Zaffirini’s water testing bill becomes law in September

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Less advance notice time before inspectors arrive

New Texas legislation drafted in part by Sen. Judith Zaffirini of Laredo affecting the timeframe in which the state notifies water utility services when quality testing will be made has passed into law.

Senate Bill 1662 on water testing requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to give no more than 24 hours’ notice before conducting complaint-driven testing of a utility system’s well, a measure which the senator has indicated may allay concerns among some South Texas residents that water suppliers could otherwise cheat the system.

The state agency had previously been required to give advance notice of testing, but the new law dictates that a water utility system may have as little as one working day’s warning before inspectors arrive to examine a water supply.

Reports from the senator’s office have confirmed that a number of District 21 constituents – notably from Wilson County – met with Sen. Zaffirini to raise concerns over their drinking water quality and indicated that they believed lengthy TCEQ advance notice of testing could give suppliers an opportunity to treat their water wells temporarily before inspectors arrived, thereby potentially skewing test results in their favor.

The legislation authored by Sen. Zaffirini and State Rep. Ryan Guillen (Republican of Rio Grande City) passed on May 21 to advance to Gov. Abbott.

Sen. Zaffirini is the dean of the Texas Senate and the first woman to hold the position, being the most senior legislator in the state government.

According to a prepared statement from the senator’s office last week, the bill was filed “in direct response to complaints from families in Wilson County who reported persistent water quality issues including discoloration, sediment and cloudy drinking water.”

Carrie Wilcoxson, a District 21 constituent and advocate, testified in support of the bill and helped bring the issue to light at the Capitol, the senator’s office reported.

The senator noted in a statement regarding the bill’s passage that she believes the legislation is “the result of listening carefully to constituents and responding with action.”

Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill on May 30; the law becomes effective on September 1 this year.