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At the annual EarthX climate conference in Dallas, global sustainability, climate change and population demand were among the top issues discussed by environmental advocates and officials.But in the ballroom hosting the conference’s April 23 North Texas Climate Symposium, Dallas-Fort Worth leaders honed in on how they’re addressing local air and water quality issues with public health in mind. When it comes to water quality, not all cities in North Texas can say they have reliable sewers, which are vital for maintaining water treatment systems, said Susan Alvarez, environment and development director at the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The council of governments is responsible for creating a water quality management plan for North Texas, including Tarrant, Dallas and 14 other counties. To make that plan, the council coordinated with over 200 local governments and communities to address issues regarding water treatment, plant capacity, wastewater treatment and septic tanks. “What we do, collectively, to address water quality in our streams is critically important,” said Alvarez.One of the agency’s ongoing efforts at addressing water quality includes the council of government’s impairment program, which specifically focuses on treating contaminated water. The council is updating the program to minimize the amount of bacteria in the Trinity River basin, one of Tarrant County’s major water sources for consumption and recreation, next to Eagle Mountain Lake, Cedar Creek and reservoirs in East Texas. Fort Worth’s newest water treatment plant, Westside, opened in 2012 at 12200 Old Weatherford Road. City leaders said the plant, pictured in January 2024, was necessary due to population growth in west Fort Worth. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)Alvarez applauded agencies, such as the Tarrant Regional Water District and the North Texas Municipal Water District, for planning for future water supplies but said population growth has to be taken into account. Over 200,000 people moved into the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2024, said Alvarez. If growth continues at that rate, the council of governments will not be able to supply enough water to meet demand. Through conservation, the council of governments and local water providers can address that challenge — though government officials say they still must pursue controversial plans to construct reservoirs in East Texas amid strong resident opposition. Discontinuing “dead ends” in water mains could be a helpful strategy in making up for lost water. A dead end water main is a water pipe that ends where no other connections or loops exist, which can lead to bacterial growth in water coming from stagnant flows.Local governments and residents need to also crack down on leaks and maintain water pipelines to compensate for lost water, said Alvarez.“We have a long way to go in conserving water as a resource,” said Alvarez. Dallas-Fort Worth fails to meet federal air standardsIn addition to water quality, the council of governments is focusing on transportation planning in an effort to improve Dallas-Fort Worth’s air quality. The council of governments’s latest transportation plan highlights $150 billion in needed investments through 2050, according to senior air quality program manager Chris Klaus. The money flowing into the plan is designed to support projects, programs and policies aimed at driving sustainability and safety on North Texas roads. Those programs include environmental protection to implement infrastructure that improves highways and transit lines, in turn, reducing negative environmental impacts, such as vehicular emissions.Although the region is not meeting federal air quality requirements, the Dallas-Fort Worth area currently has the cleanest air ever recorded in the region, said Klaus. Fort Worth’s skyline, as seen from Arlington’s landfill in April 2022. Air quality in North Texas has improved since the 1990s, but that improvement has plateaued in recent years. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)He said air quality readings can be inaccurate and could be credited to nuances in data from state regulators and limited air quality monitors in the area.The council plans to roll out new air quality monitors to more accurately reflect air pollution throughout Fort Worth, air quality planner Daniela Tower told the Report in January.The council has a network of monitors they are currently installing to better determine why there are higher levels of pollution in the region, said Klaus. With help from grant money, those monitors would support the council in providing more information to the public, including how current air quality readings affect certain areas. In 2025 so far, ozone levels in North Texas sit at 78 parts per billion, according to the latest data from the council of governments. Ozone levels between 71 and 85 parts per billion are considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. The region could face millions in fines if ozone levels are not brought down to 75 parts per billion or under.To better mitigate air pollution, local governments will be financially incentivized if they adopt ordinances modeling policies outlined in the council’s transportation plan, said Klaus.“We don’t push, but we basically encourage and allow local governments to make those decisions,” said Klaus.One of those ordinances suggested by the council includes addressing idling vehicles. There are also policies for other factors contributing to air pollution, including land use and traffic congestion.Most recently, the council of governments adopted an air quality monitoring policy designed to measure particulate matter and ozone levels. This comes primarily in an effort to inform the public and educate them on best practices to minimize air pollution and emissions.Policy elimination affecting North Texas governmentsLocal municipalities continue to face challenges in addressing health issues tied to environmental factors due to discontinued programs at the federal level, said Public Citizen environmental campaign director Kathryn Guerra.Richard Perez, a leader of the Fort Worth Environmental Coalition of Communities, spoke at an Oct. 6, 2023, protest outside Mayor Mattie Parker’s State of the City address. Perez created another advocacy group, Northside Fort Worth Air, to bring attention to air pollution issues in his community. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)In its first week in office, the Trump administration eliminated a team of federal advisers tasked with overseeing the implementation of environmental justice in communities near heavy industry and infrastructure. “For the past four years, at the federal level, we had a lot. And now, as you well know, those resources are gone,” said Guerra.Cities could face more challenges as Texas lawmakers look at eliminating the ability to fund climate action initiatives at the city level, said Klaus. Senate Bill 2235 would prohibit local governments from collecting public dollars to fund climate action plans. Of the top 25 largest cities in the U.S., Fort Worth is the only city without a climate action plan, according to previous Fort Worth Report coverage. The plans lay out long-term strategies to reduce a carbon footprint, achieve sustainability goals or address the challenges posed by climate change.“We’re under threat with appetite in the legislative session to try to take all that away from locals,” said Klaus.Even with the elimination of environmental policies at the state and federal level, protective measures are being taken at the city level in North Texas, said Guerra. She pointed to Dallas’ climate action plan, with goals outlined for reducing emissions, conserving water, defining specific land use in zoning meetings and addressing environmental injustices in underrepresented neighborhoods. Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan think tank, ranked Dallas first in a 2022 analysis of climate action plans, rating the city above the likes of Boston, Portland and San Francisco, according to previous Fort Worth Report coverage. “The policies that we have now have brought us a really long way,” said Guerra. “We still have a lot of work to do.”Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.