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North Harris County Regional Water Authority -- www.nhcrwa.com The water we conserve today… can serve us tomorrow! With the mandated conversion to surface water well underway, and having met the initial required reduction in groundwater pumpage, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (NHCRWA) and other regional water users now have an extra five years to plan and execute the next phase in the conversion process. After completing a two-year, comprehensive study and analysis of the effectiveness of their Regulatory Plan, the Harris- Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) voted to delay the next conversion date from 2020 to 2025, and to reduce the percentage of conversion from 70 to 60 percent. The 2030 date was extended to 2035 with the same (80 percent) goal for conversion by that date. “This decision is welcome news,” said Jimmie Schindewolf, P.E., NHCRWA General Manager. “With information available from the 2010 census, we are able to take a realistic look at the exponential growth our area has experienced since the creation of the Authority in 2000. Back then, the area within our boundaries was home to approximately 418,800 residents who used about 70 million gallons of water each day...and over 25 billion gallons that year.” “By 2010, the first deadline in the mandated conversion to surface water,” Schindewolf continued, “the area’s population previously projected to be 488,000 residents was exceeded by 113,000 people, upping the total to 601,000! Water consumption reported for 2011 -- the latest year for which figures are available -- was approximately 38 billion gallons -- a staggering increase in just one decade!” “We commend Ron Neighbors, General Manager of HGSD, and the District’s board of directors for this workable solution that allows us some critical extra time to plan, complete the engineering design, and construct the infrastructure to accommodate the new 2025 conversion requirement. Even with the time extension,” Schindewolf explained, “we’re not slowing down our efforts to get this accomplished in the most cost-efficient manner possible. Creating an entirely new water delivery infrastructure is a mammoth un- dertaking and we are committed to getting it done right.” There is more good news on the horizon, with indications that the 83rd Texas Legislature is considering critically needed water infrastructure bills that would have a significant im- pact on the NHCRWA service area. There are proposals to appropriate $2 billion from the State’s Economic Stabilization Fund to create a state water implementation fund outside the State Treasury, that would remain available to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to finance water infrastructure BOARD OF DIRECTORS James D. Pulliam, President Alan J. Rendl, Vice President Lenox A. Sigler, Secretary Kelly P. Fessler, Treasurer Ron Graham, Assistant Secretary Jimmie Schindewolf, P.E. General Manager Conversion to Surface Water Continues Continued on page 2
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NHCRWA Waterlines newsletter - March 2013

Mar 24, 2016

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Page 1: NHCRWA Waterlines newsletter - March 2013

1 1North Harris County Regional Water Authority -- www.nhcrwa.com

The water we conserve today… can serve us tomorrow!

With the mandated conversion to surface water well underway, and having met the initial required reduction in groundwater pumpage, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (NHCRWA) and other regional water users now have an extra five years to plan and execute the next phase in the conversion process. After completing a two-year, comprehensive study and analysis of the effectiveness of their Regulatory Plan, the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) voted to delay the next conversion date from 2020 to 2025, and to reduce the percentage of conversion from 70 to 60 percent. The 2030 date was extended to 2035 with the same (80 percent) goal for conversion by that date. “This decision is welcome news,” said Jimmie Schindewolf, P.E., NHCRWA General Manager. “With information available from the 2010 census, we are able to take a realistic look at the exponential growth our area has experienced since the creation of the Authority in 2000. Back then, the area within our boundaries was home to approximately 418,800 residents who used about 70 million gallons of water each day...and over 25 billion gallons that year.” “By 2010, the first deadline in the mandated conversion to surface water,” Schindewolf continued, “the area’s population previously projected to be 488,000 residents was exceeded by 113,000 people, upping the total to 601,000! Water consumption reported for 2011 -- the latest year for which figures are available -- was approximately 38 billion gallons -- a staggering increase in just one decade!” “We commend Ron Neighbors, General Manager of HGSD, and the District’s board of directors for this workable solution that allows us some critical extra time to plan, complete the engineering design, and construct the infrastructure to accommodate the new 2025 conversion requirement. Even with the time extension,” Schindewolf explained, “we’re not slowing down our efforts to get this accomplished in the most cost-efficient manner possible. Creating an entirely new water delivery infrastructure is a mammoth un-dertaking and we are committed to getting it done right.” There is more good news on the horizon, with indications that the 83rd Texas Legislature is considering critically needed water infrastructure bills that would have a significant im-pact on the NHCRWA service area. There are proposals to appropriate $2 billion from the State’s Economic Stabilization Fund to create a state water implementation fund outside the State Treasury, that would remain available to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to finance water infrastructure

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

James D. Pulliam, President

Alan J. Rendl, Vice President

Lenox A. Sigler,Secretary

Kelly P. Fessler,Treasurer

Ron Graham,

Assistant Secretary

Jimmie Schindewolf, P.E.General Manager

Conversion to Surface Water Continues

Continued on page 2

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Northgate Country Club...Setting a Great Example for Water Conservation!

