Position related questions

Carlos Torres-Verdin

Candidate for District Director of Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, District 3
*Incumbent

“The District’s mission is to conserve, preserve, recharge and prevent waste of groundwater within western Hays County. In support of the District’s mission we gather data, develop geologic and aquifer science, provide information, and manage groundwater use.” - www.haysgroundwater.com/

Campaign email

  • Groundwater conservation and management is one of the most important endeavors in the county. I want to plan, manage, and protect groundwater resources for the next generation of Hays County residents.

  • I'm a Geophysics Engineer with a PhD in Applied Geophysics. I've worked on projects involving geohydrology, engineering, geology, environmental studies, geography, and land use. In the four years I've been an HTGCD Board member, I've gained practical knowledge of the Trinity aquifer, commercial groundwater regulations in Texas, and regional and local management plans. I'm familiar with groundwater conditions in Hays County, which indicate a long-term decline of the Trinity aquifer. Lastly, I have no conflicts of interest serving as an HTGCD Board member on a pro bono basis.

  • (1) Continue to measure groundwater levels in key monitoring wells to assess water volume and quality.

    (2) Help to develop local and regional models of groundwater recharge and extraction over time.

    (3) Continue to grant permits of commercial groundwater extraction according to county and State regulations and existing drought conditions.

    (4) Help secure funding for all of the above.

  • Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) were established to allow citizens to elect local representatives who manage groundwater through a State-mandated public process, using the best available long-term local and regional data. A functioning GCD provides essential local governance to protect property owners’ groundwater rights while preserving the integrity of local aquifers for future generations. Groundwater-level data across the HTGCD indicate that local aquifers are irreversibly declining as population grows. The HTGCD should continue enforcing groundwater withdrawal limits on permitted wells (not on individual homeowner wells).

  • Groundwater extraction cannot sustainably exceed recharge. HTGCD is responsible for managing and preserving our limited groundwater resources for future generations in Hays County. In accordance with State regulations, all new commercial permits to extract water from the Trinity aquifer should be evaluated against available resources, both present and future. The State’s long-term groundwater models, without including the demand of new AI data centers, already predict groundwater declines. As a Board member of the HTGCD, I must also protect groundwater quality and ensure compliance with TCEQ/EPA standards; however, board members cannot support or change City zoning laws.