What is the primary role of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)?

The primary role of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) encompasses regulating water quality, managing water resources, and ensuring compliance with state and federal environmental laws. This includes setting standards to protect water quality in lakes, rivers, and aquifers, as well as overseeing the allocation and use of water resources across the state. The TCEQ develops regulations and programs to monitor and enforce compliance, ensuring that the state's environmental standards are upheld and that water resources are sustainably managed for both current and future use.

While oversight of construction projects such as reservoirs and dams, public education on water conservation, and monitoring groundwater levels are important functions within Texas's broader environmental management framework, they do not capture the full breadth of the TCEQ's responsibilities. The agency's core mission is centered on comprehensive environmental regulation and management, making the choice focusing on water quality and compliance the most accurate representation of its primary role.