SAN ANTONIO – A contingent of local leaders from around San Antonio, along with leaders of organizations concerned with the future of the state's water supply, gathered on the Bexar County Courthouse steps Wednesday to promote Proposition 6.
The proposition would create the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, consisting of about $2 billion.
The fund would be revolving and the money would come from the "rainy day" fund.
"Everything has its foundation in water," said Tommy Adkisson, Bexar County commissioner for Precinct 4.
Municipalities and water purveyors would be able to get low-interest loans for water projects and infrastructure.
"This is about the state," said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. "It is also about us how it can help us develop additional water supplies."
"We are looking to continue to do a better job of conservation, but we also need new water sources," said Calvin Finch, director of the Water Conservation and Technology Center for Texas A&M University.
Some of those water sources, according to Finch, are brackish ground water or recycled water.
Finch said a better job of capturing rainwater runoff could help the water supply and more communities to implement a recycle program.
"Everybody is frightened about the potential and the potential is that if we get into a drought of record, we won't have enough water to meet out needs," he said.
Especially, he said, considering the population spurt the state is going through. The population increased by 300,000 in Bexar County alone since 2000.
Adkisson referred to the condition of Medina Lake -- down about 86 feet from its average depth -- to bring home a point.
"It is a warning from on high, as far as I am concerned, and I think we need to heed that warning and not be looking back and saying, ‘Man, we had a chance to do doing something. Why didn't we do it?'" Adkisson said.
Voting on Prop. 6 takes place Nov. 5.
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