Texas Water Planning Starts in Your Community

Texas uses a bottom-up process for water planning that begins at the community level. There are 16 regional water planning groups that recommend conservation strategies and infrastructure projects based on existing water supplies, local water demands, and potential shortages. Regional water planning groups identify, evaluate, and recommend a range of solutions to meet their region’s specific future water needs. From assessing existing water supplies and identifying water management strategies to developing regional water plans, these groups—with public participation and local input—help ensure communities are prepared for the future.

The 16 regional water planning areas (Regions A through P) were created by looking at shared water sources like rivers and aquifers, community boundaries, public input, and other factors. Each regional water planning group is made up of local volunteers representing 12 distinct interest categories: counties, municipalities, agriculture, industry, electric and water utilities, environmental interests, small businesses, water districts, river authorities, groundwater management areas, and the public.

The groups meet regularly to identify water needs and recommend water management solutions for their respective regions. These solutions range from conservation, desalination, and water reuse strategies to new reservoir construction and building pipelines. Some strategies require new infrastructure projects, while others focus on using existing water resources more efficiently.

Community members can get involved in the water planning process by participating in public meetings and hearings. Public participation, education, and community involvement help guide the planning and strategies that the regional water planning group members recommend.

Every five years, each regional water planning group develops and adopts a 50-year water supply plan. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) oversees the regional water planning process and incorporates the 16 regional water plans into a single, comprehensive state water plan.

This bottom-up water planning process is also how Texas identifies its most important water needs and prioritizes infrastructure projects across the state. Projects recommended in these plans are eligible for funding through the TWDB.

Each of the 2026 Regional Water Plans is available on the TWDB website. These plans form the basis of the 2027 State Water Plan.

Explore your region’s water sources, supplies, and demands, plus learn more about your regional water planning group using the This Is Texas Water zip code lookup tool.