Texas water infrastructure is in peril. From treatment plants to pipes, wear and disrepair across the decades-old system threatens Texans’ water quality and access to water at all.
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Texans have felt the effects of poor infrastructure throughout the state. In rural Texas, towns have gone days with boil water notices. And the issue made national news when a 60-year-old water line broke in Odessa, leaving the city of more than 100,000 without water for days in the midst of a historic drought. Even Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city, has grappled with water quality issues due to infrastructure.
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Now Texas lawmakers have a rare opportunity to invest billions of federal and state dollars to stave off disaster. At this Texas Tribune event, we’ll ask experts how and where the state can best invest these funds to keep Texas water safely flowing to the public now and in the future. Â
Join The Texas Tribune at 12 p.m. Central at the University of Texas, Permian Basin for a conversation with Carlos Rubinstein, principal at RSAH2O, Dustin Fawcett, Ector County judge, Melanie Barnes, senior research associate, geosciences, Texas Tech University, and Omar L. Martinez, grants and strategic initiatives manager for the City of El Paso Economic and International Development Department. The panel discussion will be moderated by Jayme Lozano Carver, South Plains and Panhandle reporter for The Texas Tribune.
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The event will begin with a brief pre-recorded conversation between Nic Garcia, Regions editor for The Texas Tribune,  and Tom Bailey, public works director for the city of Zavalla.
Doors will open at 11:30 a.m.
University of Texas, Permian Basin
Midland Campus Henry Auditorium, Room 1200, Engineering Building, 11105 W Hwy 191, Midland, Texas 79705
The hourlong conversation will begin at 12 p.m. Parking will not be provided. Campus parking as well as ride-sharing are recommended.
This in-person event will be simultaneously livestreamed for virtual attendees and will be available to watch on demand afterward at texastribune.org/events.
The May 9Â event is a companion to the Broken Pipes series, four stories releasing May 3-5 that document the challenges Texas communities face maintaining aging water systems along with local and state solutions to keep Texas water safely flowing.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism.
Find a complete list of them here.
Email us at events@texastribune.org
Sab Pell is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where her goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events. Prior to Openform, she led global product marketing teams. Sab Pell is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where her goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events. Prior to Openform, she led global product marketing teams.
