Urban Water Resources – Urban Water Resources – Programming AreasProgramming Areas

Bruce LesikarBruce LesikarTexas AgriLife Extension ServiceTexas AgriLife Extension Service

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

• Water - do we have extra?Water - do we have extra?

• How can we make a difference?How can we make a difference?

• How to address the water issue?How to address the water issue?

• Our programsOur programs

• What to do?What to do?

Do We Have Unused Water?

No!!!

• Water Conservation – Management of our water resources, efficient use, water quality protection

Hydrologic CycleHydrologic Cycle

Development Changes Local Hydrology

• How we manage development defines the available water sources

How Do You Foster Change?How Do You Foster Change?

• Provide general knowledge• Build capacity in practitioners • Remove barriers: political, financial, regulations,

codes, ordinances• Provide encouragement

– Positive• Incentives • Free stuff

– Negative• Pricing• Fines• Environmental regulations

Water Supply & DemandWater Supply & Demand• Surface waterSurface water• GroundwaterGroundwater• Mineralized GroundwaterMineralized Groundwater• Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico

• Alternative suppliesAlternative supplies– Harvested RainwaterHarvested Rainwater– Condensate Condensate – GraywaterGraywater– Wastewater reuseWastewater reuse

• DriversDrivers– EconomicsEconomics– Public & political willPublic & political will– Energy & water nexusEnergy & water nexus– PerceptionPerception

• In-home water use: drinking, washing, In-home water use: drinking, washing, toilet, & laundrytoilet, & laundry

• Landscaping: home & businessLandscaping: home & business• Green space: athletic fields, parks & Green space: athletic fields, parks &

golf coursesgolf courses• Pets & WildlifePets & Wildlife• HorticultureHorticulture• Animal productionAnimal production• Crop, Forest, Range, Forage Crop, Forest, Range, Forage

productionproduction• Irrigation field cropsIrrigation field crops• Commercial businesses: everything Commercial businesses: everything

needs water – place to workneeds water – place to work• Streams & wetlandsStreams & wetlands• Lakes: water supply, recreation & Lakes: water supply, recreation &

habitathabitat• Water features Water features • Swimming poolsSwimming pools

Preference and Feasibility – Region CPreference and Feasibility – Region C

• What is desirable?• What is feasible?

• How to change?– Public acceptance– New knowledge– Technology– Build capacity– Attitude – Tradition– Modify infrastructure

– Reuse treated wastewater– Interbasin water transfer– Build new reservoirs– Require efficient ag. Irrigation– Require industrial water reuse– Purchase and lease water rights– Aquifer storage and recovery– Residential rainwater harvesting– Water saving landscape ordinances– Require water efficient appliances– Require ag irrig. water scheduling– Residential graywater use– Plant drought tolerant crops– Drill new wells

Addressing Water IssuesAddressing Water Issues• Water literacy – understand Water literacy – understand

water issueswater issues• Earthkind plants - efficient Earthkind plants - efficient

useuse• Earthkind landscapesEarthkind landscapes• Efficient irrigation systems – Efficient irrigation systems –

Irrigation practitioners Irrigation practitioners • Management of Irrigation Management of Irrigation

systems systems • Turf grass management – Turf grass management –

SAFE, golf coursesSAFE, golf courses• Stormwater managementStormwater management• Stream processesStream processes• Stream restorationStream restoration

• Youth knowledgeYouth knowledge

• Plant diseases & waterPlant diseases & water• Entomology & waterEntomology & water• Watershed protection plans – Watershed protection plans –

fertilization, livestock fertilization, livestock production, waste managementproduction, waste management

• Onsite wastewater treatment Onsite wastewater treatment and reuseand reuse

• Graywater systemsGraywater systems• In-home conservationIn-home conservation• In-home reuse & non-potable In-home reuse & non-potable

toilet flushingtoilet flushing• Rainwater harvestingRainwater harvesting• Land management for efficient Land management for efficient

water usewater use• Mineralized water treatment - Mineralized water treatment -

desalinizationdesalinization

What can we make a difference?

• Everyone involved!!!!• All audiences need

some water literacy

• Who will be faced with the really tough decisions?????

Water LiteracyWater Literacy• How can we help people make informed

decisions about water conservation?

• Need a working understanding of relationship between supply, storage and demand!!!!!!

• What is a good approach to helping people gain a functional knowledge of these factors????

Rainwater HarvestingRainwater Harvesting

• Calculate available supply based on rainfall & roof area

• Decide on the size of reservoir

• Decide on the water demand– Drinking / Indoor– Landscape– Wildlife– Animals

City Water Conservation Programs

• Leak Detection—city lines• Residential Water Audits• Landscape Requirements• Plumbing & Appliance Retrofits/Rebates• Education Programs• Differential Pricing [i.e. more use=more $$$]

• Fugitive Water [i.e. h2o running down streets]

• Reuse/Reclaimed Water

Wastewater Reuse - GraywaterWastewater Reuse - Graywater

• Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems

• Graywater law HB2661 -2003

• Septic Regulations – January 2005

• Separate blackwater and graywater and use graywater for landscape

• Landscape irrigation

Separate graywater and

blackwater collection and

treatment systems.

Irrigation Practitioner TrainingIrrigation Practitioner Training

http://irrigation.tamu.edu

Groundwater Management through Groundwater Management through Conservation DistrictsConservation Districts

• State’s preferred method for Groundwater Management

• Locally elected Board of Directors

• Local decisions on how to manage groundwater

• Difficult to actually decrease or limit groundwater use

Groundwater Conservation Districts Groundwater Conservation Districts Creation Process - OverviewCreation Process - Overview

• Action of the Legislature

• Landowner Petition

• Initiated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

• Adding Territory to an Existing District

New GCDNew GCD• Once a designation is made the clock starts……..

– County courts are notified to begin action• Temporary board of directors• Election schedule

– Texas AgriLife Extension Service is notified to begin educational programs

Texas AgriLife Extension Service

North Central Texas PGMANorth Central Texas PGMA

• 13 County PGMA• Collin, Cooke, Dallas,

Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson Hood, Johnson, Montague, Parker, Tarrant, Wise

• District formed: Hood Parker, Wise Montague, Tarrant

Central Texas PGMACentral Texas PGMA

• Five county PGMA

• Bosque, Coryell, Hill, McLennon, Somervell

• Established October 28, 2008

SummarySummary

• Water - do we have extra?

• How can we make a difference?

• How to address the water issue?

• Our programs

• What to do work?

• Current infrastructure