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Alternatives to the Edwards Aquifer Citizens of San Antonio have always been very proud of the fact that for many decades their entire municipal supply of water was pure, clean groundwater derived from the Edwards aquifer. No other large city could make that claim. Today San Antonio receives small amounts from other sources, and many regard any other water as "not as good". However, modern treatment methods can produce water that many people elsewhere would consider superior. Edwards water is very hard and is famous for producing a thick scale that quickly ruins water heaters and fixtures. More soap is required to clean things, and lots of people prefer the taste of softer water to Edwards water. Regardless of what people may like or dislike about Edwards water, the supply is now limited by law. So if San Antonio and the surrounding region is to continue to grow, then it is necessary for water users of the region to make big decisions and long-term commitments about developing new water resource alternatives. What are they? What do they involve? Who do they affect? What are the pros and cons? How much will it cost? This section lists and discusses many of the various alternatives being studied and proposed by regional water purveyors and entities. There are also a few things that can be done to increase or better manage the Edwards supply, such as using recycled water, conservation, managing brush, and building recharge dams. These will be discussed here as well. A Little Background.... In decades past, San Antonio was a world-leading pioneer in developing and managing water resources. The large scale use of recycled water for cooling electrical generating plants was first accomplished here (see section on Using Recycled Water), and San Antonio's desire to participate in the Canyon Lake project in the 1950's also illustrates that it had vision and leadership and a commitment to broadening and diversifying its water resources. However, back then, the Texas courts told San Antonio it didn't need water from elsewhere because it had not fully exploited the resources in its own river basin, including the Edwards aquifer (see the Canyon Lake story). For decades, water resource development languished and San Antonio got a reputation as a do-nothing city. In December 1996 State legislator Ron Lewis urged the State to take the lead in addressing San Antonio's future water needs, saying the city lacked the political will to do it on it's own (1). Again in 1997, senators on the State's Natural Resources Committee sharply criticized San Antonio for neglecting water issues. They said San Antonio lacked foresight and was not willing to belly up to the bar (2). All this has changed and San Antonio has once again emerged as a world-leading pioneer in developing and managing water resources. In 1996 Mayor Bill Thornton formed a Citizens Committee on Water Policy and charged them with recommending a long term strategy for the San Antonio area. Their report urged that people recognize the complexity of the problem, and it outlined many possible solutions such as weather modification, aquifer optimization, and reusing water. From 1996 to 1998, the San Antonio Water System held 61 public meetings, worked closely with the public and all interested parties, built on the Citizen's Committee recommendations, and developed a 50-year water plan that was approved by City Council in November of that year. It contained a wide range of policies and options including a Canyon Lake pipeline, recycling water, increased water rates, conservation, aquifer storage and recovery systems, and eventual construction of new reservoirs.
The flash-point, however, was the controversial Carrizo Aquifer component of the plan. The Planning Group voted 13-7 to remove it from the plan. Fourteen votes were required for removal, however, and the element stayed in. Two weeks after the deadline, the Group eventually approved a plan and also voted to include a letter stating that not everyone agreed to everything in the plan. The State said the Group's work would not be included in the official State plan but that it would consider their recommendations. It also said that failure to have an approved plan from Region L would affect the Region's ability to get loans and grants from the State and that special waivers would be required. In February of 2009 SAWS proposed a revised approach that would involve planning for SAWS' service area only. The new plan includes a buying program for Edwards water rights and an expansion of the ASR project. It also includes recharge enhancement and evaluating recirculation, and a scaled-back brackish water desalination facility. A project to bring water from the Colorado River was left in the revised plan as a potential supply, although in January of 2009 the cost estimate for this project rose dramatically while water availability was cut to half the initial expectation. (9) SAWS' new plan acknowledges the extremely difficult regulatory environment surrounding groundwater supply efforts in Texas. In the last several years, there has been an explosion of Groundwater Conservation Districts that have the power to regulate and limit transfers of water to San Antonio. In pursuing projects like a regional Carrizo Aquifer supply and a multi-county desalination wellfield, SAWS has met stiff opposition from local landowners and districts who simply do not want any water to be transferred to San Antonio. On the other side of the coin, SAWS has a very serious responsibility to provide adequate water for a growing city of over one million people, and failure in this task is not an option. The Alternatives....
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Materials used to prepare this section: (1) "State urged to lead
S.A. to new water" San Antonio Express-News, December 13 1996. |
