The Water Capital
Davis Jones for SMTX Mayor
Water & Affordability
Sustainability is the key to affordability. We're going to build the most resilient water grid in Texas — and force the cost of your water bills down, not up.
Water Security for San Marcos·November 3, 2026
The Problem Is Simple
We're treating our water and flushing it to the Gulf, while paying a premium to drain 500-year-old water from vanishing aquifers.
If we do nothing, out-of-county water purveyors will double or triple your utility rates over the next decade.
Three Objectives for Water Security
We're shifting our city's strategy from buying more expensive raw water to keeping our water local — and making new growth pay its own way.
We can't stop developers from building along the IH-35 corridor, but we control the zoning and building codes. We will institute a Proportional Fee Reduction Model — offering a 100% waiver of Water Impact Fees, fast-tracked permitting, and "Blue Economy" density bonuses to developers who achieve Net-Zero Water status by integrating neighborhood-scale rainwater capture, permeable pavement, dual-plumbing, and HVAC condensate capture systems.
If a developer refuses, or their site makes water-neutrality impossible, they will pay a massive, legally-authorized Water Impact Fee for every drop of new centralized capacity they demand. 100% of those fees go into supercharging the existing SMTX Rainwater Program — transitioning it from a post-purchase rebate to an upfront grant for legacy residents at zero out-of-pocket cost.
Industrial users are drilling 900-foot wells into the Carrizo while the city takes on hundreds of millions in debt for new water treatment plants. The Catch-22: if everyone conserves, the city loses the revenue to pay that debt.
We will rapidly expand the city's purple pipe (reclaimed wastewater) infrastructure. Industrial wash-downs, cooling towers, data centers, and MUD landscaping don't need 1,000-year-old pristine drinking water. By selling highly treated reclaimed water to heavy industry at a competitive rate, we give them a drought-proof supply — so they stop drilling into the Carrizo. Furthermore, new commercial buildings over 100,000 sq ft will be required to install "purple-ready" dual plumbing and HVAC condensate capture systems.
San Marcos recently adopted the Vision SMTX Comprehensive Plan. In my first 100 days, I will introduce a Water Security Amendment. This formally mandates that city staff must exhaust all options for rainwater capture, leak reduction, and localized reuse before they are allowed to propose buying new, expensive raw water rights.
To protect working-class families, we will establish a Multi-tiered Conservation Rate Structure — ensuring a "lifeline tier" keeps essential indoor water affordable as a human right, while exorbitant luxury irrigation pays its true cost.
We can't legislate San Antonio, but we can out-innovate them. If San Marcos proves that rainwater capture and water reuse lead to the lowest utility bills in Central Texas, San Antonio will adopt our playbook out of pure economic self-interest — which is the only way to stop them from draining the Edwards Aquifer and protect the San Marcos River.
My goal is Water Security. I have three objectives: First, we change our development codes so massive IH-35 growth pays for its own water, protecting residents from the unaffordable costs of inaction. Second, we expand reclaimed water so industry buys recycled water from us — generating revenue to pay down our utility debt without raising your rates. Third, I will update our City Vision Plan to shift our focus from buying expensive water to keeping our water local, and structure utility rates so essential water stays affordable while heavy users pay their fair share.
Davis Jones
Candidate for Mayor, San Marcos TX
Texas State University
The Meadows Center's RAINFAL tool proves a properly sized rainwater system can meet 100% of household indoor water needs — even during a historic drought of record.
UT Austin Research
Engineering studies prove that decentralized rainwater + gray-water reuse can reduce municipal water demand by 50% to 85%. The science is proven. The blueprint is ready.
Political advertising paid for by Davis Jones for SMTX
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