Current Water Quality Management Plan

On July 8, 2026, NCTCOG’s Water Resources Council voted to locally adopt the Draft 2026 WQMP Update. It will be presented to NCTCOG’s Executive Board on August 27, 2026, before being submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for final approval.

To launch the StoryMap, click the "2026 DRAFT Update to the North Central Texas Water Quality Management Plan" link below.

2026 DRAFT Update to the North Central Texas Water Quality Management Plan 

The quality of water in North Texas water bodies is important to the health, safety, and welfare of residents, ecosystems, and long-term economic growth. Pollution that impacts the health of a water body can be either from a point or non-point source. Point sources include specific, discernible locations or sources such as pipes, channels, industrial facilities, or wastewater treatment plants. Non-point source pollution comes from stormwater runoff from urban, residential, or agricultural lands, erosion, drainage from faulty septic systems, and atmospheric deposition. 

The impacts of both point and nonpoint water pollution to water quality impairment in the region are included in the 2026 Update to the North Central Texas Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP), which was prepared by the North Central Texas Council of Governments with input from the Water Resources Council. The 2026 WQMP provides an overview of efforts and future planning needs for improving water quality in the region and is fully created in the format of a Story Map Journal rather than a typical report. The goals of the 2026 WQMP are to:

  • Identify water quality programs that contribute to watershed protection and water quality improvements.
  • Provide an up-to-date inventory of current pollutants
  • Evaluate regional growth's impact on water supply and water quality subjects
  • Identify emerging water quality issues that will impact water quality, wastewater treatment strategies, and water supply efforts.
  • Update all data and sources with the most recent and sound information available. 
  • Continue mapping the locations of permitted on-site sewage facilities (septic systems) in the NCTCOG region to be used for water quality planning purposes. 

NCTCOG supports several regional projects that aim to address water quality of streams, rivers, and lakes in the North Central Texas region including:


Additional Water Quality Resources: