Houston Chronicle 11/13/11
Texas water supply for the future is uncertain

DALLAS - Texas has a powerful thirst, one that won't be quenched any time soon given projections that the state's population will double to 46 million over the next half-century.

In the past, Texans - particularly those in the most populated areas - found water for all those extra showers, sprinklers and toilets by heading to where the water was and grabbing it. They did this with big reservoirs, deep wells and long pipelines. Whatever it took.

But the days of cheap and abundant water are coming to an end, and where the additional supply will come from is not clear.

The devastating drought of the 1950s, the marker for the worst-case dry spell in Texas history, prompted a massive investment in the state's water infrastructure designed to ensure there would be enough water to meet the demand in decades to come.

Sixty years later, with the state gripped once again by a record-setting drought, lawmakers are balking at the price tag of a plan designed to meet demand for the next 50 years - a staggering $53 billion for more reservoirs, desalination plants and pipelines, among other projects.