Even during the infamous drought of 2011, passers-by on FM 1960 marveled at how the fairways at Northgate Country Club managed to stay so green and lush. Had they known that not a drop of potable drinking water was used to keep them that way, they would have appreciated them even more. Established during the mid-1980’s, the facility has earned a reputation for being a well maintained community venue for recreation and local events. In 2005, the Club’s management made a quiet, but criti-cal decision that would have long-term consequences: they approved the necessary investment to be able to irrigate their three championship golf courses with “reclaimed” water instead of ground- or surface water. “The writing was on the wall,” explained Joel Washburn, Course Superintendent. “The cost of wa-ter was going to continue to go up, and it wasn’t too early to anticipate the impact of those higher costs on operating the course once the conversion to surface water occurred. It simply didn’t make any sense to continue to use drinking quality water on the turf. The decision was made to bring effluent -- treated to the appropriate U.S. EPA approved quality standards -- to the irrigation pond, and from there, to dispurse it on the greens and fairways.” On average, Northgate uses approximately 100 million gallons of water annually on irrigation, depending on the amount of rainfall during the year. There is a water treatment plant on site, and more than one municipal utility district (MUD) is involved in the reuse program. There are two options available for the treated effluent: it can be discharged (by permit) directly into Cypress Creek, or it can be switched into one of three holding ponds that feed the Club’s irriga-tion system. Three of the lakes are connected through that system, and water can be moved between them by gravity feed...which is another efficiency be-cause electricity isn’t needed to pump this water.

projects. This is a unique and remarkable opportunity to fund all of the $53 billion needed to sustain our water development needs well into the future. Language in the proposed legislation empha-sizes the importance of water conservation, water reuse, and education programs related to those kinds of projects. It is clear that the days of cheap and plen-tiful water are now behind us. Water will cost more in the future, so the Authority provides an incentive for water reuse projects like the one implemented by Northgate Country Club, and continues asking resi-dents to embrace water conservation to help extend our current resources.

Looking Forward... The estimated cost for the 2010 system – including engineering, land acquisition, permits, transmission lines, storage tanks, pumping stations, and distribution piping — was approximately $335.6 million, excluding interest, financing costs, and water capacity purchase. The 2025 and 2035 conversion areas will expand outward from the initial 2010 conversion area, and will be defined in the Authority’s revised Groundwater Reduction Plan. “The NHCRWA has always been committed to promoting the more efficient use of water,” said the Authority’s President, Jim Pulliam,“and we offer water conservation educational programs for folks of all ages -- from Kindergarten kids to seniors. Last year, in fact, our hands-on program for 2nd and 4th grade students in Klein and Spring ISDs was presented to over 7,000 youngsters. This number was multiplied by the take-home materials for their families. The goal is to help kids avoid wasteful habits while they’re still young, and to encourage them to make a life-long commitment to becoming stewards of this finite natural resource as adult water users with families of their own.” “Conservation will continue to be a very im-portant piece of the conversion puzzle,” says Pulliam. “We now have a five-year reprieve on our water conversion goals, but rates will continue to increase to fund the massive infrastructure expansion costs. That means that the cost of wasting water will get pretty expensive. So, do we support water efficiency measures? Absolutely!” (See article starting on page 5 for additional information about regional planning actions.)

Conversion to surface waterContinued from page 1

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Nestled in a serene copse of towering oaks and pines, the Fallen Warrior Memorial in Cy-Champ Park was dedicated October 6, 2012. The striking complex – beautifully designed and landscaped with the able assistance of Michael Murr of Murr Incorporated – honors those brave men and women from across Texas who died while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn. “Freedom isn’t free and families who lose loved ones in the service of their country never stop hurting,” Cheryl Whitfield, president of the volunteer group which dedicates itself to honoring fallen soldiers, reminded the 1,600 hundred guests at the dedication ceremony. “Without the help of current Cy-Champ PUD president, Ron Walkoviak, and his board of directors, who so generously helped make this project happen in myriad ways, we could not honor the lost members of those grieving families.” Notably, the Cy-Champ PUD delivers a fresh wreath of flowers to the Fallen Warrior Memorial on a two-week schedule year-round. After more than two years of fundraising, construction on the memorial started in July 2012, and the beautiful granite walls featuring the names of Texas soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan arrived a month later…an event solemnly commemorated by the National Memorial Ladies standing at attention. The somber, yet superb monument, located along the Cy-Champ Park nature path paralleling Cutten Road, consists of four large granite walls engraved with the names of 608 (and counting) fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. The names on the plaques are listed in chronological order with date, rank and branch of service. Rising from a beautifully landscaped circle on the Cutten Road median and adjacent to the site’s eastern border, a flagpole flying American and Texas

