what are the data gaps for developing brackish groundwater desalination resources in texas? bill...
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What are the data gaps for developing brackish groundwater desalination resources in Texas?
Bill Hutchison, Ph.D., P.E., P.G.
Director, Groundwater Resources
Texas Water Development Board
Texas Innovative Water 2010
October 11, 2010
What are the data gaps for developing brackish groundwater desalination resources in Texas?
• Aquifer characterization
• Integration of brackish groundwater and fresh groundwater management
• Data interpretation and integration (variety of “non-traditional” sources)
Topics
• Brackish groundwater occurrence Texas
• Current and projected use of brackish groundwater in Texas
• TWDB role in brackish groundwater development
~ 2.7 billion acre-feet of brackish groundwater
Current and Future Use of Brackish Water in Texas
• Groundwater– 32 Facilities– 66 million gallons per day capacity
• Surface Water– 12 facilities– 50 million gallons per day capacity
Future Use of Brackish Groundwater
• 2007 State Water Plan projections– 6 Regions– 175,000 AF/yr by 2060
• Brackish groundwater use in 2060 represents about 3% (volume) of 2060 “strategies”
TWDB and Brackish Groundwater
• 1959
• 1972
• 1973
Texas Legislature appropriated $20,000 to study scaling problems in desalination
TWDB Report 157, A survey of the subsurface saline waters of Texas
H. P. Burleigh, TWDB Executive Director, Testimony before Congress “Continued Federal Support of Desalination Research and Development”
TWDB and Brackish Groundwater
• 2003
• 2005, 2007, 2009
Brackish Groundwater Manual for Regional Water Planning Groups
Texas Legislature appropriates funds for brackish groundwater desalination demonstration projects
Summary of Demonstration Projects
• 12 projects– 3 completed
• Project cost total = $14 million
• TWDB participation = $2.5 million
BRACS (2009)
• TWDB requested and received funding to implement a Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System (BRACS) program
BRACS Goals and Objectives
• Assist regional water planning groups• Extend the 2003 TWDB study:
• Map aquifers to 10,000 mg/L TDS• Characterize aquifers• Build replicable numerical groundwater
flow models
BRACS Business Plan
• Pilot Project (18 months)• Develop a replicable protocol• Develop and execute a procurement
strategy for aquifer analysis
BRACS Pilot Project
• Test methods and procedures• Identify deficiencies in data• Provide estimate of time and resources to
complete evaluation• Demonstrate feasibility of BRACS
Pilot Area Selection Criteria
• Brackish groundwater desalination water management strategies in the regional water plans (2006 and 2011)
• Previous and ongoing aquifer studies• Brackish groundwater desalination projects• Geologic framework of aquifer• Data availability
Pilot Study Area Selection
• 15 Sites considered (10 regions)
• One “primary” selected– Pecos Valley Aquifer
• Two “alternatives”– Edwards-Trinity (High Plains)– Trinity/Woodbine Aquifers (Johnson County)
BRACS Data Types
• Drilling Records
• Geological and Hydrogeological Data
• Geophysical Well Logs
• GIS Shape Files
• Groundwater Models
• Groundwater Quality Data
Monument Draw Trough
HuecoBolson
~ 1.6 million acres~ 2,500 sq. mi.
HuecoBolson
~ 1.6 million acres~ 2,500 sq. mi.
BF
Airport Area
3-D Groundwater Quality Assessment (2002 & 2003)
• New data to characterize groundwater quality in Hueco Bolson
• Test drilling (EPWU)
• Shallow drilling (EPCWID)
• Downhole profiles (JMAS)
EPWU Test Drilling
EPCWID Shallow Wells
JMAS Downhole Profiles
Estimated Volume of Groundwater El Paso and Juarez Area (2002)
(Million AF)
Chloride(mg/l)
Groundwater Storage in the
El Paso Area (million AF)
Groundwater Storage in the
Juarez Area (million AF)
< 250 9.4 8.5
250-500 7.0 2.7
500-750 5.3 0.4
750-1000 4.6 0.7
> 1000 19.2 0.9
Total 45.5 13.2
JDF Monitoring Wells
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000
Distance from DMW -1 (ft)
2850
2900
2950
3000
3050
3100
3150
3200
3250
3300
3350
3400
Ele
vati
on
(ft
)
DMW -1 DMW -2 DMW -3 DMW -4 DMW -5 DMW -6 DMW -7 DMW -8
DMW Zone Sample Chloride Concentrations
Implications of Investigation
• Brackish groundwater is not a “new” source of water
• Need to integrate management of brackish and fresh groundwater
BF
Airport Area
Kay Bailey HutchisonDesalination Plant
Existing EPWU Wells
Rehabilitated Wells (3)
Redrilled Wells (13)
Connected to Collector Line
(4)
New Wells on Loop 375 (16)
Project Wells (36)
Plant
Groundwater Flow – w/o KBH
Groundwater Flow – w/ KBH
New BRACS Research
• Assessment of Groundwater Modeling Approaches to Brackish Aquifers
• Develop a bibliography of existing literature relevant to the Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System (BRACS) program
• Locate and Acquire Digital Geophysical Well Logs and Conduct Data Entry of Attributes
Summary
• Brackish groundwater use in Texas will increase in coming decades
• One major metropolitan area has integrated brackish groundwater into its supply portfolio (another area will implement it soon)
• TWDB is well positioned to provide technical support to current and future efforts
