Welcome to part two of Mustang’s new education series designed to help our community understand where our water comes from, how growth is affecting supply, and what it means for the future of North Texas.  

AUBREY, TX (May  18, 2026)

Understanding the Limits of Our Water Supply  

Mustang’s service area continues to grow at a pace few places in the country can match. New homes, new businesses, and new infrastructure bring opportunity to the area, but they also increase the strain on the water sources that support daily life.   

With more people relying on the same shared supply, understanding the constraints of our water sources is important for planning ahead and protecting the resources we depend on.  

Why Surface Water is Limited  

Surface water makes up about 60 percent of Mustang’s supply. It comes from lakes and reservoirs that collect rainfall and runoff from surrounding watersheds, which are the land areas where water naturally drains into these lakes. Water entities obtain surface water rights from the state, and local retail providers pay for a share of that supply. Those shares are already at or near their limits, leaving very little unused surface water to support rapid growth.  

Because many customers live near lakes like Ray Roberts or see Lewisville Lake every day, it is natural to assume that local lake levels reflect our water supply. In reality, each lake we rely on faces different conditions, and those conditions directly affect how much water is available to our community. Mustang receives water from Jim Chapman Lake (Cooper Lake), about 90 miles east of our home office in Aubrey.  

Today, Jim Chapman Lake is about 80 percent full. One year ago, it was 100 percent full. Starting the year with lower lake levels reduces the amount of surface water available to meet rising demand. Even with new projects such as Lake Ralph Hall near Ladonia in Fannin County, surface water alone cannot keep pace with the long-term needs of a region where multiple fast-growing communities share the same source, and demand continues to grow.  

The Limitations of Groundwater 

About 40 percent of Mustang’s supply is groundwater from aquifers, which are underground layers of sand, gravel, and rock that hold water much like a saturated sponge. Wells draw this water to the surface, where it is conditioned and delivered to customers.  

Aquifers recharge slowly. Rainfall must seep through layers of soil and rock before it reaches these formations, a process that can take decades or even centuries. When water is pumped out faster than nature can replace it, aquifers cannot recover quickly enough to support long‑term growth. In many parts of Texas, groundwater levels have been declining for years as more households and businesses rely on the same underground sources.  

This trend is not unique to Mustang’s service area. Water sources across the state are seeing similar declines, and once an aquifer drops to a certain point, restoring it becomes increasingly difficult. The Trinity Aquifer is an example of this challenge. It recharges very slowly, and long‑term pumping in parts of North Texas has caused water levels to fall by several hundred feet. The Trinity is one of the most heavily used groundwater resources in Texas, and regional planning groups expect it to remain under pressure as growth continues. 

Groundwater will remain an important part of Mustang’s supply, but it cannot support the demands of a rapidly expanding population on its own.  

Why Neither Source Can Meet Future Demand Alone  

Groundwater and surface water are part of the same natural cycle. Water evaporates, forms clouds, falls as precipitation, and either moves across the land or seeps into the ground before returning to lakes, rivers, and oceans. One constant in this cycle is that the total amount of water on Earth has never changed. What changes is where it is available, how quickly it moves through the cycle, and how many people depend on it at the same time.  

New development brings added demand to a water supply that does not increase with growth. Groundwater is declining in many areas, and surface water is limited by weather and shared across multiple communities. New reservoirs provide additional support, but no single project can resolve the long‑term challenge.  

Looking Ahead  

Understanding the limits of each water source is an important step toward planning for the future. As the region continues to grow, thoughtful decision‑making and community awareness will play a key role in protecting the water supply we all depend on.  

Mustang remains focused on responsible water management so our customers can rely on a safe and dependable supply today and in the years ahead.  

COMING UP IN PART THREE, WE'LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT LAKE RALPH HALL AND HOW NEW INFRASTRUCTURE FITS INTO THE BROADER STRATEGY FOR A SUSTAINABLE WATER FUTURE. STAY TUNED!