Wise County and the cities of New Fairview, Rhome, Boyd and Aurora have selected a representative who will craft legislation required to form a regional water district in the county‘s pursuit of a longterm water source.
The New Fairview City Council Monday gave city administrator John Cabrales the green light to execute a professional services agreement with the law firm Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle and Townsend, PC, to offer legal services for the potential creation of a regional water/wastewater utility district.
“We wanted to put together the language needed to try and create a regional water utility
district, similar to what Denton County has in the form of the Upper Trinity Water District so that they can help us with a water and wastewater needs,” Cabrales said. “It can only be created through the Texas Legislature. It’s going to require bill filing.”
In March, New Fairview approved a Memorandum of Understanding between Wise County and the cities of Aurora, Boyd, New Fairview and Rhome, with
each party contributing $10,000 to hire an attorney with expertise in water law. The group of entities who have contributed, which may soon include the City of Paradise, is being called the Wise County Mayors Coalition. The South Wise cities have been collaborating on several infrastructure and city service issues exacerbated by their rapid growth.
After receiving proposals from three law firms, the Wise County Mayors Coalition
Steering Committee (WCMCSC) recommended New Fairview engage with Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle and Townsend, PC on their behalf, Cabrales said.
The firm will assist the WCMCSC in drafting and supporting the passage of a bill to create a special purpose district in Wise County.
The group is eying the 2025 Texas Legislative Session for a bill that could create a Wise
County regional water district, which has been identified as a potential path to secure a new, longterm water source for the county. Cabrales said the WCMCSC has been in contact with Texas Senator Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) and Texas House Representative Republican nominee Andy Hopper (R-Decatur).
“They both agreed to file bills on our behalf,” he said. “We need to prepare the information. Lloyd
Gosselink is a very well-known and respected law firm, not only in utilities, but in getting legislation passed.”
The Austin-based law firm notes that their water practice group has a wide range of experience in all facets of water law, including regional water supply projects.
The momentum toward creating a regional water district based in Wise County picked up following a
2023 Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District regional water study, which highlighted both the level of Wise County’s reliance on groundwater, as well as potential sustainable paths forward.
The study recommended a list of phased options to wean Wise County off groundwater. The study, conducted by engineering firm Freese & Nichols, found that the county would need to transition 1.64 million gallons per day (MGD) of water
demand to other sources by 2030 to preserve the aquifer, with 16 MGD required by 2050 and 43.81 MGD per day in 2080 based on population trends.
The establishment of a regional water district could allow cities to tap into the Texas Water Development Board as a source of funding to build infrastructure — like a water treatment plant operated by a regional entity — to bring water into Wise County.
The Paradise City Council has previously signaled support for the group. Paradise will consider its $10,000 portion at an upcoming council meeting, Cabrales said.