Austin, Texas

March 5, 2015

The Future is Now:The Rapidly Evolving

Landscape of ASR in Texas

Texas Water Conservation Association71st Annual Convention

Bill Mullican, P.G.CDM Smith

$5.5 Billion

How much

funding was

requested in the

first round of

SWIFT?

1,000,001

According to a recent

TWCA survey, how

many water

professionals helped

draft Senate Bill 1 in

1997?

326,588

acre-feet

What was the net

cumulative

evaporation loss at

Lake Ray Roberts from

2009 – 2013?

130+

How many Aquifer

Storage and

Recovery (ASR)

projects are active in

the US today?

3

How many Aquifer

Storage and

Recovery (ASR)

projects are active in

the Texas today?

14

Introduce and emphasize that the concept of aquifer storage and recovery is a

potentially viable near-termwater management strategy

for Texas

Today’s Objective

15

16

0

5,000,000

10,000,000

15,000,000

20,000,000

25,000,000

2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060

Demand

Supply

Projected Water Demand & Existing Supplies2012 Texas Water Plan (Acre-Feet Per Year)

17

What is ASR & What is it Used For?

• Aquifer Storage and Recovery is used to inject, store, and later recover water when it is needed.

• Sources of supply for ASR– Untreated, partially treated, and

finished surface water

– Raw and finished groundwater

– Reclaimed water

• There are over 130 ASR projects in operation in the U.S.

• There are only 3 in Texas.

18

CDM Smith and ASR – Coast to Coast

19

1954-1957

20

Texas Water Development Board

1968 State Water Plan

21

ASR Well Operation – Injection

Mixing

Zone

Mixing

Zone

WATER QUALITY

(<250 mg/L Cl)

22

ASR Well Operation – Recovery

Mixing

Zone

Mixing

Zone

WATER QUALITY

(<250 mg/L Cl)

23

Potential ASR Objectives / Benefits

• Evaporation management

• Seasonal storage

• Long term storage (banking)

• Emergency storage / supply

• Reclaimed water storage for reuse

• Defer expansion of water facilities

• Environmental flows / ecosystem maintenance

• Diurnal storage / peak demand management

• Disinfection removal

• Restoration of groundwater levels

• Control subsidence

• Maintain distribution pressures

Modified after Pyne (2014)

24

Net Evaporation From Selected Texas Reservoirs 2009 – 2013

25

ASR System Can Be Used Very Effectively In Combination With Surface Water Resources

• The combination allows for operation of reservoirs at lower levels to capture peak flows and transfer them to ASR storage, recovering the water when needed

• Affords greater protection to public safety and the quality of the stored water

26

History of Legislation Related to Aquifer Storage and Recovery Projects in Texas

• The last time the Texas Legislature passed legislation affecting the implementation of ASR project...

27

House Bill 1989Passed by Texas Legislature in 1995

• First legislation enacted in Texas addressing implementation, regulation, and permitting of ASR projects.

• Result of issues related to implementation of Kerrville ASR project.– As such, issues addressed were very narrowly

focused on challenges encountered during Kerrville ASR project development.

28

ASR in Texas 1995 - 2007

29

Current ASR Operations in Texas

30

TWDB ASR Study 2009 – 2011

31

16 Years Later – HB 3013Considered by Texas Legislature in 2013

• Primary Author/Sponsor: Representative Lyle Larson

• Filed March 18, 2013

• Voted favorably out of HNRC April 26, 2013

• Passed in the House of Representatives May 10, 2013– 140/0/2

• Referred to SNRC May 10, 2013

• Sine die May 27, 2013

32

TWCA Groundwater Panel – ASR Subcommittee

• Groundwater Panel – 60+ members

• ASR Subcommittee – 26 members

33

TWCA ASR Recommendations Summary

• Clarify that no additional surface water right amendment is needed to store appropriated surface water in an ASR project prior to beneficial use, so long as the surface water is otherwise diverted and used in accordance with the terms of the water right.

• Establish that TCEQ has exclusive jurisdiction over injection wells for ASR projects. TCEQ to authorize by rule, general permit, or individual permit.

34

TWCA ASR Recommendations Summary

• TCEQ to consider whether the applicant demonstrated:– (1) that the injection of the water will comply with standards set forth

under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act;

– (2) the extent to which the cumulative volume of water injected for storage in the receiving geologic formation can be successfully recovered from the geologic formation for beneficial use, taking into account that injected water may be commingled to some degree with groundwater native to the receiving geologic formation;

– (3) the extent to which existing water wells may be impacted by the ASR project; and

– (4) the potential for groundwater quality degradation.

35

TWCA ASR Recommendations Summary

• TCEQ must limit the amount recovered to the amount injected, and will further limit the amount that can be recovered if there will be losses that are unrecoverable.

• GCDs get notice of individual permit applications.

• TCEQ by rule shall adopt well construction, completion, metering, and reporting requirements.

• ASR project must report total injected and recovered amounts monthly to TCEQ and the GCD. TCEQ shall require annual water quality testing of injected water and recovered water, and testing results are provided to TCEQ and the GCD.

36

TWCA ASR Recommendations Summary

• ASR wells must be registered with the GCD, and pay any GCD registration fees.

• If the ASR project produces more than it injects, so that it is producing native groundwater, the GCD’s spacing, production, and permitting rules apply to the ASR project’s production of native groundwater. A GCD’s production fees and transport fees would also apply to production of such native groundwater.

• GCDs may consider hydrogeologic conditions related to the injection and recovery of water in an ASR project in planning for and monitoring their achievement of an applicable desired future condition for an aquifer where an ASR project is located.

37

TWCA ASR Recommendations Summary

• The new legislation will not impact the ability to regulate ASR projects under the enabling acts of the EAA, the Subsidence districts, and the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District.

• Provides that TCEQ shall not adopt or enforce groundwater quality protection standards for the quality of water injected in an ASR injection well that are more stringent than applicable federal standards.

• Provides that TCEQ will adopt rules to implement the new legislation by May 1, 2016.

38

Current Status

• Representative Larson has filed House Bill 655 (the TWCA ASR Draft Bill) , which has been referred to House Natural Resources Committee.

• Draft TWCA ASR Bill has been provided to Chairman Perry and the Senate Natural Resources Committee

39

Comparison of Water Supplies to Meet Needs1997 Texas Water Plan

40

Recommended Water Management Strategies2012 Texas Water Plan

41

Recommended Water Management Strategies2022 Texas Water Plan

Thank you!

Questions?