Joint Groundwater Monitoring and Contamination Report: 1994 Page: 22
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GROUND-WATER CONTAMINATION GUIDANCE
Ground-Water Protection Policy
The state ground-water protection policy was set out by the Legislature in 1989 in House Bill 1458. It
has been codified as Section 26.401 of the Water Code. The Policy recognizes:
* ground-water contamination may result from many sources, including current and past oil and
gas production and related practices, agricultural activities, industrial and manufacturing
processes, commercial and business endeavors, domestic activities, and natural sources that may
be influenced by, or may result from, human activities;
* the variability of the state's aquifers and their susceptibility to contamination;
* the importance of maintaining water quality for existing and potential uses;
- the protection of the environment and the public health and welfare requires that ground water
be kept reasonable free of contaminants that interfere with present and potential uses; and
* that various existing and potential uses of ground water are important to the long-term economic
health of the state.
The Policy states that discharges of pollutants, disposal of wastes, and other regulated activities be
conducted in a manner that will maintain present uses and not impair potential uses of ground water or
pose a public health hazard. The Policy further states that the quality of ground water be restored if
feasible. The Policy sets out nondegradation of the ground-water resources of the state as the goal for
all state programs. The use of the best professional judgement by the responsible state agencies in
attaining the goal and policy is also recognized. The programs of the various state agencies are in general
administered to attain this goal. The Ground-Water Protection Policy is included as Appendix 8.
Ground-Water Classification System
The Texas Groundwater Protection Committee and its member agencies recognize that ground-water
classification is an important tool to be used in the implementation of the state's ground-water protection
policy. Through classification, the ground waters in the state can be categorized and protection or
restoration measures can then be specified by member agencies according to the quality and present or
potential use of the ground water.
The Committee has developed a ground-water classification system for use by state agencies. Four
classes are defined based on quality as determined by total dissolved solids (TDS) content. The namesand concentration ranges are based on traditional nomenclature associated with each class. Fresh ground
water has a TDS concentration range from zero to 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L); slightly saline
ground water, a TDS concentration range from 1,000 to 3,000 mg/L; moderately saline ground water,
a TDS concentration range from 3,000 to 10,000 mg/L; and very saline ground water to brine, a TDS
concentration greater than 10,000 mg/L. Quality also determines usability; however, it is implicit in the22
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Texas Groundwater Protection Committee. Joint Groundwater Monitoring and Contamination Report: 1994, report, April 1995; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1587502/m1/30/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.