1. (a) RWPs shall consolidate and present information on current and planned preparations for, and responses to, drought conditions in the region including, but not limited to, drought of record conditions based on the following subsections.
2. (b) RWPGs shall conduct an overall assessment of current preparations for drought within the RWPA including a description of how water suppliers in the RWPA identify and respond to the onset of drought. This may include information from local drought contingency plans.

3. (c) RWPGs shall develop drought response recommendations regarding the management of existing groundwater and surface water sources in the RWPA designated in accordance with §357.32 of this title (relating to Water Supply Analysis), including:

   1. (1) Factors specific to each source of water supply to be considered in determining whether to initiate a drought response for each water source including specific recommended drought response triggers;
   2. (2) Actions to be taken as part of the drought response by the manager of each water source and the entities relying on each source, including the number of drought stages; and
   3. (3) Triggers and actions developed in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection may consider existing triggers and actions associated with existing drought contingency plans.
4. (d) RWPGs will collect information on existing major water infrastructure facilities that may be used for interconnections in event of an emergency shortage of water. In accordance with Texas Water Code §16.053(r), this information is CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION and cannot be disseminated to the public. The associated information is to be collected by a subgroup of RWPG members in a closed meeting and submitted separately to the EA in accordance with guidance to be provided by EA.
5. (e) RWPGs will provide general descriptions of local drought contingency plans that involve making emergency connections between water systems or WWP systems that do not include locations or descriptions of facilities that are disallowed under subsection (d) of this section.

6. (f) RWPGs may designate recommended and alternative drought management water management strategies and other recommended drought measures in the RWP including:

   1. (1) List and description of the recommended drought management water management strategies and associated WUGs and WWPs, if any, that are recommended by the RWPG. Information to include associated triggers to initiate each of the recommended drought management water management strategies;
   2. (2) List and description of alternative drought management water management strategies and associated WUGs and WWPs, if any, that are included in the plan. Information to include associated triggers to initiate each of the alternative drought management water management strategies;
   3. (3) List of all potentially feasible drought management water management strategies that were considered or evaluated by the RWPG but not recommended; and
   4. (4) List and summary of any other recommended drought management measures, if any, that are included in the RWP, including associated triggers if applicable.

7. (g) The RWPGs shall evaluate potential emergency responses to local drought conditions or loss of existing water supplies; the evaluation shall include identification of potential alternative water sources that may be considered for temporary emergency use by WUGs and WWPs in the event that the existing water supply sources become temporarily unavailable to the WUGs and WWPs due to unforeseeable hydrologic conditions such as emergency water right curtailment, unanticipated loss of reservoir conservation storage, or other localized drought impacts. RWPGs shall evaluate, at a minimum, municipal WUGs that:

   1. (1) have existing populations less than 7,500;
   2. (2) rely on a sole source for its water supply regardless of whether the water is provided by a WWP; and
   3. (3) all county-other WUGs.
8. (h) RWPGs shall consider any relevant recommendations from the Drought Preparedness Council.

9. (i) RWPGs shall make drought preparation and response recommendations regarding:

   1. (1) Development of, content contained within, and implementation of local drought contingency plans required by the Commission;

   2. (2) Current drought management preparations in the RWPA including:

      1. (A) drought response triggers; and
      2. (B) responses to drought conditions;
   3. (3) The Drought Preparedness Council and the State Drought Preparedness Plan; and
   4. (4) Any other general recommendations regarding drought management in the region or state.
10. (j) The RWPGs shall develop region-specific model drought contingency plans.

Source Note:The provisions of this §357.42 adopted to be effective August 12, 2012, 37 TexReg 5797.