One of a handful of controversial bills potentially affecting groundwater in Hays County will be discussed during a public hearing Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in Room E2.010 at the Capitol in Austin. The House Committee on Natural Resources will hold the public hearing on House Bill 4122, which would allow a landowner of a property of at least 1,000 acres that is located in two or more groundwater conservation districts to choose which district he or she wants his or her property to be regulated by. "It allows a landowner who meets certain criteria, in this case over 1,000 acres that’s in two different districts, to really shop around for the groundwater district that is most beneficial to their interests," said John Dupnik, general manager of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, which regulates groundwater in a portion of central and eastern Hays County. "It potentially allows a particular landowner to find a more advantageous situation that may have, for example, less regulation or less oversight or lower fees—those kinds of things." State Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, has said the legislation could weaken regulations put in place to protect Hays County groundwater during the 2015 legislative session. “HB 4122 would undo the protections put in place by the Save Our Wells bill we fought for in 2015,” Isaac said in a news release. “I want to make sure everyone who depends on wells for their livelihood is aware of this deeply concerning legislation.” SB 2254, another bill filed during this legislative session, could allow a 5,000-acre property west of San Marcos known as the Needmore Municipal Utility District to “self-regulate” their groundwater consumption, Dupnik said. The Needmore Municipal Utility District has applied to the Barton Springs district for a permit that would allow it to pump more than 289 million gallons of groundwater per year. HB 4122 is authored by Rep. Kyle Kacal, R-College Station, and SB 2254 is by Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen. “House District 45 sent a strong message last session that we will fight for our rights and our water,” Isaac said in the news release. “Unfortunately, the Hays County water wars are continuing. We’re going to have to fight for those rights one more time.” HB 4122's provision that would allow a property to choose which district it wants to be located in is concerning for Hays County, Dupnik said, because the Hays-Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, which covers the western portion of the county, has less ability to regulate groundwater than the BSEACD. "Just by the way [the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District's] naming legislation is structured, they are bound by restrictions in their statute that prevent them from being able to apply the typical management tools that are available to every other groundwater district," Dupnik said.