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Oklahoma Water Sharing Could Get More Difficult Under New Bill

TULSA, OK — The state's House of Representatives will consider a bill that would limit how much water could be taken from one of the state's key water aquifers for use elsewhere in the state where water shortages are being experienced.

According to the Daily Oklahoman, the bill would probably slow down a deal being worked on by Oklahoma City-based PESA LLC that would pump as much as 20 million gallons of water a day out of the south-central aquifer.

PESA proposes taking the water northwest to a coalition of west-central Oklahoma communities looking for a better deal on water than they are getting from Oklahoma City, said the newspaper.

Under the law, when the Oklahoma Water Resources Board issues a groundwater use permit, the usage must not harm the annual yield of a water basin for at least 20 years, the newspaper said. The bill would extend that time to at least 100 years.

Rep. Danny Hilliard, who sponsored the law, said he doesn't want to deny west-central Oklahoma residents good water, but he doesn't want his own constituents hurt.