Denton County commissioners appointed their first three members to represent the county’s interests in the newly created North Texas Groundwater Conservation District on Tuesday.

The district was created following a mandate from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that would place counties in districts if they did not do so themselves.

Denton County’s three board members are: Todd Maurina, director of utilities for the city of The Colony; Chris Boyd, manager of the Mustang Special Utility District; and Tom Smith, an engineer.

The trio will represent the county on the nine-member board that includes representatives from Collin and Cooke counties.

“We need to manage our water resources, need to have it there for all the public and need to be good stewards of what the Lord has given us,” Smith said. “And water conservation districts can help. They are a tool for the public to make sure they have water for years to come.”

The conversation district is designed to make and enforce rules that regulate groundwater use.

The task of this first board will be to form and develop the format and method by which the district will be managed, said Maurina, who was involved in the developmental stages of the district.

“It’s a very important part to make sure to develop philosophies and guiding principles and how controls will be put in place to ensure sustainability of resources,” he said.

Maurina said the program will change over time; the main thing was to get some structure in place that will allow it to move forward.

Boyd could not be reached for comment.

County Judge Mary Horn wanted to be sure the district was put in place by the counties and not the state commission.

“If we were put in a district by TCEQ, the gas and oil district wouldn’t be included. In Denton County that’s just not right. They use a lot of groundwater,” Horn said.

She said an ordinary resident with a well on his property need not worry about being charged to pump water. The district is looking mainly at gas and oil companies that pump several thousand gallons of water a day.

Denton County will garner 85 percent of fees paid into the district, Horn said.

“That’s why it was important for us to have good representation,” she said.

The district could still grow, Horn said. There are counties that may not have formed a district in time, and TCEQ will place them in other districts, she added.

The next step for the district is a public meeting to be conducted by the Commissioners Court on Aug. 11 to pass a resolution confirming Denton County’s inclusion in the district.

The next business will be for board members to draw to see who has two- or four-year terms, so they are staggered, Horn said.

BJ LEWIS can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is blewis@dentonrc.com.