DESALINATIONDESALINATION

How Critical Is It for the State How Critical Is It for the State to Develop Seawater to Develop Seawater

Desalination Supplies?Desalination Supplies?

BILL WESTBILL WEST

GBRA, General ManagerGBRA, General Manager

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Some Factors Affecting Some Factors Affecting Desal Development in TexasDesal Development in Texas

Difficulty protecting existing water rightsDifficulty protecting existing water rights

Difficulty developing new suppliesDifficulty developing new supplies

Pitfalls of both surface and groundwaterPitfalls of both surface and groundwater

EARIP and Whooping Crane LawsuitEARIP and Whooping Crane Lawsuit

Potential Mussel ListingsPotential Mussel Listings

Seawater Desalination Costs/IssuesSeawater Desalination Costs/Issues

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Difficulty Protecting Difficulty Protecting Existing Water RightsExisting Water Rights

Challenges facing the LegislatureChallenges facing the Legislature

Every new lawsuit threatens existing water Every new lawsuit threatens existing water rightsrights

Population demand centers versus water Population demand centers versus water supply locationssupply locations

Business development needs versus water Business development needs versus water rights holdersrights holders

Difficulty Developing New Water Difficulty Developing New Water SuppliesSupplies

Example: REGION L (20½ Example: REGION L (20½ counties)counties) Note:

Last major water supply project completed in Region L was Canyon Reservoir (1964).

Last major water reservoir completed in Texas was Jim Chapman Reservoir (1991). Capacity of 260,000 ac/ft.

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Difficulty Developing New Difficulty Developing New SuppliesSupplies

Region LRegion L●Water Management Strategies (WMS) w/ Est. Firm YieldWater Management Strategies (WMS) w/ Est. Firm Yield

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ConservationConservation

Wimberley Woodcreek Proj.Wimberley Woodcreek Proj. 4,4804,480 4,4804,480 4,4804,480 4,4804,480 4,4804,480 4,4804,480

Simsboro Proj.Simsboro Proj. 30,00030,000 30,00030,000 30,00030,000 50,00050,000 50,00050,000

Reg. Carrizo Proj. for BasinReg. Carrizo Proj. for Basin 25,00025,000 25,00025,000 25,00025,000 25,00025,000 25,00025,000

GBRA Mid-Basin Conj. UseGBRA Mid-Basin Conj. Use

GBRA Mid Basin (surface)GBRA Mid Basin (surface)

Recommended WMSRecommended WMS Year (acre-feet)Year (acre-feet) 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 20602010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060

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Difficulty Developing New Difficulty Developing New SuppliesSupplies

Region LRegion L●Water Management Strategies (WMS) w/ Est. Firm YieldWater Management Strategies (WMS) w/ Est. Firm Yield

LGWSP for GBRA UpstreamLGWSP for GBRA Upstream 60,00060,000 60,00060,000 60,00060,000 60,00060,000 60,00060,000

LGWSP for GBRA UpstreamLGWSP for GBRA Upstream

(reduced – w/o Exelon)(reduced – w/o Exelon)35,00035,000 35,00035,000 35,00035,000 35,00035,000 35,00035,000

WMS Needing WMS Needing

Further Study:Further Study: Storage Above CanyonStorage Above Canyon

Brush Mgmt Above CanyonBrush Mgmt Above Canyon

Seawater Desal for Region LSeawater Desal for Region L

Alternative WMSAlternative WMS Year (acre-feet)Year (acre-feet) 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 20602010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060

Difficulty Developing New Difficulty Developing New SuppliesSupplies

●Simsboro Project – Issues:Simsboro Project – Issues: Groundwater DistrictsGroundwater Districts Lease Contracts, etc…Lease Contracts, etc… Costs Associated with DeliveryCosts Associated with Delivery

●Carrizo Project – Issues:Carrizo Project – Issues: Groundwater DistrictsGroundwater Districts LawsuitsLawsuits Costs Associated with DeliveryCosts Associated with Delivery

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Pitfalls of Surface Water Pitfalls of Surface Water and Groundwaterand Groundwater

Surface WaterSurface Water●Difficulty obtaining permitsDifficulty obtaining permits●Difficulty securing reservoir sitesDifficulty securing reservoir sites● Issues associated with location of supplies Issues associated with location of supplies

and population demand centers and population demand centers GroundwaterGroundwater

●Difficulty obtaining permitsDifficulty obtaining permits●Brackish groundwater as controversial as Brackish groundwater as controversial as

freshfresh● EAA versus Day – TX Supreme CourtEAA versus Day – TX Supreme Court●DFCsDFCs

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Who’s Water Is It?Who’s Water Is It?●ReuseReuse●Surface WaterSurface Water●GroundwaterGroundwater●ASRASR

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Pitfalls of Surface Water Pitfalls of Surface Water and Groundwaterand Groundwater

EARIP and Whooper LawsuitEARIP and Whooper Lawsuit

The Texas Legislature created a The Texas Legislature created a Recovery Recovery Implementation ProgramImplementation Program in May 2007 in May 2007 under Senate Bill 3 – This is a process under Senate Bill 3 – This is a process under the ESA that brings together under the ESA that brings together federal, state, and private stakeholders to federal, state, and private stakeholders to work together to improve water work together to improve water management and recover endangered management and recover endangered species. Deadline to resolve the Edwards species. Deadline to resolve the Edwards Aquifer RIP is Aquifer RIP is December 2012December 2012..

