TEXASH2O
APRIL/MAY 2011
The Official Newsletter of the Texas Section AWWA • THE Water Professionals
Texas Water 2011: WE ROCK!
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Letter from the Texas Section Chair
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Reach out!
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Texas Section American Water Works Association P.O. Box 80150 Austin, Texas 78708 http://www.tawwa.org DAVE SCHOLLER, CHAIR 281-558-8700 BRENT LOCKE, CHAIR-ELECT 254-562-5992 CHRISTIANNE CASTLEBERRY, VICE-CHAIR 512-751-9272 RICHARD TALLEY, IMM. PAST CHAIR 817-392-8203
MIKE HOWE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ SECRETARY-TREASURER 512-238-9292 FAX: 512-238-0496 E-MAIL: mikehowe@tawwa.org This publication is distributed monthly to the more than 3,500 members and friends of the Texas Section American Water Works Association. Contributing writers can contact the editor: Cliff Avery GCP Association Services PO Box 676 Pflugerville, TX 78691 512-251-8101 FAX: 512-251-8152 e-mail: cavery@texas.net The publication name, TexasH2O: © 1996-2011 Texas Section - American Water Works Association, Inc. © 2011, Texas Section - American Water Works Association, Inc.
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exas Water 2011SM was an overwhelming success. Fort Worth knows how to throw a party (convention). Not only did we surpass the 3,000 attendee mark for the first time…we shattered the mark with a total attendance of 3,555. Thanks to all the volunteers, many of whom were from the City of Fort Worth, for their hard work and commitment. As we move forward this year there are two things I personally would like to focus on – membership and operators. I will talk about membership now and follow-up discussing operators in the future. The past several of years has been difficult for the economy and our membership. We have been able to sustain our membership over the last year. But, since 2008, our membership is down. Our chapter involvement has been the single-best method of keeping these numbers up. The biggest challenge has been and will continue to be retention of existing members. The Membership Committee has developed a strategy to increase retention, and the cornerstone of this strategy is to reach out to new members. The Section is notified by AWWA when a new member joins. I will see to it that the Texas Section notifies the chapter in a timely manner and challenge the chapters to “reach out and touch” these new members within a week. Ask them what their interests are and if they would like to volunteer at the chapter level. Let them know we appreciate what they bring to our organization. Regarding the chapters: They are a major key to the success of the Texas Section. We currently have 9 chapters, including the newly formed chapter in the Bryan/College Station area. These chapters are a direct connection to our new members. I challenge all of you to get involved with and support your local chapter. On a final note, the 82nd Legislature is in session. As usual we are monitoring the activities at the Capitol and there will be more to come. I am looking forward to serving as your Chair for the next year. Thanks for the opportunity.
ON THE COVER (Clockwise from Top Left): Mary Gugliuzza and Buster Fichera rock out at the Texas Rocks: A Water Celebration event. • EPA Region 6 brought a water drop to TW11. Now if only they could make it rain. • Carole Baker announces the Water Conservation Advisory Council/TWDB Water Stewardship Awards, a prestigious first for Texas Water conferences. • The Exhibit Hall packs ’em in for the Tuesday evening Meet-and-Greet. • SAWS Men’s and Women’s Teams celebrate joint victories in the annual pipe tapping competition.
The lady who writes the Texas Water 2011SM book on awards took home one of her own. Mary Gugliuzza was named recipient of the prestigious Fuller Award at the annual event in Fort Worth April 6. Gugliuzza – known familiarly as “Mary G” – has been the chair of the Texas Section’s Publications Committee since 1999 and has been responsible for developing the Awards Program presented at each Texas Water Conference. She coordinates presentation of awards for TAWWA and for WEAT. She has participated as a producer in several Texas Section teleconferences, which have earned AWWA Education Awards. Mary G has been with Fort Worth Water Department for 15 years. She oversees the department’s internal and external communications. She is a member of the American Water Works Association's Public Affairs Council and is also a member of the Water Environment Federation and the Public Relations Society of America. The award recognizes distinguished service to the water Mary G realizes she’s receiving an award – not giving one away – as past Fuller supply field in commemoration of the contributions of Award winners converge on her during the TW11 Conference Luncheon. AWWA leader George Warren Fuller.
May 10 chart shows how dry we are.
