what will you drink if the lakes run dry? · what will you drink if the lakes run dry? a...

What Will You What Will You Drink if the Drink if the Lakes Run Lakes Run

Dry?Dry?

A Presentation toA Presentation toResidents of Burnet CountyResidents of Burnet County

August 18, 2012August 18, 2012

byby: : D. Lauren Ross, Ph. D., P. E.D. Lauren Ross, Ph. D., P. E.Glenrose Engineering, Inc.Glenrose Engineering, Inc.512.326.8880512.326.8880glenrose.comglenrose.com

LCRA Water Management PlanLCRA Water Management Plan

•• Firm WaterFirm Water: : Promised to water Promised to water users and to meet users and to meet environmental environmental environmental environmental needs during a needs during a repeat of Drought repeat of Drought of Record of Record conditionsconditions

LCRA Water Management PlanLCRA Water Management Plan

•• Interruptible Interruptible WaterWater: Can : Can be curtailed or be curtailed or cut off during cut off during cut off during cut off during droughtdrought

LCRA Water Management PlanLCRA Water Management Plan

•• Combined Combined Firm YieldFirm Yield: : Amount of Amount of Water Water Water Water available from available from Lakes Lakes Buchanan and Buchanan and Travis for Firm Travis for Firm Water Water CustomersCustomers

An Acre Foot is:An Acre Foot is:

Or 326,000 gallons

Water for CoalWater for Coal--Fired Electrical Generation in Fired Electrical Generation in Texas:Texas:

Essential to the ProcessEssential to the Process

Texas Water Demand With Texas Water Demand With Global WarmingGlobal Warming

Key PointsKey Points•• Existing LCRA Firm Water Contracts exceed Existing LCRA Firm Water Contracts exceed

Combined Firm YieldCombined Firm Yield•• RunRun--0f0f--River during drought is unreliableRiver during drought is unreliable•• Electricity generation with coal uses more Electricity generation with coal uses more

water than natural gas or renewableswater than natural gas or renewableswater than natural gas or renewableswater than natural gas or renewables•• With global warming or carbon sequestration, With global warming or carbon sequestration,

water demands increasewater demands increase•• LCRA can improve water efficiency and LCRA can improve water efficiency and

reliability by denying water contracts for new reliability by denying water contracts for new coal plants and converting existing plants to coal plants and converting existing plants to more water efficient technologiesmore water efficient technologies