Farm Director KC Sheperd spoke with Billy Howe of the Texas Farm Bureau, who explained how Texas differs from most states regarding water rights. As he notes, “the landowner actually owns their groundwater. It’s part of their land, so it’s private property.” This framework, he adds, can easily generate disputes when one landowner wants to profit from pumping water while neighbors fear depletion or well impacts. According to Howe, this can lead to “a neighbor versus neighbor type situation.”
Discussion then shifts to emerging pressures on rural water supplies, particularly from technology infrastructure. Howe says Farm Bureau members are increasingly worried about “the AI data centers as water users,” even more than large metropolitan areas that previously drew concern. These data centers are entering rural regions and tapping local water sources, a trend Howe believes will be significant, noting that “it’s gonna be interesting to see how that develops.”
The conversation further examines how large tech companies are influencing rural communities by offering money and jobs, sometimes without producers fully understanding long-term water implications. Howe emphasizes producer skepticism, stating, “Our ag producers are very wary of those things coming in into their areas for sure.” He highlights the scale of planned development, pointing out that “Google announced that they’re going invest $40 billion in Texas” to build major complexes. Although companies claim they will reuse and conserve water, Howe stresses that “we’ll see” how those promises play out.
Looking ahead, Howe outlines technologies and strategies that may help address water scarcity. He says members are encouraged to see a shift toward “using desalination, aquifer storage and recovery, [and] reusing water,” especially as traditional supply projects become less feasible. He explains aquifer recharge limitations, reminding listeners that in many areas, water infiltration is extremely slow. As he puts it, recharge “can take 30 to 40 years for that to happen.”
Finally, the conversation touches on wastewater reuse and its potential role in agriculture. Howe explains that while the technology exists, “right now it’s expensive” and out of reach for farmers without help. However, he notes that oil and gas producers are motivated to offload wastewater and that some companies are already pursuing treatment and reuse. He highlights recent state action, including a consortium created by the legislature and new funding approved by voters, saying the “billion dollars for the next 20 years is going to go towards developing that technology.”