State Water Plan tries to avert disaster from strains on resource By Liz Davidson TEXASH2O AUSTIN – Faced with the challenges of drought, population increase and decreasing water supplies, Texas could be heading toward a statewide disaster if nothing changes. But Texas’s plan to meet these challenges – if implemented – could stave off the disaster, according to Robert Mace, deputy executive administrator of Water Science and Conservation at the Texas Water Development Board. Mace discussed the state water plan at Texas Water Day at the PLEASE SEE WATER PLAN, PAGE 19
Texas Section Chair Richard Talley congratulates Melissa Bryant.
Melissa Bryant named Maverick Award winner Melissa Bryant was named winner of the Maverick Award at Texas Water 2011SM. The Maverick Award recognizes up-and-coming leaders of Texas AWWA who display exceptional qualities in volunteerism, community involvement, leadership and service. Bryant, who grew up in Lubbock, earned a degree in Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M. After work in Portland and Dallas, she joined SAWS and is a supervisor in the Water Resources and Community Development Dept. She is active in the South Texas Chapter and serves as vice president.
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Mary G earns Fuller Award
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Executive Director Report TEXASH2O
We can’t afford to wait
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By Mike Howe TAWWA Executive Director
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Water professionals from all over Texas met at the Capitol in Austin for Texas Water Day, sponsored by the Texas Water Foundation, Texas AWWA and a number of other water groups. I was honored to be the final speaker at this event. My thanks to Carole Baker for inviting me to be part of this event. Below are some of my remarks.
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afe drinking water is considered one of the top ten achievements in the history of civilization. But how we allocate water and set the price is a mess of tradition, wishful thinking and poor planning. We made decisions that no matter where and no matter how much water was available, we would provide as much water as you wanted and it would be cheap. It didn’t seem to matter how much was used because it was cheap and seemingly abundant. When water was around $1 or so per 1,000 gallons, price was not an incentive to save water. But, when retail water jumped to over $3 per 1,000 gallons, customers started to pay attention. We learned we could control consumption to some degree with increasing block pricing. For aAd-Texas_Layout long time, utilities enjoyed being the “silent service.” Hydro 1 4/25/11 9:13 AM Page 1
They wanted to be out of the limelight and just wanted to be thought of as a reliable source of clean, abundant tap water. The water industry didn’t want anyone to pay attention to the water, where it came from, or the distribution system itself. Utility managers successfully lulled policy makers and the public into complacency. In fact, to some, it was bad form to have anyone pay attention to the utility, and it was a point of pride to be left alone to just get ‘er done. When we had lot of water in all the right places, and it was safe and nearly free, we never cared how much was used or whether we should conserve it. We even thought it was okay to use treated drinking water on the ground to grow water-thirsty plants and grasses! Are we sure this is the legacy we want to leave to our children and grandchildren? Because we engineered a system that provided “free water” from surface and ground water sources, many utilities then and now just charge for the cost of treating and delivering the water to the tap. We just didn’t place enough value on the water because the source was “free”. Even though it is absolutely essential to life, because it was everywhere, safe and easy to distribute, it was easy to ignore the economics of water. It was hardly worth the effort to think of water as having real value like money. And besides, it is hard to carry water in your pocket like money. Truth is, you really couldn’t do much with it – except quench your thirst, sustain life, PLEASE SEE HOWE, PAGE 21
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TW11 plays host to first state Water Stewardship Awards In a first for Texas Water conferences, the state’s Water Conservation Advisory Council and the Texas Water Development Board recognized two water districts with a new award at TW11 conference in Fort Worth. The North Texas Municipal Water District and Fort Bend County MUD No. 25 were both honored with the first-ever Water Stewardship Awards. This award was created from the Water Conservation Advisory Council, which was formed out of Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 4 during the 80th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature in 2007. The Council, whose 23 members were appointed by TWDB, was created to provide a resource in conservation to the Texas government, agencies and the public. One of the duties of the Council is to develop and implement a public recognition program for water conservation. To accomplish this, the Council partnered with TCEQ on its Texas Environmental Excellence Awards for the Water Conservation Award and developed a program to present water conservation awards at existing events across the state. This includes partnering with Texas Section AWWA to PLEASE SEE WCAC, PAGE 14
AWWA Vice Pres. Jim Chaffee congratulates Jim Parks of North Texas Municipal Water District (above) and Brian Sebesta of Fort Bend County MUD No. 25 on their Water Stewardship Awards.
