Mayor Bobby Gutierrez’s Statement About the Fight to Keep Water Local

Water is one of our most valuable resources—and it’s under threat. Out-of-state entities are targeting our local aquifers, looking to profit without concern for our future.

As I review the strategies from those attempting to drill and transfer water, one strategy stands out. Private developers and investors stand to make millions by selling off our public resource. They want to extract as much as possible before regulations catch up. Once the aquifer is depleted, we’re the ones left struggling with the consequences—higher costs, fewer water rights with no recourse…and possibly…no future.

I use the term “water piracy” when talking about this issue. It is a race to the bottom of the aquifer. We’ve built a long-term water conservation plan to secure our community’s future. These outside entities have not.

This is modern-day robber baron behavior. They are trying to take what they want, with no regard for sustainability or long-term consequences.

These entities are planning to siphon water from our aquifers, without the consent of the people who rely on it. They will use it to fuel development elsewhere, where they can profit from unchecked growth. It will put our region’s economic future at risk for the sake of another area’s expansion. This isn’t sustainable, and it certainly isn’t fair.

If our water supply shrinks, we won’t be able to support new businesses, sustain agriculture, or grow the Brazos Valley. Water scarcity also leads to higher costs, which will be passed directly to residents and businesses.

Some have asked why can’t we just drill deeper wells. That’s not a real solution. The deeper you drill, the more costly and difficult it becomes to access clean water. Not to mention, water levels aren’t infinite. Over-pumping causes aquifers to decline faster than they can naturally recharge. This isn’t about drilling deeper—it’s about responsible management of a shared resource.

I know there those who believe property owners have the right to sell the water under their land. But water doesn’t belong to just a handful of individuals—it’s a shared resource. When seven landowners make a deal that threatens the water supply for an entire region, that’s a problem. We must consider the ranchers, farmers, and small business owners who depend on this aquifer to survive. We have to think beyond individual profits and protect the long-term sustainability of our entire region.

We’re fighting to protect our water, our future, and the generations that will come after us.

If you’d like to join this fight, reach out to your state representatives Paul Dyson and Trey Wharton and Senator Charles Schwertner to let them know that keeping water local is important to you. Spread the word to your friends and neighbors, and visit KeepWaterLocal.org to learn more ways to help.

Resources

• The City of Bryan Sues to Block Out-of-State Interests from Raiding Brazos Valley Water

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