It is the purpose and intent of the District's Regulatory Plan to establish policy in the areas of groundwater regulation, permits, and enforcement, and to establish District regulatory areas and associated regulatory requirements. A Regulatory Area is defined as a geographic subdivision of the District in which goals are established to reduce groundwater withdrawals by specific deadlines. The Fort Bend Subsidence District has established two regulatory areas in Fort Bend County: Regulatory Area A and Regulatory Area B.
After successfully completing the Joint Regulatory Plan Review (JRPR) in 2025, the Fort Bend Subsidence District Board of Directors adopted the 2025 Regulatory Plan. Based on the findings of the JRPR, the Regulatory Plan was amended with the following updates for FBSD Regulatory Areas:
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- Regulatory Area A – Regulatory Area A's conversion date to be extended from 2027 to 2030 to allow adequate timing for infrastructure to be developed. For permits beginning January 1, 2030, and thereafter, groundwater withdrawals may not exceed 40% of the permittee's total water demand.
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- Regulatory Area B – Due to ongoing and projected growth combined with subsidence conditions, this regulatory area will begin groundwater reduction requirements as follows:
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- For permits beginning January 1, 2035: a permittee not operating under an approved GRP shall reduce its groundwater withdrawals to comprise no more than 40% of its total water demand.
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- For permits beginning January 1, 2050: a group of permittees operating under an approved GRP shall reduce its groundwater withdrawals to comprise no more than 70% of the group's total water demand.
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