Dallas, TX
Top teams: CH2M Hill and Austin Water Utility
Tourney spikes it for WFP More than 100 TAWWA and WEAT members attended the inaugural Texas Water For People Volleyball Tournament at Aussie’s Grill & Beach Bar in Austin April 16. The event raised more than $4,500 (after expenses) for sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene projects around the world. Organizers thanked the sponsors: Community Level: KFriese and Associates and CH2M HILL; Hand Pump Level: Steve Walden, CP&Y, KBR, Carollo, and CDM/WSA; Latrine Level: Employees at Austin Water Utility, Freese & Nichols, and LAN; Other: John McLeod.
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Project Manager/Engineer - 110075
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Opening Session Speaker Allison Watanabe of EPA in Washington and Miguel Flores of EPA Region 6 present commendations to Texas Chair Richard Talley and WEAT Pres. Jody Zabolio.
EPA honors Texas Water for its green initiatives TEXASH2O
One of your customers could be reading your ad here. 512-251-8101
EPA Region 6 made a special presentation to Texas Water 2011SM for efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the event. TW11 eliminated printing and mailing of its annual Attendee Brochure by creating an on-line version of the 12-page document. Even without the mailing, the event set a record for Texas Water attendance with more than 3,500 participants. The EPA award recognized TAWWA and WEAT, the partners in Texas Water conferences, for “leadership, commitment and achievement in reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.” Allison Watanabe of EPA’s Sustainable Systems Team in Washington addressed the Opening Session of TW11.
Twenty-five Texas Section members were honored for their dedication to AWWA at Texas Water 2011SM in Fort Worth. Five Texas Section members received Gold Water Drop Awards from AWWA in recognition of 50 years of AWWA membership. They are Lee Freese of Fort Worth; Lester Hash of San Antonio; George Lee of Snyder; Pat Luckett of Austin; and Fredrick Stone of Dallas. Twenty Texas Section members received Life Membership Awards from AWWA in recognition of 30 years of being involved in the organization. Life Membership honorees are Betty Blaschke Present to receive their awards at TW11 were (above) Gold Water Drop honorees Lee Freese of Fort Worth and Pat Luckett of Austin and (below) Life Membership recipients of Tomball; Timothy Brown of Houston; Richard Ashok Varma of Dallas, Tim Brown of Houston, Richard Browning of Arlington, Mike Cavalier of Humble, and Jim Parks of Wylie. Browning of Arlington; Mike Cavalier of Humble; Jackie Chance Sr. of Spring; Richard Cloutier of Houston; C.D. Cooke of Borger; Russell Hamilton of Austin; Joe Harle of Longview; Gale Henslee of Amarillo; Donald Illingworth of Arlington; James Johnson of Wellington; Samuel Kruse Jr. of Sugar Land; Robert McKinnon of Copperas Cove; Ron Neighbors of Friendswood; Jim Parks of Wylie; Joe Rodriguez of Cypress; Billy Sims of Lufkin; Jimmy VanSchuyver of Houston; and Ashok Varma of Dallas.
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Members receive longevity awards
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TW11 awards laud conservation efforts Each year at the Texas Water conference, TAWWA recognizes those who have demonstrated excellence in water conservation and reuse practices. Winners from Texas Water 2011SM in Fort Worth were: Large Utility Direct Program: City of Austin, Innovative Commercial Landscape The Innovative Commercial Landscape Ordinance is aimed at using stormwater to offset supplemental potable irrigation in Austin by requiring all institutional projects to direct stormwater to at least 50% of their landscape. A preliminary calculation has estimated 0.18 to 0.31 MGD will be saved after ten years of building under the new ordinance. Small Utility Direct Program: City of College Station, Parks & City Facilities Irrigation Conservation To practice more efficient landscape water use, the City of College Station compares predicted vs. actual water use at City facilities each month. For sites that have high water usage, the Water Services and Parks and Recreation departments determine the cause and repair any irrigation system leaks. A new Irrigation Division was also created to focus on inspecting, repairing and managing the irrigation systems.
Continued on the following page
From the preceding page
Small Utility Indirect Program: Wells Branch MUD, Water Conservation for School Children Initiative The Water Conservation for School Children Initiative is a conservation education project for public school elementary students and their parents in the Wells Branch Municipal Utility District. Each second and fourth grade student receives a copy of the book Buckley T. Fuller and the Bucket Brigade to take home, and teachers receive a five-lesson curriculum covering water conservation and a class project to reinforce the theme of the book. Bob Derrington Water Reclamation Award: City of Round Rock, Williamson County Water Reclamation & Reuse Project – Phases 1A & 1B The City of Round Rock is developing a new water reuse system at Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant that will produce high quality reuse water. The reuse water will be used for landscape irrigation to help offset growing demands on the City’s potable water supplies. The projected ultimate demand of the system is about 13,400 acre-feet a year, or 12 MGD.
