TWCA 2009 Mid-Year Conference Groundwater Regulation Panel

The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is a publicly owned utility providing water, wastewater, and reclaimed water service to approximately 1.3 million people. San Antonio’s historic reliance on the Edwards Aquifer was curtailed in 1993 with adoption by the Texas Legislature of the Edwards Aquifer Act. The city must now develop new water supplies to meet future demand.

Groundwater Regulation Panel Water supply initiatives already successfully pursued by SAWS include: –Aggressive water conservation –Nation’s largest recycled water system –One of the nation’s largest aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) projects –Surface water from Canyon Lake –Trinity Aquifer groundwater from Bexar County (GMA 9) –Carrizo Aquifer groundwater from Bexar County (GMA 13)

Groundwater Regulation Panel New water supply initiatives being pursued by SAWS include: –Production and transportation of fresh Carrizo Aquifer groundwater from Gonzales County (GMA 13) –Production, transportation and desalination of brackish Wilcox Aquifer groundwater from Bexar, Atascosa, and Wilson Counties (GMA 13)

Groundwater Regulation Panel New SAWS water supply initiatives (cont.): –LCRA project, including groundwater component for local agricultural use in the Colorado River Basin (GMA 15) –Possible development of other groundwater sources to the west, north, or northeast of San Antonio (GMAs 7, 9, 10, 12 or ?) –Seawater desalination

Groundwater Regulation Panel Specific GMA/DFC issues being addressed: –Drawdown levels by aquifer and sub-aquifer –Point of measurement (well field v county average) –Aquifer and spring flow interaction –Consistency with regional plans –Apparent predilection by some GMAs for adoption of DFCs on a political, rather than hydrological, basis

Groundwater Regulation Panel Priority issues for SAWS: –Timely adoption by GMAs of reasonable DFCs that allow predictable and reliable development of essential new groundwater projects –Expansion of Texas Water Development Board’s appellate role in reviewing the reasonableness of DFCs adopted by GMAs

Impact of MAG determination: –Determination of managed available groundwater will be a key factor in the availability of permits from local groundwater districts for future groundwater production. –Groundwater production will in turn be a critical factor for the future of the State of Texas. –The importance of water for the state’s future suggests the need for a larger state role in management of the state’s groundwater resources. Groundwater Regulation Panel