flags announces the memorial’s presence. Along its western flank, flags denoting each of the five U. S. military branches border the solemn display. Beyond this procession of flags, stand three Spanish Oaks which are too often washed in color with red, white and blue spotlights each time a Texas hero is lost in combat. Surrounded by the granite plaques is a splendidly profiled map of the Middle Eastern countries where these honored men and women sacrificed their lives. On its crown is a bronze replication of a soldier’s boots, helmet and gun…the traditional display of remembrance at military memorial services. Beyond this bricked circle are thirty-one chain-linked bollards (heavy metal posts), each of which will ultimately be capped with the names of servicemen killed in action. Outside the bollards rest seventeen donor slabs giving credit to those generous souls who helped make the memorial possible. The National Memorial Ladies spared no expense in making the dedication an extra special event benefiting the men and women it honors. Illustrious Patriotic guest speakers included in the dedication ceremony were Congressman Ted Poe and State Representative Patricia Harless. Adding to the event were outstanding performances by Yeager Elementary students and the Klein Collins choir, as well as appearances by Rolling Thunder, the Boy and Girl Scouts and the Patriot Guard Riders. “Having this exquisite memorial in our community,” said Lennox Sigler, NHCRWA Director, at a recent board meeting, “where we can view it while driving by or walking in Cy Champ Park, is a poignant reminder of the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.” Representatives from the group attend all service member burials at the cemetery to honor the brave men and women who fought and died for our freedom. For additional information, visit www.kiamonument.org.

Cy-Champ Park Fallen Warriors

Memorial

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Cypress Creek EMS Water Conservation

Saving Water as Well as Lives Founded in 1975, Cypress Creek EMS started out as the logical community response to tragedy: a neighbor’s heart attack…delayed treatment…and the resulting death of a resident and friend. Convinced that the death might have been avoided by faster emergency medical services, local residents organized a small ambulance service. Completely staffed by volunteers, the new CCEMS organization started out with just one ambulance. Funding for this fledgling organization was obtained through an innovative partnership with the local MUDs (Municipal Utility Districts), who collected voluntary donations added by residents when paying their water bills. In the last three decades, the delivery of emergency medical services has become more complex than the original organizers could ever have anticipated. CCEMS established their present Communications Center in 2009 where they dispatch 9-1-1 calls for fire and EMS. Last year, the Center dispatched over 58,000 calls, with more than 31,000 of them being for EMS assistance. By 2020, these numbers are expected to double. CCEMS has continually transformed itself to meet the challenges of providing emergency care for such a rapidly growing community. Today, it is considered a model for EMS operations throughout the country, and other emergency service providers have adopted progressive procedures and medical protocols pioneered by CCEMS.

Commitment to Excellence... CCEMS was recently recognized nationwide for management excellence. Cypress Creek EMS was selected by an independent panel of judges as one of the Principal Financial Group’s 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security — 2012. Ten growing businesses earned this coveted national recognition for linking employee health to employee long-term financial security. With documented leadership like this, it is not a surprise that CCEMS would also make a commitment to protect another vital resource – water. CCEMS service area is just about the same as the North Harris County Regional Water Authority, encompassing roughly 300 square miles and serving approximately 601,000 residents. Cypress Creek has twelve physical stations within this area that are

staffed 24/7, so water usage can become an issue. For an organization that operates on a tight budget, efficient use of this finite resource is encouraged and monitored. Everyone is expected to identify problem areas such as leaking faucets, leaking commodes, broken sprinkler heads and report to our Maintenance Department for prompt repair. CCEMS water conservation efforts include: The sprinkler systems are scheduled for the minimum time usage with rain sensor cutoffs. The stations are equipped with High Efficiency washing machines, and are used only with full loads. Each station has low-flow commodes.Water hoses are equipped with automatic cut-off nozzles. The showers in each station are equipped with the low-flow efficient shower heads and staff are encouraged to limit shower time. Crews are encouraged to run the dishwasher and washing machines with full loads only. Two of the stations are currently using independent groundwater wells. Efforts have been made to attach these systems to local Municipal Utility Districts to close down the water wells and to utilize surface water. According to Ruben Gonzales, immediate past president of CCEMS and also a MUD director, “Maximizing water efficiency helps us keep tight operating budget controls, as well. Monitoring how we ‘spend’ water at our facilities just makes good sense; it’s the right thing to do. We keep copies of the Authority’s water conservation materials on site as a reminder of our commitment to using water wisely.” “Cypress Creek EMS strives to be a good neighbor by participating in programs such as water conservation and recycling.” Gonzales continued. “We recognize that to accomplish this, each member must be encouraged to do his/her individual part.”