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You’re reading an ad here. One of your customers could be reading your ad here, too. 512-251-8101 • texwater@texas.net
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Large Utility Indirect Program: City of Austin, 3C Challenge Campaign To help reach Austin’s goal of lowering the total per capita potable water use, Austin Water launched the 3C Challenge awareness campaign. The campaign encourages residents to commit to a water-wise lifestyle, calculate daily water use and conserve water now and in the future. The City also added new features to its website, such as an online water calculator that provides customers with an estimate of their daily water use and tips on how to conserve.
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Curtis honored for contributions to Section, AWWA Bruce Curtis was recognized as the first recipient of the newly created John Lechner Award of Excellence at the Texas Water 2011SM conference in Fort Worth. This award is presented to a Texas Section Manufacturers/Associates Committee member or other individual service provider who has demonstrated exemplary service to the Texas Section, the drinking water community and to AWWA’s mission and goals. In a surprise announcement, Curtis will receive a similar national award at AWWA’s ACE in June. A member since 1982, Curtis has been active in AWWA as a Service Provider member and employee of the Mueller Company, Smith-Blair, Inc. and currently EBAA Iron, Inc. He has served on various Section- and Association-level committees. Curtis has provided sponsorships and volunteered time to the pipe tapping competitions since they began in 1986,
AWWA Vice Pres. Jim Chaffee presents the first-ever John Lechner Award to EBAA Iron’s Bruce Curtis.
often serving as a judge. He has also supported the international World Water Cup of Drilling and Tapping with sponsorships and other support. At the Section level, Curtis has supported the operators’ competitions, as well as the Section golf tournaments, which help send the operator competition
SOUTH TEXAS CHAPTER
teams to the AWWA annual conferences. He served on the AWWA Manufacturers/Associates Council from 2004-2010 and on several committees in support of the goals of the MAC and AWWA, including the Conference Management and Ad Hoc ARRA Implementation Review committees.
Featuring
Summer Seminar
x Keynote Speaker Steve Clouse, COOǦSAWS x The 2011 President of the International Water Association (IWA) Glen Daigger
Emerging Issues in the Water/Wastewater Industry Online registration coming soon at: www.weat.org
SAVE THE DATE!
DATE: July 28, 2011
LOCATION: SAWS Customer Service Bldg. San Antonio, TX
TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
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SM
Malcolm Cowdin
Images from Texas Water 2011
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ABOVE: Newly installed Section leaders are Immediate Past Chair Richard Talley, Vice Chair Christianne Castleberry; Chair-Elect Brent Locke, Chair Dave Scholler and Section Director to the AWWA Board Charlie Maddox. For a complete list of Trustees, Section Division and Committee Chairs, go to tawwa.org. RIGHT: Meera Victor of Carollo Engineers receives the Ken Miller Water For People Founder’s Award, recognizing her contributions to the Water For People effort. She chaired the WFP auction at Texas Water 2007SM and Texas Water 2011SM.
LEFT: AWWA Vice President Jim Chaffee congratulates Rhonda Harris, who received a special award from TAWWA and WEAT honoring her contributions as chair of the Texas Water Exhibits Committee. ABOVE: Local Arrangements Chairs Charly Angadicheril and Buster Fichera of the Fort Worth Water Dept. go over details. BELOW: Top Ops Contestants await the next question.
