Geography and Economy
Overlapping much of the upper portion of the Trinity River Basin, Region C includes smaller parts of the Red, Brazos, Sulphur, and Sabine river basins. The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area is centrally located in the region, and its surrounding counties are among the fastest-growing in the state. Major economic sectors in the region include service, trade, manufacturing and government.
Region C includes all or part of 16 counties in North Central Texas: Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Freestone, Grayson, Henderson (Trinity River Basin portion), Jack, Kaufman, Navarro, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise.
Population, Water Demand and Water Supply
Region C’s population was over 7.7 million at the time of the last U.S. Census in 2020. Dallas and Tarrant counties, the two most populous counties in Region C, made up 61% of the region’s overall population in 2020. The region had 56 cities with a population of 20,000 or greater, and these cities accounted for 84% of the region’s total 2020population. Despite having over one-quarter of the state’s population and about 30% of the state’s economic output, Region C accounted for less than 10% of statewide water use in 2020. Updated population projections in the draft 2026 Region C Water Plan show the region’s population nearly doubling to 15.1 million by 2080. The number of cities with populations greater than 20,000 will increase to 95 by 2080. However, as more growth occurs in the areas surrounding the Metroplex, more communities are projected to be served by Special Utility Districts and Water Supply Corporations. By 2080, these utilities will be serving approximately 9% of Region C’s population, while 76% of the population will have their water needs served by cities with populations greater than 20,000.
Region C contains 24 major reservoirs with conservation storages in excess of 5,000 acre-feet, including the currently in-development Lake Ralph Hall. These major reservoirs and others outside of Region C provide the majority of the region’s water supply.
Further adding to that water supply are the region’s aquifers, which include the Trinity, Woodbine, Carrizo-Wilcox, Woodbine, Nacatoch, Cross Timbers and a small part of the Queen City aquifer. Yet groundwater is a relatively small source of overall water use in Region C, accounting for only 6% of the region’s use.
Water Reclamation and Reuse
About half of the water used for municipal supply in Region C is discharged as treated effluent (sewage that’s been treated at a water treatment plant) after use, making wastewater reclamation and reuse a potentially significant source of additional water supply. There are currently a number of water reclamation direct reuse projects in Region C that reuse highly treated wastewater for non-potable uses such as the irrigation of golf courses, industrial or mining uses. There are also a number of large-scale indirect reuse projects, notably TRWD and NTMWD wetlands reuse projects. TRWD is currently in the process of design for an additional wetlands reuse project.
Major Water Users and Providers
More than 360 water user groups and 30 wholesale water providers are in Region C, six of which are designated as major water providers – Dallas Water Utilities, Tarrant Regional Water District, North Texas Municipal Water District, City of Fort Worth, Trinity River Authority and the Upper Trinity Regional Water District. In 2020, the three largest wholesale water providers in Region C (Dallas Water Utilities, Tarrant Regional Water District and the North Texas Municipal Water District) provided most of the water used in the region.