CCEMS Communications Center for 9-1-1 dispatch.

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Long Range Regional PlanningAims to Secure Water for Texas

TEXAS WATER FACTOIDS...• The population of Texas is expected to increase a whopping 82 percent between now and 2060; growing from 25.4 million to 46.3 million people. Those numbers, staggering though they are, tell only part of the story. And, as with a flowing stream, the narrative goes downhill from there. • Existing supplies – the amount of deliverable water that can be produced with current permits, current contracts, and existing infrastructure during drought are projected to decrease by about 10 percent – from roughly 17.0 million acre-feet today to about 15.3 million acre-feet in 2060 (an acre-foot equals 325,851.4 gallons, enough to supply about two families for a year). • In light of this anticipated decrease, if Texas does nothing to implement new water supply projects or management strategies, then homes, businesses, and agricultural enterprises across the state are projected to fall 8.3 million acre-feet short of needed supply by 2060! • Texas has 15 major river basins, 8 coastal basins, and 9 major and 21 minor groundwater aquifers, but water supplies vary significantly from year to year and from place to place. Because rainfall and stream flows in the state are unpredictable, communities have traditionally relied on reservoirs as part of water resource planning. • Reservoir storage per person in the state has declined from a peak of 2.4 acre-feet of conservation storage per person in 1980 to 1.7 acre-feet today. Our population has mushroomed and reservoir construction has declined since the 1980’s. Without new reservoirs, other water management strategies will fall short of meeting the state’s growing water needs. If no additional reservoirs are constructed during the next 50 years, the amount of reservoir storage will further decline…to less than 1 acre-foot per person in 2060…the lowest amount since immediately following the 1950’s drought of record!• The TWDB’s mission is to provide leadership, planning, financial assistance, information and education for the steadfast development and conservation of water for Texas.

Continued on page 8

“The availability of water has always influenced patterns of settlement, and communities in Texas originally grew where water was plentiful. But as many of our communities have grown, they have outstripped their water supplies, making it necessary to more efficiently use local water resources, to work cooperatively with one another on regional solutions to water problems, and to move water around the state when necessary to meet the needs of all our communities” (From the Introduction, WATER FOR TEXAS 2012). Every five years, the Texas Water Development Board (“TWDB”) publishes a state water plan. The Water for Texas 2012 plan, adopted in December 2011, is designed to address the state’s demand for -- and the available supplies of – water over the next 50 years. The TWDB prepares its water plan by gathering data on population and water demands from sixteen regional water planning areas. After each region adopts its plan, it is sent to TWDB for approval. The TWDB then develops a statewide water plan based on information submitted by the sixteen regions, as well as other sources. Both the regional and state plans are just that – water projects must be developed and implemented by a local sponsor.

Region H Region H is the designated planning group for our portion of the Gulf Coast and related inland areas. It consists of all or part of 15 counties, and spans three river and four coastal basins in southeast Texas. Taking a “water is local” planning approach helps balance our area’s requirements with the Region’s available water supply. The information gathered by Region H planners – including local population projections, water requirement trends in agriculture and industry, the availability of both surface and underground water supplies, and water supply strategies -- is critical to both our area’s future, and to the state’s, as well. In our immediate area – Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery Counties – there are some tough realities to be faced. The 2011-12 economically destructive and record-setting drought provided a

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How often does your irrigation system come on when your grass doesn’t need any water? You keep reminding yourself to check the system con-troller, but it just never seems to get done. “It’s not hurting the grass,” you think, “so what’s the harm?”Besides the obvious answer that it’s wasting water and money, too much water actually does harm your lawn. Overwatering encourages turf to grow shallow roots which cause the grass to stress if water isn’t available. And, if your irrigation system is still on dur-ing winter months, add the fact that native grasses like St. Augustine are DORMANT during that time of year, and need no more water than Mother Nature provides. It might be true that everything is bigger in Texas…but that doesn’t have to include your water bill! Recent reports based on actual irrigation system evaluations in Montgomery, Harris and Ft. Bend counties has demonstrated that at least 90 percent of residents who have irrigation systems water too often...and 43 percent of that water runs off into the gutter and ultimately into the storm drain. There are a number of things that you can do to maximize the use of your irrigation system and avoid wasting water and your money. One thing you might consider is to adopt a “conservative” watering cycle...using your house number, water no more than twice a week on an odd/even schedule. You might choose Saturday and Wednesday for odd numbers and Sunday and Thursday for even numbers. But, skip a day if your grass doesn’t need watering – even if it is a “watering” day. Here are some of the most important things you can to do make the best, most water-efficient use of your irrigation system:1. Irrigation System Leaks You might have heard folks saying that the black gold of tomorrow may very well be blue…water. As the price of this precious commodity continues to go up, it is important that your irrigation system is not

