desalination: regulatory perspectives, stacey steinbach, tagd
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Desalination: Regulatory Issues and Perspectives
Stacey A. Steinbach
Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts
Texas Desal 2013
September 13, 2013
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
texasgroundwater.org
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Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
texasgroundwater.org
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texasgroundwater.org
GCD Snapshot
Current Regulatory Framework
Session Wrap Up and Beyond
Starting Point: Rule of Capture • Adopted as Texas law in 1904 East decision • Landowners have right to capture an unlimited
amount of groundwater beneath their property • Called “law of non-liability” and “law of the
biggest pump” • Provides little certainty and protection
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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GCD Balancing Test
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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Conservation, preservation, protection, recharging and
prevention of waste of groundwater and control of
subsidence
Highest practicable level of groundwater
production
History of GCDs • 1917: Conservation Amendment to Texas
Constitution (Article XVI, Section 59) • 1949: Statutory framework for creation of GCDs • 1997: GCDs are the “State’s preferred method of
groundwater management” (SB 1) • 2013: 97 confirmed GCDs; 4 awaiting
confirmation; 2 subsidence districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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Source: John Dupnik, BSEACD
New GCDs (83rd Lege) • Revived GCD: Calhoun County GCD • New GCDs:
– Reeves County GCD – Deep East Texas GCD (Shelby, San
Augustine, and Sabine Counties)
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
texasgroundwater.org
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Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
texasgroundwater.org
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GCD Snapshot
Current Regulatory Framework
Session Wrap Up and Beyond
“Groundwater” • Current definition: water percolating below
surface of the earth • 1994 definition (Chapter 52): water
percolating below the surface of the earth and that is suitable for agricultural, gardening, domestic, or stock raising purposes...
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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GCDs and Brackish Groundwater • GCDs are currently issuing permits for
brackish groundwater production • Distinction of groundwater based specifically
on TDS level not common (but may be appropriate in some GCDs)
• DFC-based groundwater models generally do not distinguish groundwater based on TDS level (but can)
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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GCDs and Brackish Groundwater GCDs can still incentivize production of high-TDS or unutilized groundwater through rules 1. Adopt different DFCs for distinct brackish
groundwater zones and work with TWDB to develop a MAG for those zones
2. Develop, through rulemaking, management zones for these areas and authorize greater production than in freshwater areas
Example: BSEACD
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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36.117(d) – Management Zones For better management of the groundwater resources located in a GCD or if a GCD determines that conditions in or use of an aquifer differ substantially from one geographic area of the GCD to another, the GCD may adopt different rules for: 1. each aquifer, subdivision of an aquifer, or geologic
strata located in whole or in part within the boundaries of the GCD; or
2. each geographic area overlying an aquifer or subdivision of an aquifer located in whole or in part within the boundaries of the GCD.
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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GCD Snapshot
Current Regulatory Framework
Session Wrap Up and Beyond
Common Goals • Provide more certainty • Encourage use of currently
unutilized/undesirable groundwater • Ensure protection of current and
future sources of groundwater
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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TAGD’s Additional Goals • No one-size-fits-all approach • Ensure groundwater ownership
implications are considered • Focus on hydrological connection
to currently utilized groundwater, not TDS level
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
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Desalination Legislation
• All or most water in some GCDs considered brackish
• Groundwater salinity falls on a continuum
• Implies brackish groundwater not worthy of protection
• Most MAGs do not distinguish based on TDS
• How to determine TDS? • Who determines TDS? • What if the TDS changes? • “Desirability” or “usability”
of water is not based solely on TDS
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
texasgroundwater.org
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Brackish Groundwater ≠ TDS Level
469.5
443
1199
2268
297
384
1240
262
1010.5
557
2353
699
1260
293.5
715
627
373
305
277
234.5
1451
758
339
470
285
437
555
303
379
351
833
341
316.5
1177
313
1022
425
539
409
596
334
460
450
797387
987
225
332
547
212
416
676
312.5
440
509
354422
317.5
358.5
879
1169
510
443
400
640
753
1703
241
569
643
425
537
127
129
610
615
808
270
1308
782
1526
616 520
383
386
336
2282
808
686
1043
353.5
293
517
902
352
914
450
994
306
333
463
317
534
624
298
770
904
585 995
387
749
563
695 802
369
540
872
468
478
1431
1144
576
773
373
1793
856
1502.5
866
515
470
304
832
564
971
1133
526
1646.5
376
792
424
2855
1471
809
560
421
990411.5
1116
585
255.5
1068
1100
1173
695
541.5
749
458
642
1434
756
2766
240
1190
228
2682
518.5
3162
2518
26221000
421.5
386
2695
1045
398
436.5
647.5
182.5
107.5
333.5
1089
509
193.5
379.5
328.5
324
300.5
327.5
331.5
443.5
376.5
438.5
950.5
420
297.5
781.5
1140
449.5
444.5
336.5
422.5 879.5
223.5
305.5
322.5
320.5
880.5
284
681
1248.5432
333
1294
575.5 527.5
1160.5505.5
592
593.5
408.5
3083
1205
2559
747.5
1171.5
310
1646.5
1058.5
2390
659.5
1019.5
1091.5
2603.5
1242
1036.5
2388.5
445
667.5
1043.5
552.5
504
234
725
681.5
320.5
312
643
534
336399
184
273
398
173.5
´0 100 20050
Miles
Median Recorded TDS Values in Groundwater Wells
Data Source:Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Groundwater Database,using non-plugged/destroyed wells with a "Withdrawal of Water" well type.
Median TDS (mg/L) by County
500 - 1000
< 500
1000 - 3000
> 3000
CSHB 2578 • “Brackish Groundwater Production Zones”
– Identified by TWDB with GCD/stakeholder input – Must be “sufficiently separated” from groundwater
currently used for water supply • 30-year permit terms • Unlimited production unless evidence of
impacts; must get report from TWDB first
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
texasgroundwater.org
texasgroundwater.org
texasgroundwater.org
What Next? • Science, Education, and Science • GCDs: conduct water quality sampling
and address desal in rules, where applicable
• Users: talk to your GCD • Desal stakeholder groups (TWCA, Texas
Desal Association) • Interim Studies
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
texasgroundwater.org
texasgroundwater.org
texasgroundwater.org
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
Texas Alliance OfGroundwater Districts
texasgroundwater.org
texasgroundwater.org
texasgroundwater.org
Questions?
Stacey A. Steinbach stacey@texasgroundwater.org
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