Plumbing and Sanitation

Texas Gas Boom: Pipelines, LNG and Community Impact

The Texas–Louisiana Gulf Coast is in the midst of a natural gas boom, with dozens of major pipeline projects and liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals under construction. From the Permian and Haynesville fields to the Gulf’s deepwater ports, new corridors are being built to carry vast volumes of fracked gas toward coastal plants. Industry estimates show roughly 2,900 miles of new pipelines planned just to feed LNG export terminals in Texas and Louisiana. These developments promise cheaper, more reliable fuel for power plants and new jobs – but they also raise concerns among Texas homeowners about safety, land use and the long-term energy strategy of the state.

In clear, technical detail accessible to everyday readers, this article examines the routes, capacities and impacts of the Gulf Coast pipeline build-out. We explain how new lines like the 2.5‑Bcf/day Matterhorn Express (Permian Basin to Katy), 2.5‑Bcf/d Blackcomb (Waha to Agua Dulce), 1.5‑Bcf/d Trident (Katy to Sabine Pass), and others will move gas from West Texas and east Texas into the Texas pipeline grid. We also look at how U.S. LNG export terminals – including Texas projects like Corpus Christi Stage III, Golden Pass (Sabine Pass), Rio Grande (Brownsville) and Port Arthur – are expanding capacity, requiring up to 6.9 Bcf/day of additional supply by 2027. Throughout, we focus on what this means for Texans: how the surge in pipeline capacity affects energy reliability, local prices, safety, property rights, environment and the state’s energy future....

Texas Homeowners , Sustainable Plumbing , Emergency Plumbing , Home Maintenance

Texas’ Broken Water Infrastructure: A Deep Dive into History, Crisis, and Hope

Water is now so precious in Texas that cities regularly warn residents not to drink the tap: reports Texas averaged about eight boil-water advisories per day in 2023 amid persistent infrastructure failures. This is no accident. In a recent investigation, found that many of Texas’s 7,000+ public water systems are decades old and leaking. In 2021 alone, Texas utilities reported losing roughly 132 billion gallons of treated water to breaks and leaks – enough to supply over a million homes for a year. With untreated sewage and poisoned lines sometimes spouting in neighborhoods, Texans are finding that the system delivering safe water is simply breaking down. This report traces how we got here, who is hurt most, and how communities and policymakers are scrambling for answers....

Texas Homeowners , Sustainable Plumbing , Emergency Plumbing , Home Maintenance , Plumbing Tips

How Texas Can Help End America’s Trash Imports

Believe it or not, U.S. companies are spending money to import garbage. American firms have paid to bring in loads of waste – plastic bottles, aluminum cans and other recyclables – from countries like China and Mexico. They do this not for human trash, but to meet domestic demand for recycled content. Texas A&M researchers call this a “paradox of inefficiency.” With inadequate recycling and processing here, manufacturers still must get recycled plastics and metals from abroad, even while millions of tons of trash accumulate in our own state. The Mosbacher Institute at Texas A&M has proposed a solution: dramatically boost Texas’s recycling programs so that “people directly engage” in waste reduction. In other words, stop treating trash as a foreign resource and start processing it at home....

Garbage Disposal , Eco-friendly Technologies , Texas Homeowners , Sustainable Plumbing

Texas’ Drought Dilemma: Recycling Sewage into Tap Water

Texas has long been at the mercy of droughts, explosive population growth, and dwindling rivers. State planners warn that without new sources, supply may fall 18% short of demand by 2070. Under a “drought of record,” Texas could lack as much as 4.7 million acre-feet (MAF) per year by 2030 – roughly 20% of projected need – rising to 6.9 MAF by 2070 if no action is taken. Cities are already feeling the pinch: West Texas and Panhandle reservoirs sit near 25% capacity, and places like Corpus Christi and Brownsville have imposed restrictions on outdoor watering and construction to stretch supplies. Rapid urban growth – Texas’ municipal demand is expected to grow 63% by 2070 – only deepens the crisis. In short, climate change and soaring demand are straining Texas’ traditional water sources (groundwater and the Rio Grande), prompting engineers to turn to bold solutions. One solution is wastewater recycling, also known as potable reuse: treating sewage so thoroughly that it meets drinking-water standards....

Texas Homeowners , Eco-friendly Technologies , Smart Plumbing Technologies , Sustainable Plumbing