needlessly “bubbling” water up from the ground, as oil did in the TV comedy, “Beverly Hillbillies”. Unlike Jed Clampett’s windfall of oil money, you’ll be the one paying for all that wasted water! What are some signs of an irrigation system leak? How about water running off your yard and into the street if a pipe is completely broken? Or maybe an area of your yard is staying wetter than any other spot, even if your controller is turned off? Perhaps your faucets have low pressure when your irrigation system is running? A typical residential 5/8” or 3/4” water meter will flow about 13 gallons of water per minute. Imagine a broken pipe leaking all day while you are away from home. After 8 hours, there could be 6,240 gallons of water wasted down the drain. Since your system may be running while you are asleep or away from home, the problems may have gone unobserved. And, unfortunately, when your system is underground it is difficult to find leaks until they appear. So, if you see these potential problem areas don’t delay in scheduling a professional audit/evaluation of your system, and then repair any pipe leaks or broken, leaky heads that are confirmed. 2. Timing is EVERYTHING! In addition to adopting a water-efficient watering schedule, set the system controller to complete the watering cycle before 4:00 am to avoid the peak demand of water for other household uses – like family showers, kitchen chores, and the use of laundry appliances. This early morning program also prevents excessive evaporation that occurs in strong sunlight, and is a great time for a technique called “Cycle and Soak”. This method applies water slowly so the soil actually can absorb it. Each lawn has different components – soil quality and content -- but the key here is to water only as long as it takes to get moisture down into the soil, and that could be as little as 10 minutes or as many as 20 depending on the soil. It will take at least 30 minutes for the water to percolate into the soil, so wait an hour to schedule the

IRRIGATION 101...Top 5 things to do if you have an irrigation system

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next cycle. Do a test run; turn on a zone to discover at what length of time water is no longer soaking into the soil, and begins to run off. Use that amount of time to set the first programmed “cycle”. Set the timer to come on again after an hour, to deliver a similar amount of water. Technically, while you may be watering more often, the system is delivering the same amount of water...only it is being utilized more efficiently!3. Hydrozone your Yard... When it comes to water, shrub areas need a different amount than the turf areas. Shrubs or turf exposed to afternoon sun need more water than those protected by the shade. Yet when it comes to watering their yard, most people water everything the same. We tend to put the same amount of water on the turf as we do on the flower beds. Separating different plant materials with different exposures so they may be watered independent of one another is called hydrozoning. Since January of 2009, the rules of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)require all new irrigation systems to be hydrozoned. Applying only the amount of water required by the plant material versus watering everything the same can save up to 21,300 gallons of water annually on a typical residential lot. 4. Overspray – WHAT A WASTE! T h e T C E Q r u l e s governing irrigation in Texas do not allow spraying water over impervious surfaces such as walls, fences, sidewalks, and streets. The reason for this rule is simple – it just wastes water. It may cost more to design and install a system that does not spray onto these surfaces, but in the long run, having an efficient irrigation system that conserves our most precious natural resource is worth it. Here’s an example: if your sprinkler system (set to apply one inch of water) throws water over the sidewalks during that cycle, it will waste around 220 gallons of water on your sidewalks. This water will run down the concrete and into the gutter, or it will run off into the soil where it will over-water the area and deep-percolate below the plant root zone where it is no longer useful. Either way, it is a waste of valuable water resources. Another important point to consider is that

