Source Protection/Watershed Management

In conjunction with the Sabine River Authority (SRA), the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District (NETMWD), the Cherokee Water Company, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Water Supply and Purification Division observes, samples and analyzes the water quality of the Sabine River and Hawkins Creek (a tributary to Sabine), Lake O’ the Pines, and Lake Cherokee, protecting the source water and watershed for the citizens of Longview and the surrounding area. 

The Water Supply and Purification Division participates in the Source Water Protection Program, a voluntary program developed by the TCEQ that provides public water systems with information of their water sources that may assist in implementing source water protection. This program can assist the City in monitoring the source water bodies and can help identify activities and conditions that have the potential to affect the future of the City’s drinking water sources. 

After the implementation of the stormwater programs on municipalities of sizes similar to the City of Longview, the Public Works Department has become involved in stormwater issues throughout the city. This includes stormwater runoff and drainage into the stormwater drains located throughout the city. This coincides with another part of the City of Longview; emergency response. Along with other agencies previously mentioned and the Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (TPWC), the Public Works Department  responds to emergencies that can have an impact on creeks, ponds, lakes, or rivers; any water body, within the city’s watershed that can have a detrimental effect on the Water Treatment Plants. These emergencies can include anything such as oil spills, salt-water spills, illegal dumping, fires, or even calls from concerned citizens and businesses throughout the City of Longview concerning a water body in the city.