Hays County Commissioners Court adopted a 180-day emergency water review period for high water use developments and created a review board
The Hays County Commissioners Court approved a resolution on June 23rd, 2026 establishing a 180-day emergency water protection review period for high water use development applications, including data centers. The same resolution creates a review board that evaluates those proposals and advises the court. Commissioners voted unanimously. The county has been operating under drought conditions and water use restrictions tied to declining aquifer levels, which is the stated reason for the measure. This is the counter-image to the incentive votes elsewhere in Central Texas, since a county here chose to slow its own review rather than speed it up.
How to take part
Hays County Commissioners Court meetings are public, live streamed and archived, and the County Clerk records the minutes. Agendas and minutes are posted on the county website, and the review board created by the resolution reports back to the court in open session.
Where
1 county. In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos.
Dates
| Date | What | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | ordered | Commissioners Court approved the resolution establishing the review period and the review board |
The evidence
Every fact above rests on one of these. The words are the source's own.
The Hays County Commissioners Court approved a resolution establishing a 180-day emergency water protection review period for high-usage development applications, including data centers, and creating a review board to evaluate the proposals June 23.Hays County passes resolution pausing consideration of high-water-use developments, data centers, Community Impact Journalism
Hays County commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to establish a review board to evaluate proposed intensive-water-use developments like data centers.Hays County to establish new water board and regulatory standards for data centers, KUT Journalism
Hays County has been facing drought conditions and water-use restrictions for a prolonged period of time, resulting from declining aquifer levels and diminishing water availability, according to previous Community Impact reporting.Hays County passes resolution pausing consideration of high-water-use developments, data centers, Community Impact Journalism