watering your lawn is like running a marathon. You need to train the roots to grow or “run” deeper into the soil. If you water every day, the roots will stay near the surface where the water is. There is no reason for them to grow deeper or run longer. By skipping days between watering periods, the roots will begin to grow deeper to reach more water. Nutrients are important for the plants as well. Aerate the soil to provide oxygen, and add compost for nutrition. The deeper the roots grow, the longer your grass can go between waterings. Even during the dog days of the summer, your grass should be able to easily go three to four days without needing water. If the roots are deep enough, you can water as little as once a week. 5. The Effects of Pressure on Irrigation Systems Most of us experience the effects of pressure from time to time -- at home, on the job, even on the playing field. And just like people, irrigation systems do not perform well when the pressure is too high. Most spray systems operate best with 30 pounds of pressure per square inch (psi) at the nozzle. According to the Rain Bird Corporation, for every five pounds of pressure over the recommended operating pressure at the nozzle, your system will waste 6 percent to 8 percent of the irrigation water. It is very common for a spray system to operate between 40 psi and 50 psi at the nozzle. This excessive pressure results in a waste of 16 percent to 29 percent of the water delivered through the system. For a typical residential irrigation system, this waste will be equivalent to 28,990 gallons to 52,500 gallons of water annually. This can usually be remedied by adding some type of pressure regulation to your system. Consider having your irrigation system evaluated by a Licensed Irrigator to determine how you can conserve water wasted due to high pressure at the nozzle. Remember, when all is said and done… irrigation systems don’t waste water – people do. Pass Irrigation 101 with flying colors! Get acquainted with – and take control of – your irrigation system controller. Check the system regularly for leaks, broken heads, and tell-tale signs of overspray on sidewalks, fences, or the street. Here’s a case where ignorance is most definitely NOT bliss…what you don’t know about your irrigation system (how and when it works) can cost you money and waste valuable water resources.

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WATER PLANNING, Continued from page 5

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stark wake-up call, revealing our vulnerability to extended dry periods and delivering a sobering message: simply stated, looking ahead, we may not have adequate water resources to meet the needs of our residents. In compliance with regulatory agencies’ mandates to convert hundreds of water districts from reliance on groundwater to surface water, water authorities in our region are collaborating with the City of Houston to construct the Luce Bayou Project. The project will eventually bring some 400 million gallons per day from the Trinity River into the City of Houston’s Northeast Water Purification Plant at Lake Houston, where it will be treated and delivered across the region. Driving this project is the exceptional population growth experienced in our area. Even with aggressive water conservation measures, a number of the groundwater wells in the area have reached the end of their useful lives, aquifers are being depleted, and the area is already experiencing both water quality and water quantity issues. This makes the Luce Bayou Project a critical element of the State Water Plan for the multi-county region. The local water authorities do not have Ad Valorem taxing power; so construction projects are paid for by pumpage fees applied to wells within their boundaries, surface water sales and the revenue bonds supported by those sources. This makes the financing programs available through the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) so essential to help with engineering and environmental studies, right of way acquisition, and other preparation for construction. The TWDB has funded a substantial amount of the Luce Bayou Project costs, and the Luce Bayou “partners” intend to seek additional state funds to help pay for the project. If Luce Bayou is NOT completed on time, there will be ripple effects across the multi-county area, impacting economic growth and the future conversion to surface water.

Recommendations... The sixteen regional planning groups recom-mended 562 unique water supply projects to meet the State’s projected needs for additional water sup-plies. If implemented, these projects would result in an additional 9 million acre-feet per year by 2060 to meet the anticipated 8.3 million acre-feet shortfall. The capital cost to design, construct new projects, or implement the recommended water man-

agement strategies is estimated to be $53 billion. This includes conservation, drought management, new reservoirs, water reuse, and the introduction of new water treatment options like desalination plants. To ac-complish this, municipal water suppliers are expected to need nearly $27 billion in state financial assistance. It is anticipated that water supply issues will be assigned high priority during the 83rd Texas Legislative Session. Representative Allan Ritter (R-Nederland), Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, has filed two important bills. House Bills 4 and 11 call for a one-time transfer of $2 billion from the state’s “rainy day fund” (Economic Stabilization Fund) to capitalize a new, dedicated revolving fund to help pay for water-related infrastructure. On the Senate side, Sen. Troy Fraser, chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, has introduced Sen-ate Bill 22 that, among other provisions, also calls for the much needed $2 billion funding. This is significant in that passage of such legislation would enable the state to fund its long-range state water plan, and it also lays the groundwork for the fund’s management and operation. The launching pad for this program is a Texas Water Development Bond Amendment (Prop 2), which gained voter approval during the November 8, 2011 general election. This amendment allows the TWDB to authorize bonds on an ongoing basis so long as the dollar amount of bonds outstanding at any one time does not exceed $6 billion. These Prop 2 bonds are self-supporting (i.e., paid for through usage and impact fees). They do not depend on or utilize general revenues.