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WCAC
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from Page 6
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present Water Stewardship Awards annually at the Texas Water conferences. The award recognizes water suppliers that have demonstrated outstanding and innovative commitment to the state’s mission of promoting responsible management of water resources. North Texas Municipal Water District was presented with this award because of its success in informing the public about water conservation through TWDB’s Water IQ campaign since 2006. It was the first water supplier in Texas to use the Water IQ research-based brand, and since its implementation the public has continued to reduce wasteful water practices, shown by the lower-than-expected water consumption reported each subsequent year. Fort Bend County MUD No. 25, located in Sugar Land, serves about 3,600 water and wastewater connections. It was awarded with a Water Stewardship Award for its wastewater effluent re-use program, which consists of capturing the treated effluent from the wastewater treatment plant and reusing it in landscaping and amenity pond applications. From March 2008 through December 2010, the District reclaimed more than 423.5 million gallons of water. Its goal is to eliminate the use of groundwater or potable water in amenity ponds and significantly reduce potable water uses in landscape irrigation. 3FRVFT U B D PNQM J NFOU BS Z T J U F S J T L BT T FT T NFOU PG ZPVS QS FFYJ T U J OH D IFNJ D BM G FFE T ZT U FN
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July 8 is the deadline for applying for a Texas Section Scholarship. Some 14 students received scholarships last year. An applicant must either be a recent high school graduate or have a record of and plan to continue fulltime college attendance. For undergraduates, “fulltime” means a minimum of 21 credit hours per 12-month period; for graduate students, a minimum of 12 credit hours per 12-month period. An Applicant must be either a Texas AWWA member or immediate family member of a Texas AWWA member, except for those applying for consideration by the Desert Mountain Chapter (El Paso area). While AWWA members in Mexico and New Mexico are not eligible for scholarships from the Texas Section AWWA, they are encouraged to apply through the Texas Section Scholarship Program for consideration of Desert Mountain Chapter Scholarships. In all instances, qualified members must be individual Active, Individual Operations/Administrative or Student Members without umbrella coverage provided by the applicant’s employer. For more information and an application form, click to www.tawwa.org.
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July 8 application deadline for Section scholarships
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Watermark Awards honor communication by TAWWA members
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Texas Section and WEAT honored members for their efforts to communicate with the public. During ceremonies at Texas Water 2011SM, the winners of the annual Watermark Awards were:
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Category I: Communications programs: internal campaigns, external campaigns, crisis communications, community relations. Large Utility: El Paso Water Utilities, Get Mad! Report Illegal Dumping Campaign. Non-utility: North Texas Municipal Water District, Water IQ: Bad Habits Campaign. Category III: Publications: annual reports, annual water quality reports, brochures, direct mail materials and other multi-page publications. Large Utility: San Antonio Water System, 2009 Annual Report. Small Utility: City of Waco Water Utility Services, 2009 Water Quality Report and Year in Review. Non-utility: North Texas Municipal Water District, 2008-2009 Annual Report. Honorable Mention: Dallas Water Utilities, 2010 Messages From a Direct Mail Pilot Project. Category IV: Online communications: websites, Facebook, Twitter, online newsletters, etc. Large Utility: City of Arlington Water Utilities, Online “Go with the Flow� Toilet Distribution Application Form. Category V: School curriculums. Small Utility: Wells Branch Municipal Utility District, Water Conservation for School Children Initiative. Category VII: Audio and visual: videos, DVDs, slide shows, Power Point presentations, etc. Large Utility: San Antonio Water System, Video Web Project. Non-utility: Trinity River Authority of Texas, Source to Tap Animated Presentation. Honorable Mention: El Paso Water Utilities, Willie the Water Drop Rescue. Category VIII: Miscellaneous: photography, logos, onetime advertisements, posters, illustrations, invitations. Small Utility: City of Waco Water Utility Services, Value of Water Promotional Water Bottle.
Water and energy are intrinsically linked. You simply can’t have one without the other. At Texas Water Day at the Capitol April 27, Michael Webber, associate director of UT’s Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy, described this nexus, explaining how the water and energy relationship is already under strain and that trends imply this strain will increase. “Energy and water are interrelated,” Webber said. “We use energy for water and water for energy.” The thermoelectric power sector — power plants that use heat to generate electricity, such as nuclear, coal, and natural gas — is the largest user of water in the U.S, accounting for about 48 percent of total water withdrawals. For every kilowatt-hour that is generated, anywhere from about 0.2 to 43 gallons of water are withdrawn. Most of the water is returned back to the source, with a small amount being consumed due to evaporation. On average, thermoelectric power plants withdraw 21 gallons of water per kilowatt-hour, and consume half a gallon, returning the rest to the source. Withdrawing such large amounts at a time makes that water unavailable for other consumers, such as municipalities. Depending on the plant and type of cooling towers used, water intake structures can be deadly for fish, and the elevated temperature of the return water can