Irving, Oklahoma city make progress on water pact with Tarrant Regional Water District

By BILL HANNA
bhanna@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH — The cities of Irving and Hugo, Okla., approved going forward Thursday with memorandums of understanding with the Tarrant Regional Water District on the possible sale of water.

But Wayne Owen, the water district’s planning director, said the agreement had been "substantially revised" and was still being reviewed by the water district staff. He could not say whether the water district would approve the revisions.

The water district wants the contract to demonstrate to a federal judge that it had exhausted all efforts to obtain water from Oklahoma as it prepares to file an amended complaint Friday in its lawsuit against Oklahoma. The lawsuit was partially dismissed last month, and the water district has been forced to revise its lawsuit to meet the judge’s concerns that it has legal standing to seek water from Oklahoma and that it has sought other ways to get it besides the lawsuit.

In 2008, Irving signed a contract with Hugo to obtain water. Hugo then sued the state of Oklahoma to prevent it from blocking out-of-state water sales. That lawsuit is pending before a federal district judge.