City receives water planning update

Hudson Oaks City Secretary Shelley Scazzero, left, swears in Mayor Tom Fitpatrick for his new term on Thursday, May 28, at the May council meeting.

Mayor Tom Fitzpatrick, left, swears in Place 1 member Tom Marquardt for his new term on Thursday, May 28, at the May council.

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That’s the update the City of Hudson Oaks received at its meeting May 28.

Larry Walden, Parker County Commissioner for Precinct 3, and Jessica Brown, Vice President of Water/Wastewater Planning from Freese and Nichols, informed council members and attendees about a new initiative to try and help alleviate the water issues some cities and areas in Parker County are facing. 

“There is intense growth [in the county] and we need to make plans now,” Walden said, highlighting that Parker County drilled the most wells in the state from 2003-2025 with 15,488. Wise County was the next closest at 7,578. 

For Hudson Oaks, more than 700 of those domestic wells are within two miles of city limits. The impact of having so many wells is that each must be dug deeper but the yield is decreasing. 

The Parker County Public Utility Agency (PCPUA) would help face the challenges of water supply, cost and funding, economic development impacts, and establish a collaborative structure. 

With neighboring cities including Weatherford, Aledo, Willow Park, and others, the PCPUA would advocate as one body to assist in implementing and financing water supply strategies and increased funding options, coordinate efforts and provide administrative support, and help plan for undeveloped and unincorporated areas.

Cost for joining the PCPUA varies depending on population. For Hudson Oaks, it would be $15,000 annually. By comparison, Weatherford’s cost is $50,000.

“Water is the reason I joined [Hudson Oaks CC] back in 2001,” Mayor Tom Fitzpatrick, adding that he saw it as a pending problem even then. 

Brown said the goal of the initiative is to address both short-term and long-term needs and keep decisions at a local level as opposed to a public utility that would require more oversight and involve longer wait times for answers. 

Over the summer, several administrative steps need to be taken for the agency to form officially and Brown and Walden hope to have a board seated and agreements signed and executed by the end of the year. 

Also at the meeting:

• Mayor Tom Fitzpatrick and Place 1 member Tom Marquardt were sworn in to begin their new terms. 
• Council received a transportation update regarding several projects impacting the city and county. Members were told that Parker County road projects are “high on the priority list” for TxDOT and that $4.6 billion is expected to be spent in the next 25-30 years.