Private Water Development: Why & How It Should Be Done Lynn Sherman November 18, 2004 presented by Texas Groundwater 2004: Toward Sustainability

The Facts

20 million people today

Population DOUBLES by 2050 …AT LEAST

Demand exceeds available supply in 400 communities and 96 counties TODAY.

If nothing is done, we will have severe shortages throughout the state.

1950’sTODAY Developed Supplies Per Capita ALMOST ON PAR WITH 50’S DROUGHT

Water Development Timeline NEEDED SUPPLIES 1950’s DROUGHT UNPARALLELED GROWTH FUTURE DEVELOPED SUPPLIES DAM BUILDING ERA 1960’s-1980’s POPULATION DOUBLES IN 2050 EXISTING SUPPLIES DECREASE BY 20% “NO DEVELOPMENT” PERIOD 1980’s to Date

“if a drought occurs in 2050, almost half (43 percent) of the municipal demand could not be satisfied by current sources.” Water for Texas – 2002 (“The State Water Plan”), TWDB, January 2002, p. 2

How much more water do we need? 50% more

That’s 7.4 million acre feet …almost enough to flood every city in Texas 1 foot deep

we need TWICE as much infrastructure In addition,

What will it cost and when? ► Necessary new projects will cost about $18 billion ► ½ of which must be spent within next 15 years ► $2 billion must be spent IMMEDIATELY Primarily to access and transfer water (i.e., water development).

However

unlike the past, Government can pay only 1/2 of what is needed However,

70% FEDERAL SPENDING In Last Twenty Years

Federal Spending State Spending Local Spending

Where will the money come from?

80 % Gov’t share of business historically

Gov’t share in the future 20 %

80 % Private sector in 2050 Gov’t share in 2050

100% more people + 50% more water + 100% more infrastructure - (50% less government money) = Involvement of Private Enterprise Is Imperative

Where will the water come from? Most rivers are fully or over appropriated Most good reservoir sites are gone Reservoir permitting is much more difficult Groundwater is most available for transfer Water transfers are the preferred method Bays and estuaries need increasing protection

Where will groundwater transfers come from? Private landowners Why? Because 95% of Texas is privately owned and groundwater is owned by the landowner

Groundwater transfers are far from a new phenomenon. ►5►5►5►55% of Texas’ population depends upon groundwater for its drinking water supply. ►T►T►T►There are 13,297 public supply wells serving Texas today. “Ground Water’s Rule in Texas’ Economic Vitality,” Nat’l Groundwater Assoc.,

Source: USGS

What is the biggest impediment to groundwater development? “Political”Science

“Like beauty, [groundwater] availability is in the eye of the beholder. Robert E. Mace, William F. Mullican, III, Ted (Shao-Chih) Way, Estimating Groundwater Availability in Texas, Texas Water Development Board, January 2001, p. 9. ” Therefore, different regions have defined groundwater availability differently for the same groundwater source.”

“When producing from an aquifer, the water comes from three possible sources: recharge, storage, or cross-formational flow.“ Robert E. Mace, William F. Mullican, III, Ted (Shao-Chih) Way, Estimating Groundwater Availability in Texas, Texas Water Development Board, January 2001, p. 1. ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Rain Storage Underflow

and Recharge only from 1/3 of the District Recharge only

Recharge doesn’t reflect where the groundwater IS ! or or how much is there.

3 times the recharge area

Source: LBG-Guyton Associates

Much Much more more water water here here

This district adopted a water management plan that declares a deficit of 10,000 af/yr it refused to consider an aquifer that preliminary GAM results suggest could satisfy ALL the district’s 2060 demands without using any other aquifer. ;however,

“Some regard private enterprise as if it were a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look upon it as a cow that they can milk. Only a handful see it for what it really is -- the strong horse that pulls the whole cart.” (Winston Churchill )

Private water Public endeavor