Texas Water Journal (TWJ - Texas Digital Library, TDL E-Journals)
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Water security for Texas: a post-secondary education pathway for water workforce readiness
No full textWater and wastewater industry leaders in Texas and throughout the United States have expressed concern over high rates of retirement eligibility and difficulties finding and attracting workers ready to fill job openings, especially for work in smaller systems. In late January 2018, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report on water workforce readiness and a bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate to establish a water infrastructure workforce development program. Concern over existing education of workers in water and demographic information projecting future workforce readiness are commonly cited as signaling a coming crisis for the water industry. An alignment of post-secondary training and industry needs is recommended to meet coming workforce employment requirements for Texas and the nation. A model post-secondary education pathway for water science and technology is described to support water workforce readiness.
Citation: Rosen RA, Cifuentes LA, Fischer J, Marquise H, Tracy JC. 2018. Water security for Texas: a post-secondary education pathway for water workforce readiness. Texas Water Journal. 9(1):120-128. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7078
Texas’ water quality challenge and the need for better communication in an era of increasing water quality contamination events
No full textAs Texas cities experience an increase in incidents associated with water quality contamination, the need for publiceducation and engagement increases. The discussion in this paper identifies, based on publicly available data, three of the most common incidents in Texas related to drinking water and environmental contamination: boil water notices (BWNs), sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), and lead in drinking water. Trends observed from 2011 to 2016 indicate a sharp upward increase in the incidents of such events. Increased frequency of incidents that threaten water quality often erodes public trust in the city and utility, thus making it more difficult in the long term to get public support for increased investment in water and wastewater infrastructure. The recommendations in this study focus on how to manage communications when events associated with water quality create a public relations challenge for city and utility leaders.
Citation: Mulki S, Rubinstein C, Saletta J. 2018. Texas\u27 water quality challenge and the need for better communication in an era of increasing water quality contamination events. Texas Water Journal. 9(1):108-119. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7059
Book review: The international law of transboundary groundwater resources
No full textCitation: Sanchez R. 2018. Book review: the international law of transboundary groundwater resources. Texas Water Journal. 9(1):16-17. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7076
Surface water-groundwater interaction issues in Texas
No full textIn Texas, surface water is owned and regulated by the State of Texas, whereas groundwater is owned by respective property owners under the rule of capture. Owners of surface water rights, issued by the state, and groundwater may use and sell their water as a private property right. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality administers surface water rights, while groundwater conservation districts (where they exist) are primarily responsible for permitting groundwater use. This paper focuses on the complexity of both systems that are designed to manage water resources differently with specific emphasis on where surface water and groundwater interact. Surface water-groundwater interactions have contributed to disputes over the actual ownership and right to water. The available science and the limitations of the models currently used to make water availability and permitting determinations are discussed, as are the investments in field data gathering and interpretation and model enhancements that can lead to better assessments of surface water-groundwater interactions and impacts. More complete science and enhanced models may also help reduce the timeline associated with the permitting of future water supply and use strategies.
Citation: Young SC, Mace RE, Rubinstein C. 2018. Surface water-groundwater interaction issues in Texas. Texas Water Journal. 9(1):129-149. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7084
Economic valuation of groundwater in Texas
No full textGroundwater is a strategic economic asset, and recent Texas Supreme Court decisions have strengthened private ownership rights in groundwater. Despite the economic and political stakes, debate on how to actually value groundwater has been sparse. In response, this article sets forth seven methods of economically valuing groundwater in Texas and uses case studies and hypotheticals informed by real data to assess the valuation techniques’ strengths and weaknesses under a range of conditions. In addition, the analysis shows how in practice, multiple valuation methods can be combined to render the most credible valuation range for a particular groundwater asset. Readers will also see how to marshal a wide range of publicly available data resources—including actual water sale and lease contracts—and analytically mesh them to arrive at a defensible valuation range for water assets under various conditions. These methods can help value water more accurately, create opportunities for unlocking additional economic value, and help manage groundwater resources more effectively for the benefit of future generations.
Citation: Collins GB. 2018. Economic valuation of groundwater in Texas. Texas Water Journal. 9(1):50-68. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7068
Effects of the Rincon Bayou Pipeline on salinity in the upper Nueces Delta
No full textA pipeline to pump water from the Nueces River to the upper delta at Rincon Bayou was constructed to mitigate the reduction of inflow from impoundments. Pumping has restored ecological function to the Nueces Estuary by increasing inflow and decreasing salinity, and transitioned the marsh into a positive estuary (lower salinities upstream increasing downstream towards the bay). Pumping has decreased the occurrences of salinities greater than 35 practical salinity units during drought conditions; however the current pumping regime causes a disturbed environment by creating extreme fluctuations in salinities in a very short time period. Immediately after pumping salinity fluctuations at the pumping outfall commence from hypersaline to fresh. When pumping ceases, salinity fluctuates from fresh to hypersaline until the next pumping event. Pumping often occurs during rainfall and flooding events when reservoir levels meet certain capacities that trigger pass-through requirements. This strategy provides inflow when it is not needed, and inhibits pumping during drought conditions when inflow is needed to maintain the quality of the estuarine ecosystem. While the current pumping regime has restored estuary conditions to Rincon Bayou by increasing inflow and decreasing salinity, it also causes extreme fluctuations in salinity that act as a disturbance. A lower magnitude, longer duration pumping strategy would create a more stable environment by providing freshwater continuously and would be an improved hydrological restoration strategy.