also cause thermal pollution, harming aquatic life. Not only do power plants create a strain on available water sources, but water sources can impact a plant’s ability to generate electricity. During dry periods, if water levels fall below a power plant’s intake structure, it can affect the plant’s ability to draw water and potentially force it to shut down. Energy and water usage is also linked at the municipal and residential level. For water to get from its original source to be used in a home, energy is used to move, treat and heat that water. Electricity is often required to move water through pipelines or canals to the treatment plants, and pumping water from underground aquifers can be energy intensive. And Texas is only moving toward more energy-intensive water, according to Webber. Stricter water and wastewater treatment standards, a progression toward deeper aquifer production, long-haul pipelines and inner basin transfers, and new technologies such as desalination are all more energy-intensive sources. PLEASE SEE WATER & ENERGY, PAGE 18
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Water, energy link under increasing pressure
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Water & Energy
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from Page 17
At the same time, Webber said we’re heading toward more water-intensive energy, especially relating to nuclear and solar power and using biofuels for transportation fuels. “Biofuels are like the poster child for bad water behavior,” Webber said. “They use six to 12 gallons of water per gallon of fuel. But if you include the water used for irrigation and agriculture, it can sometimes be more than 1,000 gallons of water. It’s incredibly water-intensive.” Looking for ways to use both resources more efficiently are currently being researched and developed. The Pecan Street Project in Austin is a smart grid demonstration project that Webber believes is the largest controlled energy efficiency experiment in the world. More than 1,000 households and 75 businesses are working together to use smart grids and smart meters to use electricity and water more efficiently. Reuse is also an alternative, and is a less intensive energy process than turning to seawater desalination, which Webber said is incredibly energy intensive. Many parts of the world already utilize this concept of “toilet to tap,” with 20 percent of Singapore’s water coming from reuse. “We use some of the greatest quality drinking water and flush it down our toilet,” Webber said. “We really need clean water to drink and cook with, but for things like cleaning, washing clothes, and flushing, we don’t need water that clean. It doesn’t have to be the same standard as our drinking water.” Other ideas to save both energy and water include swapping out cooling towers that use water to cool systems for dry cooling towers, which rely on air instead. Webber also mentioned that energy created from the intermittent wind sources in West Texas could be used for water treatment. Conservation is also key. Because of the nexus of water and energy, conserving one helps conserve the other. “If you wish to save energy, irrigate less, use less hot water,” Webber said. “If you wish to save water, use less electricity. We can achieve goals that share the benefits mutually.”
Water Plan
from Page 3 TEXASH2O
Capitol on April 27, sharing how Texas will be affected by these challenges and where to expect future water supplies to come from. “Texas needs more water,” Mace said. “The good news is that through the regional planning efforts, Texas does have a plan to come up with that water. And we need about 9 million acre-feet of it.” Currently, Texas has about 17 to 18 million acre-feet of water available for use, but with the population expected to double by 2060, the state will need to increase that amount to more than 22 million acre-feet to meet the growing demand. “As we go forward and as the population grows, as reservoirs fill with sediment and as water levels in our aquifers go down, we’re seeing that gap between supply and demand increase,” Mace said. “It becomes a more serious problem as we go forward.” The strategies to meet that future demand are outlined in the state water plan. Texas is counting on surface water, new major reservoirs, conservation, reuse, groundwater and numerous other elements to help the state meet that need. Implementing the state water plan will not be cheap — at least an estimated $53 billion will be needed to do so, with $16 billion needed by 2020 — but Mace said Texas would suffer serious economic consequences if the water plan is not implemented. If Texas did nothing and we were hit with a drought record today, there would be about $12 billion in losses today, with that rising to $116 billion by 2060. There would also be a loss of revenue in state and local taxes of almost $10 billion by 2060, and more than a million jobs would be lost. If Texas didn’t implement a water plan, a drought of record would affect 83 percent of the state’s population by 2060. “Texas needs water, quite clearly,” Mace said. “And we’re going to need every tool in the toolbox to ensure that we have enough water.” The largest supply of water today, and in 2060, will still be surface water, but various forms of conservation will also help create a large portion of the water supply by 2060, including municipal and agricultural conservation. “Conservation is envisioned to be an important source of supply,” Mace said. “The thing about water conservation is that it can happen at an institutional level and a household level.” About 17 percent of future water supplies are expected to come from agricultural conservation. TWDB and Texas Tech University are currently researching ways for farmers to use water more efficiently, without losing money. Research is also being done on more drought-tolerant plants. Desalination is projected to be one of the smallest sources of water in the future, only about 3.4% of the supply by 2060, but it is a growing concept. TWDB has supported studies in Brownsville and Laguna Madre that have both shown promise.
