|
DALLAS – March
10, 2003 – The Region C Water Planning Group (RCWPG) recently
elected James (Jim) M. Parks as the group’s new chair and Robert
(Bob) Johnson as the group’s new vice chair. The RCWPG is
responsible for revising the region’s water plan over the next
few years. The RCWPG consists of representatives from various
interest groups, from a 16-county region in North Central Texas.
James Parks has
been serving as interim chair for the group since the resignation
of Terrace Stewart on Dec. 2, 2002. Stewart left his position as
director of the City of Dallas Water Utilities and as RCWPG chair
to pursue new career opportunities in Atlanta.
Parks is the
executive director and general manager of the North Texas
Municipal Water District (NTMWD), where he is responsible for
operations, management and planning for an annual budget of more
than $135 million. He has been employed at the NTMWD, which
provides water treatment services to more than one million
customers, since 1979. Parks is a member of the American Water
Works Association, the Texas Water Conservation Association and
the National Water Resources Association.
Robert Johnson,
the new vice chair for the RCWPG and interim director for the City
of Dallas Water Utilities, has more than 20 years of experience in
the public service field. He has worked for the City of Dallas
Water Utilities since 1984 and previously worked for the Texas
Highway Department. Johnson is also a member of the American Water
Works Association, the Texas Water Conservation Association, the
Water Environment Association and other industry organizations.
The first round
of Texas’ regional water planning began in June 1997 when
Governor George W. Bush signed state law SB 1, which put into
place a "bottom up" water planning process designed to
ensure that the water needs of all Texans are met as water demands
increase. As mandated by the Texas Legislature, the Texas Water
Development Board (TWDB) created and continues to regulate 16
regional water planning groups across Texas responsible for
developing water plans for their areas.
In January 2002,
the TWDB approved all 16 regional water plans and incorporated
them into a comprehensive state water plan – "Water for
Texas-2002" – which maps out how to conserve water
supplies, meet future water supply needs and respond to future
droughts in planning areas. Regional water planning groups are
required to update their regional water plans every five years.
In 2002, the
RCWPG entered Phase Two of regional water planning, during which
it will revise the existing regional water plan to reflect
up-to-date information that may impact water supplies and
recommended water management strategies over the next 50 years.
Region C is made up of all or part of 16 counties in North Texas:
Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Freestone, Grayson,
Henderson, Jack, Kaufman, Navarro, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and
Wise. For more information, visit the Region C Web site at
www.regioncwaterorg.
|