Water Security for Texas: the Role of Science & Technology

Neal Wilkins Director, Texas Water Resources Institute

Water Security – capacity to efficiently access an

adequate water resource, and the ability to

balance competing demands.

Freshwater Resources

• ~190,000 miles of rivers & streams

• 20% perennial flow.

• >200 major reservoirs ~1.2 million ac.

• 5 million acres of freshwater wetlands.

• 9 major aquifers & 21 minor aquifers.

• 1,292 named springs (~3,000 total).

Texas Water Withdrawals

• Total Water withdrawals of 26,770 million gallons per day.

• Freshwater withdrawals are 88% of total.

• Surface water supplies 68% of all withdrawals.

• Thermoelectric power withdrawals were 11,536 million gallons per day.

Source: USGS. 2005. Estimated use of water in the United States.

How Much Freshwater Consumed?

• Total Withdrawal.

– 26,770 Mgal/d – 11% Saline

• Total Freshwater

– 23,620 Mgal/d – 40% Thermoelectric Power

13,944 Mgal/d

About 14 billion gallons per day

Source: USGS. 2005. Estimated use of water in the United States.

2010 Existing Supplies Amount of water that can be produced with current permits, contracts, and existing infrastructure during drought

Surface 8,427,432

Reuse 482,164

Ground 8,073,609

Projected Demand

18,010,599

Existing Supplies

16,983,205

Municipal 4,851,201

Manufacturing 1,727,808

Mining 296,230

Steam/Electric 733,179

Irrigation 10,079,215

Livestock 322,966

Note: all values reported in acre-feet/year Source: Texas Water Development Board 2012 State Water Plan (Draft)

Surface 8,968,541

Reuse 613,701

Ground 5,688,293

Projected Demand

21,952,198

Existing Supplies

15,270,535

Municipal 8,414,492

Manufacturing 2,882,524

Mining 292,294

Steam/Electric 1,620,411

Irrigation 8,370,554

Livestock 371,923

2060 Scenario Amount of water that can be produced with current permits, contracts, and existing infrastructure during drought

Note: all values reported in acre-feet/year Source: Texas Water Development Board 2012 State Water Plan (Draft)

Surface 8,968,541

Reuse 613,701

Ground 5,688,293

Projected Demand

21,952,198

Existing Supplies

15,270,535

2060 Existing Supplies vs. Projected Demands Amount of water that can be produced with current permits, contracts, and existing infrastructure during drought

* Dashed line denotes values from 2010. Note: all values reported in acre-feet/year Source: Texas Water Development Board 2012 State Water Plan (Draft)

Municipal 8,414,492

Manufacturing 2,882,524

Mining 292,294

Steam/Electric 1,620,411

Livestock 371,923

Irrigation 8,370,554

2060 Recommended Water Mgmt. Strategies

Conservation

Other Strategies

New Sources

Desalination

Irrigation

Municipal

Other

Ground Water

New Reservoirs

Other Surface Water

Sea, Ground, Surface Water

Reuse

Conjunctive, Aquifer Storage, & Other

Projected Supply with New Strategies 9,004,839 $53 Billion

1,505,465

23,432

647,361

2,176,258 (24%)

1,499,671

800,795

3,050,049

5,350,515 (59%)

309,782 (4%)

252,695

915,589 1,168,284 (13%)

Projected Shortfall 6,681,663

2,323,176

Note: all values reported in acre-feet/year

Water Conservation

About 25% of future unmet water demands

are anticipated from implementing

conservation technologies for water use

efficiency and programs resulting in

decreased demands on existing supplies.

Water Reuse

10% of future unmet water demands are projected to come from reuse systems. 1 million acre-feet/year of new supply By 2060.

New Reservoirs

“The 2012 State Water Plan Recommends 26 reservoirs that would provide 1.5 million acre-feet of water during a repeat of drought of record…”

“In the absence of these reservoirs, other water management strategies would simply not be enough to meet the needs of Texans during a severe drought.”

Texas Water Development Board. 2011. Water for Texas 2012 State Water Plan – DRAFT.

26 New Reservoirs – 2012 Water Plan

Area = 152,314 Surface Acres

Supply = 1,412,938 Ac-Ft/Yr

Cost = $12 Billion

10 Largest New Reservoirs

Area = 115,633 Surface Acres

Supply = 1,102,176 Ac-Ft/Yr

Cost = $9 Billion

Brackish Groundwater – A new source?

Brackish groundwater in TX ~ 2.7 billion acre-feet

– Not all is accessible

– 56% in South and West Texas [Regions L (15%), M (15%), F (14%), and N (12%)]

– 2/3 is slightly brackish (1,000-3,000 ppm TDS) & ideal for desal.