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Classified advertising RAW WATER PRODUCTION FACILITY SUPERVISOR Job Description: This position is responsible for operating and maintaining CRMWD’s Raw Water Production Facility in order to ensure production of Raw Water in accordance with federal, state, and municipal standards. Skills Required: Knowledge of water/wastewater treatment, including pumps, valves and electrical motors. Knowledge of TCEQ rules. Demonstrate effective public relations and public speaking skills. For further explanation go to: http://www.crmwd.org/rwpfsup.pdf Education Required: High School diploma or GED equivalent. Basic knowledge of chemistry. Basic knowledge of math including arithmetic and algebra. Five years experience in public water systems operation. Obtain Class B Surface Water Operator License within 12 months of hire, Class C Texas Driver’s
License. For CRMWD Application, go to: http://www.crmwd.org/personnel/ap plicationforemployment.pdf. Please fax application and resume to 432-267-3121 or mail to PO Box 869, Big Spring, TX 79721. SURFACE WATER PLANT OPERATOR in Pecan Grove, near Richmond, Texas. 5yrs. experience, Class B Surface Water License. Salary negotiable. Call Mike Ammel, EDP 713-395-3100 UTILITIES SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT MANAGER The San Antonio River Authority is seeking a Utilities Systems Department Manager to provide leadership for the operations, development, maintenance, administration, and customer service of all San Antonio River Authority (SARA) water and wastewater utility systems. Min Requirements: Bachelor’s degree
Laguna Madre Water District District Engineer Vacancy
Responsible for reviewing construction plans and sites, designing infrastructure, and capital projects, developing resolutions and providing various administrative functions, coordinating and supervising engineering operations of water distribution, water treatment, wastewater treatment, sewer collection and lift stations for the Laguna Madre Water District (LMWD). Work involves planning, developing and implementing proposals to maintain and expand services and identifying the needs of the LMWD’s service area, and preparing progress reports on major activities to the General Manager. Requires a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from accredited college or university and registered in the state of Texas plus 5 to 10 years of progressively responsible experience in water and wastewater treatment operations. “An equal opportunity Employer”
+ 8 yrs of progressively responsible experience. Requires a valid Class “B” License in Wastewater and a valid Class “C” License in Groundwater. The San Antonio River Authority is a character-based government agency serving the needs of communities throughout the San Antonio River Basin. Visit our website at www.sara-tx.org for information regarding our organization and to obtain a full job description. Apply: 100 E. Guenther St. San Antonio, Texas 78204 Fax: 210-302-3687 E-mail: applications@sara-tx.org EOE. Non-smoking environment
TCEQ suspends junior rights along Brazos River Faced with severe drought, the TCEQ notified Brazos River Basin junior waterright holders May 18 that their right to divert water is immediately suspended. Suspended water rights include those with a priority date of 1980 or later, term, and temporary water-right permits in the mid- and lower- Brazos River Basin. Water rights with municipal uses or for power generation have not been suspended. Land owners with property adjacent to the Brazos River may also continue to divert water for domestic and livestock use as part of their inherent riparian rights. Water rights are suspended or curtailed by priority date, with the most recently issued – or “junior” – priority users suspended before senior water rights.
Howe
from Page 4
Continued on the following page
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cook, clean, build cities, create industry, create jobs, generate electricity, put out fires, raise your children and of course, water your Saint Augustine grass! When the population exploded in the south and west, water started to be harder to find and even harder to hold onto. At the same time costs began to soar for water treatment and other services. By the time we in the water industry started trying to get anyone to listen, the utilities found themselves on the outside of the policy process looking in. And when water systems started to fail, instead of moving policy-makers to solutions, including raising rates, the reaction was an erosion of confidence in utility management and public perception, which, in turn, created more resistance to increasing prices. But without question, we have reached the point where we have to raise rates to fix a problem the public doesn’t even see, much less understand. And our pricing still pretends that those water rights are “free.” Yes, some utilities have raised rates and replaced infrastructure as they could, and rates have gone up to help pay those costs, but the reality is that it is not enough because we in the industry have become our own worst enemy. After wanting to be the silent service for so long, now that we need someone to pay attention and allow us to raise rates to reflect full-cost pricing, the public and the policy makers are slow to realize the extent of the problem. I even find myself as conditioned to low rates as anyone else. I am more than willing to pay over $100 for my cell phone, but if my water and sewer bill approaches $100 a month, I wonder why it is so high. I know better, but if my knee-jerk reaction is that water should be cheaper, then why should the public’s be any different? Because water is essential to life, many think that raising prices might be considered morally wrong. So, should access to water