Making the tough decisions... Invariably, time and adequate rainfall have a way of dulling our senses to the obvious. However, Mother Nature, like all moms, is relentless in reminding us of the consequences of indolence. And she’s reminding us now. With just a handful of reservoirs in some stage of planning or development – with plenty of opposition lined up to delay or defeat their construction -- the state only has 188 major water supply reservoirs to rely on. More are needed. The state’s 1961 planning effort to meet water requirements in 1980 included some insightful advice: “If Texans cannot change the weather, they can at least, through sound, farsighted planning, conserve and develop water resources to supply their needs.” Sound advice indeed.

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One of the key lessons we learned during the 2011 drought is that clean water is important to all of us; for our health and well-being, and to sustain a healthy economy, too. Not only does it supply a habitat for marine life, but clean water provides recreational opportunities, drinking water for our homes, businesses and manufacturing, and even provides the means to generate electricity. We also learned that old Ben Franklin was right when he warned that we wouldn’t “know the worth of water until the well ran dry.” During 2011, when it didn’t rain, we stopped taking an adequate supply of clean water for granted, and we paid more attention to things that impact our water resources.

Trouble in the streets... What do motor oil, lawn fertilizers, cigarette butts, grass clippings and pet waste all have in common? They all contribute to what the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns is the number one threat to our drinking water supplies... Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPSP). Today, the primary source of oil pollution in North America’s coastal waters isn’t leaking oil tankers or oil rigs, but can be tracked back to countless oil leaks from the more than 235 million cars currently on the road. Drip, drop...cars make daily oil deposits on roadways, parking lots and driveways and neighborhood streets. When it rains, stormwater falls on hard surfaces like roads, roofs, driveways and parking lots. Since it cannot seep into the ground, it runs off to lower areas, carrying with it globs and sheens of oil from paved surfaces into the storm drains...on to creeks and streams...then into bays and estuaries...and finally into the Gulf of Mexico.

Addressing a serious problem... Here are some more statistics about this sneaky kind of water pollution that might surprise you. Illegal dumping of chemicals and toxic waste accounts for less than ten percent of it. Forty percent of water pollution originates with automotive fluids washing off paved surfaces from normal rainfall and cleaning activities. Twenty five years ago, most of the “point-source” pollution -- the kind where the source was easily identified -- was virtually eliminated when industries and wastewater treatment facilities cleaned up their discharge to public waters to comply with the Clean Water Act or face crippling fines.

Making informed choices... So, what can be done to help arrest this growing threat

TOO MUCH...OR TOO LITTLE...RAINFALL CAN BE A PROBLEM!

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to our water supplies? Actually, quite a bit...and some of the measures help solve more than one problem and are aesthetically pleasing, as well! Perhaps the most important thing we can do is to learn about NPSP and do whatever we can to stop it. This is not as difficult as one might assume and one simple ‘message’ sums it up: ONLY RAIN IN THE DRAIN! What goes into the storm drains ends up -- untreated -- in our lakes, rivers and streams. So, good common sense dictates that we recycle or properly dispose of household products that contain chemicals, as well as insecticides, pesticides, paint, solvents, and -- most especially -- used motor oil. Another persistent problem is the improper disposal of pet waste. Americans own 75 million dogs and sadly, an estimated 40 percent of pet owners don’t clean up their dogs’ “deposits” at home or when they are out for a walk. Thanks to major public information campaigns about the impact of ‘pet poop’ on local streams and waterways, people are getting the message from homeowner associations and parks that if their dog makes a deposit in a public place, the owner has a responsibility to scoop the poop and deposit it in the trash or in receptacles provided.

There is growing interest in residential “sustainable infrastructure techniques”. These techniques involve substituting alternatives to areas traditionally covered by nonporous surfaces. Grasses and natural ground cover, for example, can be attractive and practical substitutes for paved driveways, walkways, and patios. Consider constructing wooden decks, gravel or brick paths, and rock gardens to keep the natural ground cover intact and allow rainwater to slowly seep into the ground. This acts as a natural filtering process and reduces harmful water quality impact from rainfall that carries chemicals and pollutants with it into storm sewers and retention ponds, and eventually into nearby streams and lakes.

