Pearland City Council will consider an update to the city’s raw water supply arrangements with the Gulf Coast Water Authority, or GCWA, extending the term through 2056 at its July 27 meeting. 

What you need to know: The updated agreement maintains the city’s access to 10 million gallons per day, or MGD, of raw surface water and preserves the option to secure up to an additional 10 MGD through the city’s participation in GCWA’s Chocolate Bayou and Juliff water rights acquisition, according to city documents.

What else: Pearland City Council will also consider authorizing an application for up to $21 million through the Texas Water Development Board's Water Supply and Infrastructure Grant program to help fund improvements to the city’s water infrastructure and operational management systems. 

THISCar, a Houston-area pre-owned vehicle retailer, is planning to open a new location in Pearland, according to the business’ website.

What you need to know: The car retailer specializes in pre-owned vehicle sales and purchasing services, offering vehicle appraisals, home delivery and financing options, according to its website.

• 11011 Shadow Creek Pkwy., Ste. 111, Pearland

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from last week? Check out six trending stories from the South Houston area from July 20-24.

1. Pearland shifts with new mayor and city leadership changes

2. New 17-acre River Oaks development set to define luxury with new amenities

3. New DPS office to open in Katy after 15-plus years

4. Goodwill to open 2nd Missouri City store in Sienna

5. Pomodoro’s Cucina Italiana awarded $850K incentive to open in Seabrook

6. Blue Mambo to rebrand, relocate to Bissonnet in elevated beauty partnership with Hair Craft Collective

As more data centers are being built in Texas, the state’s water planning agency warns that limited information is available about the booming industry and its impact on water supplies.

The overview: The Texas Water Development Board adopted its initial 2027 State Water Plan on July 23, with a “more robust” version of the plan expected later this year. The plan consists of 3,000 water management projects and 6,700 strategies that experts say are needed to prepare for future severe droughts.

It will cost about $174 billion to complete the projects, according to the TWDB. However, if they are not implemented, a severe drought could cost the state $91 billion in economic damages as soon as 2030 and lead to $177 billion in annual losses by 2080.

The context: These projections do not account for the amount of water that data centers—which largely purchase their water from public systems—may use or how the large facilities could contribute to overall water availability. Right now, the board said it did not have enough information to do so.