projects. The agency has indicated it may not have capacity to fund all SWIFT applications this year, and may impose limits on project size to spread financing opportunities among more entities. Meanwhile, informal TWA polling suggests a need for more than $12 billion in TWDB financing, predominantly in SWIFT, over the next five years for large-scale, wholesale State Water Plan projects. Read the comment letter here. | ◆ Welcome New TWA Members ◆ Association of Water Board Directors-Texas Central Texas Water Alliance EKI Environment & Water
Porter Special Utility District Volkert, Inc. | | | | | GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT GRANTS. TWDB is accepting applications for groundwater research, science, and data collection grants for groundwater conservation districts through March 13, 2026. During the 89th Session, the Legislature appropriated $7.5 million in general revenue, and up to $3.53 million in grants will be awarded to support eligible groundwater-related research and data initiatives for effective groundwater management and planning. Find the FY 2026 grant application here. | | | FLASH FLOOD WARNING SIREN GUIDE. TWDB has developed best management practices and guidance for the installation, maintenance, and operation of outdoor warning sirens as required by SB 3. The Flash Flood Warning Siren Guide outlines requirements for all systems and broader recommendations for design and implementation. Find more information on the Flood Sirens Program page. | | | WATER LOSS, USE, AND CONSERVATION WEBINAR. TWDB is hosting a Water Loss, Use, and Conservation webinar on Tuesday, March 10. This webinar satisfies the required training for individuals completing and submitting water loss audits, including Water Use Survey, Water Loss Audit, and Water Conservation Annual Report. To be eligible for the Water Supply and Infrastructure Grants, these reports must be submitted by the required deadlines or prior to submitting grant applications. Learn more and register here. | | | PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. The Texas Department of Information Resources and Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service have developed the Introduction to Cybersecurity for Water and Wastewater Systems course to equip industry professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to detect and mitigate cybersecurity risks effectively. Find more information and access the free course here. | | | WATER SECTOR THREAT BRIEFING. The EPA’s Office of Water Emergency Response and Cybersecurity is offering a virtual Water Sector Threat Briefing on Thursday, February 26. This briefing will provide an overview of information on topics related to drinking water and wastewater, including critical infrastructure, cyber and physical intrusions, and water security and preparedness. Find more information and register here. | | | | | 2026 Events
- Texas Tech University School of Law 2026 Water Law Symposium — February 27, Lubbock
- TWA Annual Convention — March 11–13, Fort Worth
- Texas Desal 2026 Legislative Workshop — March 25, Austin
- TGWA Geoscience Seminar — Friday, March 27, Alpine, TX
- WEAT / Texas AWWA Texas Water 2026 — April 27–30, San Antonio
- TCEQ Annual Environmental Trade Fair and Conference — May 19–20, San Antonio
- TWA Summer Conference — June 17–19, Horseshoe Bay
- TAGD Texas Groundwater Summit — September 1–3, San Antonio
- TWA Fall Conference — October 7–9, 2026, San Antonio
Have an event you’d like to see in Confluence News? Email us. | | | About the Texas Water Association Texas Water Association (TWA) is a nonprofit membership association working to promote sound water policy for Texas, focusing on water supply and management. From drought to flood, we work with our membership to address the state’s greatest water needs. TWA members provide water and wastewater services to a vast majority of the state and include river authorities, cities, regional and local water districts, drainage and flood districts, irrigation districts, groundwater conservation districts, entities that support the Texas water industry, and various water users, owners, and interests. | | | Texas Water Association | 4401 Westgate Blvd, Suite 320, Austin, Texas 78745 I (512) 472-7216 | | | | | | | |