be based on your ability to pay? I say the answer is a resounding no. But, access to more water than you need to sustain life is a different story. And while this gets into a ‘”squishy” area, water pricing beyond basic needs should be price sensitive and in some cases, dramatically so. In simple terms, that means higher rates – for everyone. Ask the finance staff in any utility and they can provide you with a great discussion on tiered pricing, peak demand and how those who drive the expansion of the water system and corresponding costs should pay more for the water. Sounds like good economics and very equitable. But, does this go far enough? For the most part, we build water systems to be demand-driven. We still want to be able to meet the needs of all customers. It is understood to be good for the community, attracts new business and new jobs, and is good for the local economy. But, in the long term, this is not based on good economics. As demand begins to outstrip supply, then decisions need to be made about who gets the remaining water and more importantly, who doesn’t. It becomes
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not only a question of who owns the water, but also who allocates the water and for what purposes. And, who sets those priorities. If you want to see an example of priority setting for key resources, look back at natural disasters like Hurricane Ike. Hospitals get water. Power generation gets water. Other industries don’t. And in our current drought, junior water rights are at risk. But we are talking about one of the most essential services – fresh water and correspondingly, sanitary sewer systems. We need both to sustain life as we know it and want it to be. So what should water cost? This is sometimes hard to determine, but we can thank the bottled water industry for one thing. They have done all of the hard work and heavy lifting to determine what the public is willing to pay for water. And, when you do the math, it is stunning to know that the public will pay a LOT for small amounts of water. This alone helps us understand the economics of water beyond the basic needs. Let’s be clear. From a marketing standpoint, we undervalue the most important product on earth. And for as good as we are at finding, treating and delivering water, we are not very good at placing the true value on the water we sell. Our task is to get the public to understand that tap water and sewer systems are not magic. They need to know that they are expensive to build, operate and maintain and, essential to life as we know it. And to sustain these operations, the public should and must pay more and in some cases, much, much more. We need to price water at the real value, based on demand and more importantly, on supply, at full cost pricing. That takes into account the value of the “free” water rights held by many. One model suggests that once we exceed the amount to sustain life and the environment, then the price should jump to the full cost pricing. This means utilities should set a goal to reach full cost pricing within a fixed period of time, and then build in regular cost increases until the price point is met. If we don’t price water based on availability first, and then demand, then the time will come, and in some places sooner as opposed to later, when demand will outstrip supply and there will be few choices left. Water will have to be allocated and likely by others. So what are the next steps? First, we have to create powerful messages that change how people value water and their water systems. Research shows the public really does trust the utility to be up-front on what it takes to deliver and price the water. Second, collectively, we need to bring policy makers along to set rates at full-cost pricing. This will be tough in these times, but there is never going to be good time. And waiting is not an option. And if we are going to get something out of this new drought of record, we do have the best platform to make the arguments. If we are going to leave a legacy to our children and grandchildren, let it be that we understood that anything else that we or they may be interested in now and in the future is not going to happen if we can’t breathe the air or drink the water.
Want to share your event with the Texas water community? Contact Mike Howe, 512-238-9292; fax 512-238-0496. Check the Section’s website — www.tawwa.org — for the latest information on Section activities.
DATE
ACTIVITY
TIME
June 12-16
AWWA Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE)
AWWA will launch its first ever virtual event in June. ACE11 Virtual will broadcast Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE11) content live from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington,
11:30am
LOCATION
INFORMATION
Washington, D.C.
www.awwa.org
H.E.S.S. Club 5430 Westheimer Rd., Houston
www.setawwa.org
D.C. ACE11 Virtual attendees will have access to over nine hours of live broadcast. ACE11 Virtual will also contain over 15 hours of on-demand content. For more information, go to awwa.org.
June 22
Southeast Texas Chapter Luncheon Speaker: D. Wayne Klotz, Klotz & Assoc.
July 8
Deadline for application for TAWWA Scholarships (see Story, Page 15)
www.tawwa.org
July 28
South Texas Chapter Summer Seminar Emerging Issues in Water/Wastewater
www.weat.org
9am-4pm
SAWS Customer Service Bldg. San Antonio
Water Engineering Services Providing comprehensive services for more than 65 years
Wastewater Water Resources Municipal Infrastructure Drinking Water GeoTech/Hazmat
Austin Brownsville Dallas El Paso Houston Plano San Antonio
TEXASH2O
Texas Section Calendar
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PRESORTED FIRST CLASS U.S POSTAGE PAID AUSTIN, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 1
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