Sources: LBG-Guyton Associates, 2003, Brackish groundwater manual for Texas regional water planning groups: Contract report prepared for the Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas, 188 p. Available at (http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/RWPG/rpgm_rpts/2001483395.pdf). NRS Consulting Engineers, 2008, Guidance Manual For Brackish Groundwater Desalination in Texas: Contract report prepared for the Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas. Available at (http://www.desal.org/desaldemo/Desal%20PDFs%20for%20Site/GM%20-%20Full.pdf). Texas Living Waters Project, 2009, Brackish Groundwater Desalination, Issue Paper 2: Prepared by National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, and Environmental Defense Fund. Available at: (http://www.texaswatermatters.org/pdfs/issure_no2_brack.pdf)

Brackish Groundwater – Challenges

• Issues with brackish groundwater desal.:

– Costs / Energy requirements ($1.50/Kgal to $2.75/Kgal; $410-847/acre-ft)

– Potential impacts to interconnected water resources (i.e. freshwater portions of aquifers)

– Regulatory framework for management (i.e. GWCDs)

– Brine disposal

Sources: LBG-Guyton Associates, 2003, Brackish groundwater manual for Texas regional water planning groups: Contract report prepared for the Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas, 188 p. Available at (http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/RWPG/rpgm_rpts/2001483395.pdf). NRS Consulting Engineers, 2008, Guidance Manual For Brackish Groundwater Desalination in Texas: Contract report prepared for the Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas. Available at (http://www.desal.org/desaldemo/Desal%20PDFs%20for%20Site/GM%20-%20Full.pdf). Texas Living Waters Project, 2009, Brackish Groundwater Desalination, Issue Paper 2: Prepared by National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, and Environmental Defense Fund. Available at: (http://www.texaswatermatters.org/pdfs/issure_no2_brack.pdf)

Challenges

–Conflicting Objectives

–Climate Uncertainty

–Energy : Water Nexus

–Sustaining Freshwater Ecosystems

–Loss of rural lands

Climate Uncertainty

Source: John Nielson-Gammon

Climate Uncertainty

Source: John Nielson-Gammon

Climate Uncertainty

Energy : Water Nexus

It takes energy to produce water.

It takes water to produce energy.

Maintaining Freshwater Ecosystems

• 250 species of fish and rich aquatic life –

supporting the state’s wildlife resource.

• Multi-billion dollar recreational resource.

• Valuable (but yet to be priced) ecosystem

services.

Loss of Agricultural Lands

1997-2007

•2.1 Million Acres Converted

•40% of conversion in the top 25

high-growth counties.

Land “Consumption” Rates

270 acres per 1000 new residents.

Areas of Recommitment

1. support advances in water conservation and

technology development required to implement the

Texas State Water Plan;

2. assess new technologies to improve efficiency of

water use for agriculture and municipal irrigation;

3. provide research and development of best

management practices for water reuse,

desalination, rainwater capture, and other

advances for optimizing water use;

Areas of Recommitment

4. develop and assess new technologies for meeting

wastewater standards and water use efficiency

associated with energy development;

5. provide resources for outreach, extension, for

innovations in water conservation and emerging

technologies; and

6. conduct economic and policy analyses directed at

adoption of new technologies.

Policy Innovations

–Standardize water accounting (e.g. footprinting).

–Develop pricing approaches that reflect the full cost-of-service.

–Clear & secure ownership rights.

–Support markets that assign value to freshwater ecosystems.

–Incentivise Land & Water Stewardship

http://twri.tamu.edu/

Backup Slides

Recently Petitioned Species

Texas fatmucket – E.P.

False spike – E.P.

Golden orb – E.P.

Texas pimpleback – E.P.

Salina mucket – S.T.P.

Mexican fawnsfoot – S.T.P.

Smooth pimpleback – P.O.S.

Texas fawnsfoot – C.T.

Texas heelsplitter – P.W.

Louisiana pigtoe – P.W.

Triangle pigtoe – P.W.

Triangle pigtoe Golden orb

Golden orb

Known range:

Guadalupe, San

Antonio, Colorado,

Brazos, and Nueces-

Frio River systems

Triangle pigtoe

Known range:

Neches and San

Jacinto River basins

Range Overlap of Petitioned Mussels

1997-2007

22% Population Growth

Increase of 4.3 Million

Forecasts for 2020

30.25 Million

6.5 Million added.

1997-2007

85% of Population Growth in

25 High-growth Counties.

40% of Rural Land Loss

occurred in 25 High-growth

Counties.

861,765 ac lost

Land “Consumption” Rates

270 acres per 1000 new

residents.