Wimberley One Water Study

The Wimberley Valley faces converging water challenges – rapid population growth, recurrent droughts, and a finite groundwater supply from the Middle Trinity Aquifer. This One Water Plan provides a comprehensive strategy to ensure a resilient and sustainable water future for Wimberley.

Wimberley is a small city with an outsized reliance on natural water resources.  The groundwater and surface water are one interconnected system in Wimberley – what happens underground directly impacts the flows in our creeks and the health of our ecosystems.

“One Water” is a transformative framework for water management that treats all water as a unified resource. Instead of segregating responsibilities for drinking water, wastewater, storm runoff, etc., the One Water approach seeks to manage the urban water cycle holistically for greater efficiency and sustainability. The

Water service in and around the City of Wimberley is provided primarily by two entities — Aqua Texas, Inc. and the Wimberley Water Supply Corporation (WWSC) — each operating under Certificates of Convenience and Necessity (CCNs) granted by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC).

There is strong science to support the discontinuing of wells in discrete zones of the JMZ, to protect and regain flow to Jacobs Well Spring. The  importance of springs of this nature to the community, in terms of tourism and cultural value, cannot be understated.

Drawing from proven regional models, Wimberley and Hays County can significantly expand aquifer protection efforts through a multi-faceted approach combining public land acquisition, voter-approved bonds, and private conservation partnerships.

Diversification is the cornerstone of resilience. Wimberley currently depends almost entirely on groundwater from the Middle Trinity Aquifer — a single, drought-prone source. The One Water Plan charts a 30-year transition toward a multi-source portfolio.

Diversifying supply must go hand-in-hand with optimizing infrastructure. Wimberley’s water infrastructure – much of which is operated by Wimberley Water Supply Corporation, and to a lesser extent, Aqua Texas, includes wells, pump stations, storage tanks, and distribution pipelines serving homes and businesses.

Technical solutions alone will not guarantee success without a supportive policy framework and proactive planning. Wimberley must strengthen its water-related policies, ordinances, and planning processes to reinforce the One Water approach and ensure long-term conservation of resources.

Water resilience is not just an engineering or regulatory matter – it is fundamentally about people’s behaviors, values, and cooperation. Wimberley’s residents, businesses, and neighbors must be partners in this One Water journey.

Wimberley is part of a larger hydro-geographic system – water doesn’t stop at city limits. Wimberley is part of a shared watershed and aquifer system that crosses multiple jurisdictions.

Implementing the One Water Plan will require disciplined project management, phased investment, and continued stakeholder engagement.

One Water Study and related BCWPP ILA partners 2024- 25

This survey reflects strong engagement and deep concern among Hill Country residents about the future of Wimberley’s water supply.

List of priorities, recommendations, timeframe, and estimated cost of implementation.