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