Citation: Del Rosario EA, Montagna PA. 2018. Effects of the Rincon Bayou Pipeline on salinity in the upper Nueces Delta. Texas Water Journal. 9(1):30-49. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7042
Peak flow trends highlight emerging urban flooding hotspots in Texas
No full textIn the aftermath of flooding disasters, a temptation is to pursue recovery while also dismissing the event as unlikely to recur. Is it possible that underlying streamflow trends, which often avoid detection, help explain individual flooding episodes and should influence future expectations? How do impoundments (dams) affect these trends? Our study provides a comparative analysis to answer these key questions that help determine whether flood planning will be successful. Examining the 25 largest Texas metropolitan areas, we assessed peak flow trends for stream gages having at least 25 years of data. Of 181 total gages, 34 (18.8%) exhibited significant upward trends. Over 85% of those with upward trends are located in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (17.6%) and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (67.6%) areas. Approximately 62% of gages with upward trends are in Harris County. Among 84 sites impacted by impoundment, 11 (13.1%) still exhibited upward trends. These findings show that increasing peak flows underlie recent flooding in some areas, spotlighting streams in greatest need of examination. Increasing peak flows in some locations even after impoundment suggest dams might not be a complete solution. Finally, maintaining a robust monitoring network is critical to flood planning, and analysis is hampered when data are lacking.
Citation: Berg MD. 2018. Peak flow trends highlight emerging urban flooding hotspots in Texas. Texas Water Journal. 9(1):18-29. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7068
San Antonio’s Edwards Aquifer Protection Program: Review and Analysis
No full textThe City of San Antonio’s Edwards Aquifer Protection Program utilizes land and conservation easement acquisitions to protect the quality and quantity of Edwards Aquifer recharge. This review considers four key components of its viability: (1) establishing and sustaining public appreciation of the need for the policy, (2) choosing the appropriate policy mechanism to address the problem, (3) establishing clear justifications for prioritization of purchases that prevent mission drift, and (4) demonstrating the program’s impact and effectiveness.
Overall, the analysis concludes that the program has been well adapted to the city’s need to protect the recharge and contributing zones beyond its regulatory jurisdiction. As such, it may serve as a significant model for other cities, particularly in Texas, where regulations may face legal and cultural resistance. The city has effectively educated the public on the value of this sales tax funded measure, even though some justification of its premises, such as inevitable development in western counties, remains subjective. A strong foundation is also evident, with a consistent focus on acquiring land that fits the original, narrow intent of the effort. An impediment to its continuation, however, may be the difficulty of presenting clear evidence of its success, a challenge for all policies designed to avert future harms to natural resources.
Citation: Romero FS. San Antonio\u27s Edwards Aquifer Protection Program: Review and Analysis. Texas Water Journal. 9(1):1-15. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7063
Systems-level thermodynamic and economic analysis of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant integrated with a combined cycle power plant
No full textThis study includes thermodynamic and economic analyses of a seawater reverse osmosis (RO) plant integrated with a small-scale combined cycle natural gas (CCGT) plant ranging from 36–71 megawatts (MW). These analyses model electricity produced by the CCGT plant as power for the RO plant or for sale to the power grid. These analyses consider the coolant flow rate, carbon intensity, and capital and operating costs of the CCGT plant. For a case where the RO plant is sized according to the rated capacity of the CCGT plant, the maximum flow rate of coolant for the CCGT plant is only 8–10% of the total rate of seawater intake for the RO plant. Thus, no additional intake capacity is needed for the CCGT plant. The carbon intensity of the CCGT plant varies from 802-885 pounds per megawatt-hour (lb/MWh) compared to an average carbon intensity of 1285 lb/MWh for the Texas power grid. The economics of the integrated facility are evaluated using a levelized cost of water (LCOW) framework, which accounts for the capital cost associated with the CCGT plant and electricity sales to the grid. Results indicate that integrating an RO plant with a CCGT plant reduces LCOW by 8–10% compared to an RO plant powered by electricity from the Texas power grid.
Citation: Reimers AS, Webber ME. 2018. Systems-level thermodynamic and economic analysis of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant integrated with a combined cycle power plant. Texas Water Journal. 9(1):82-95. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v9i1.7065
Seasonal changes of groundwater quality in the Ogallala Aquifer
No full textThe Ogallala Aquifer extends beneath eight states in the Great Plains region of North America. It stretches from Texas to South Dakota and is among the largest aquifers in the world. In Texas, extraction of groundwater, primarily for cropland irrigation, far exceeds recharge resulting in a significant decline of the water table. In the Texas High Plains, this decline prompted restrictions set by a local water conservation agency in 2009 stating that in 50 years about 50% of the saturated thickness of the Ogallala Aquifer should be preserved. However, this restriction only addressed the quantity and not the quality of the remaining water. The quality of water extracted from the Ogallala Aquifer has been observed to change over time, especially over the length of a crop’s growing season. We measured water quality over a three-year period using an electrical conductivity sensor and measured depth to water at 20 locations across five counties in the Texas High Plains. Results show that when wells are actively pumping, water quality can change in complex and unpredictable ways. In some cases, water quality declined and in others water quality improved. This result has prompted us to further investigate the mechanisms involved in observed seasonal water quality changes