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EARIP – Why all the fuss?EARIP – Why all the fuss?●Ensuring existence of at least 7 species Ensuring existence of at least 7 species

designated as endangered under the ESAdesignated as endangered under the ESA●Maintaining flow at Comal and San Marcos Maintaining flow at Comal and San Marcos

springs during times of droughtsprings during times of drought●During droughts, flows from those springs are During droughts, flows from those springs are

80% of the source of Guadalupe flows in 80% of the source of Guadalupe flows in VictoriaVictoria

●Almost 2 million people in the San Antonio Almost 2 million people in the San Antonio area get about 95% of their water from the area get about 95% of their water from the Edwards. Edwards.

●Major swaths of the economy along the I-35 Major swaths of the economy along the I-35 Corridor is connected to the Guadalupe and Corridor is connected to the Guadalupe and springflows at Comal and San Marcos springsspringflows at Comal and San Marcos springs

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EARIP and Whooper LawsuitEARIP and Whooper Lawsuit

Whooping Crane Lawsuit: The Aransas Project Whooping Crane Lawsuit: The Aransas Project (TAP) vs. Shaw (TCEQ)(TAP) vs. Shaw (TCEQ)●Claims that diversions of State fresh water Claims that diversions of State fresh water

have resulted in “takes” of Whooping Craneshave resulted in “takes” of Whooping Cranes

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EARIP and Whooper LawsuitEARIP and Whooper Lawsuit

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Lawsuit – Potential Consequences?Lawsuit – Potential Consequences?● Seeks injunction barring TCEQ from approving Seeks injunction barring TCEQ from approving

new water rights permits and seeks new water rights permits and seeks preemption of State water rights by Federal preemption of State water rights by Federal law law (2 pending permits on Guadalupe)(2 pending permits on Guadalupe)

● Overturn the State’s water rights regulatory Overturn the State’s water rights regulatory process, and reduce or cancel existing water process, and reduce or cancel existing water rights for municipal, industrial, and agricultural rights for municipal, industrial, and agricultural usersusers

● Derail the EARIP and conflict with E-flows Derail the EARIP and conflict with E-flows processprocess

● Stall or halt new economic developmentStall or halt new economic development

EARIP and Whooper LawsuitEARIP and Whooper Lawsuit

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Lawsuit – Other Factors …Lawsuit – Other Factors …● U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is

considering nine species of mussels considering nine species of mussels for listing under the ESA, and is being for listing under the ESA, and is being sued by WildEarth Guardians to act. sued by WildEarth Guardians to act. Collectively, the mussels are found in Collectively, the mussels are found in almost every major river basin in almost every major river basin in Texas. So, the same legal logic in the Texas. So, the same legal logic in the whooper suit could be used on any whooper suit could be used on any other Texas river where there are other Texas river where there are endangered species.endangered species.

EARIP and Whooper EARIP and Whooper LawsuitLawsuit

Seawater Desal Costs / Seawater Desal Costs / IssuesIssues

● In Saudi Arabia, the practicality of constructing In Saudi Arabia, the practicality of constructing desalination plants to extract salt and other desalination plants to extract salt and other minerals from sea water became a necessity, and minerals from sea water became a necessity, and 27 plants have been constructed there, supplying 27 plants have been constructed there, supplying 70% of the country’s drinking70% of the country’s drinking water and more water and more than than 28 million megawatts of electricity28 million megawatts of electricity. .

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Note: Supposed to be world’s largest plant in the Eastern Province. Costs $3.8 billion in U.S. dollars.

Carries fresh water to Saudi cities using 2,500 miles of water pipes.

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Seawater Desal Costs / Seawater Desal Costs / IssuesIssues

Are construction costs too excessive?Are construction costs too excessive?

Are costs to the end-user acceptable?Are costs to the end-user acceptable?

Are there acceptable ways to dispose of the Are there acceptable ways to dispose of the brine?brine?

Long-term economical power supply is a Long-term economical power supply is a major requirement.major requirement.

What happens when another Deepwater What happens when another Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurs?Horizon oil spill occurs?

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DESALINATIONDESALINATIONIN TEXASIN TEXAS

Due to the many obstacles to develop either Due to the many obstacles to develop either surface or ground water projects, new surface or ground water projects, new economic development in Texas is in economic development in Texas is in jeopardy. jeopardy.

How Critical Is It for the State to Develop How Critical Is It for the State to Develop Seawater Desalination Supplies?Seawater Desalination Supplies?●Very CriticalVery Critical

But the more relevant question may be …But the more relevant question may be …●Will the state help permit and finance the Will the state help permit and finance the

infrastructure for seawater desalination infrastructure for seawater desalination projectsprojects??