The bigger picture... Two thirds of the impervious surfaces in developed communities are in the form of pavement related to automobile usage, so any design or redevelopment options that reduce impervious pavement is a positive step toward improving water quality. Pervious options allow percolation or infiltration of stormwater through the surface into the soil below where the water is naturally filtered and pollutants are removed. Substituting pervious pavements for driveways, low-traffic roads, parking areas, sidewalks, and residential pool decks and patios can make a significant difference in reducing stormwater runoff; replenishing groundwater; reducing flooding; and reducing thermal pollution — the heat given off by pavement baking in the sun. Because of their open structure, the pervious alternatives offer a “cooler” pavement choice. By replenishing water tables and aquifers rather than forcing rainfall into storm sewers, the pervious choice can also help reduce demands on storm sewer systems. When it rains...it’s porous! The technology is really quite simple. The secret to the success of pervious pavements is to provide the water with a place to go, often in the form of an underlying open-graded stone bed. As the water drains through the porous surface and into the stone bed, it slowly seeps into the soil. While these special features are generally more expensive than conventional impervious surface construction, the costs are more than offset by the ability to eliminate many elements of a standard stormwater management system. They say that “necessity is the mother of invention”. As water becomes more expensive, options like installing porous pavements will prove to be more affordable and an important component in sustainable water management strategies.

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Water Conservation by Design…

When Klein ISD began the process of constructing some new elementary schools to accommodate the increase in the District’s population, the Board of Trustees made the strategic decision to achieve CHPS Certification -- Collaborative for High Performance Schools. CHPS is a national movement to improve student per-formance by building the best possible schools that are energy and water efficient, healthy, comfortable, well lit, and contain the ame-nities to foster a quality education. Schools that have been build in conformance with CHPS guidelines have the additional benefit of reducing both operating costs and environmental impact. Principal Darrel Luedeker is justifiably proud of Blackshear Elementary School, named for William N. Blackshear, the first U.S. Postmaster for Klein, Texas. The innovative school opened in August 2011 with an enrollment of 800 students. “Being aligned with the CHPS guidelines, all the resource efficiency components are part of an overall learning tool. Our facilities management team regularly accesses resource consump-tion data from the school’s metered systems and uses it to make informed decisions about how we utilize energy and water resources in the school,” Luedeker explained. “A wide range of information is incorporated into customized, intuitive and colorful web pages that are showcased in an attractive touchscreen display board. The pages contain user-friendly charts and graphs to identify daily, weekly, and monthly consumption data that enables teachers, the administration, students and visitors to see how we’re conserving resources.” In the front parking area, an attractive native grass and rock bioswale assists in managing water retention and rainwater runoff. At the back of the school, a prominent aluminum rainwa-ter harvesting cistern and pump system provides water for the adjacent outdoor science classroom/gardens. Condensation from the efficient air conditioning system is also collected and used for irrigation. The butterfly garden attracts legions of the colorful creatures that delight students and offer an exciting opportunity to observe and record their complete life cycle...from caterpillar to but-terfly. A water reclamation and smart irrigation system sustains the native plants on the school site. “Another feature of the ‘green’ construction is the amount of increased daylight available in the school’s interior,” Luedeker said. “And recycled materials were used whenever possible. Everywhere you look, there are resource-sparing components and learning opportunities that will help our students become good stewards of natural resources and the environment. That will be an impressive legacy for these programs.”

Principal Darrel Luedeker

The CHPS interactive “Touch Screen” monitor is accessible to students in the school’s main hallway.

Students have developed a taste for radishes they have grown in the garden.

Luedeker was selected as 2009 KISD Elementary Principal of the Year.

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3648 Cypress Creek Pkwy., Suite 110Houston, TX 77068www.nhcrwa.com

www.stopthedrop.org

Golf course superintendents are among the best – if not the best – conservationists out there in this time of looming water shortages. And why wouldn’t golf course managers respect this most precious of all natural resources? After all, it’s the life blood of an almost $80 billion a year industry. If not sourced and utilized properly, a poorly managed water supply can be the death knell to what is first and foremost a viable commercial activity, and second, frequently the most beautiful, environmentally sound, recreational asset in a community. Savvy golf course superintendents utilize many methods to conserve water. They hand water critical areas, use wetting agents to deal with localized turfgrass dry spots, and keep turf drier than in times

past. Golfers seldom complain about that; they abhor spongy fairways and delight in the added distance firm, dry fairways provide…but that’s another topic. Some people question why precious potable water should be used to maintain golf courses. In fact, we don’t use very much potable water for such purposes. According to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), only 14 percent of golf courses utilize water from municipal systems. And golf courses account for only 0.5 percent of all water use annually and just 1.5 percent of all irrigated water applied. Recycled water is used by 12 percent of golf facilities, a number that small only because such use is limited by the availability of effluent water and by a dearth of water-provider infrastructure to deliver it.

Water conservation makes sense...and it is the right thing to do.

“There is no question that the decision to utilize ‘gray’ water for course irrigation was a sound one,” Washburn said, “and it continues to be now that the first phase of the conversion to surface water is underway. Just considering the pumpage fees we have not had to pay, we have saved a couple hundred thousand dollars a year. If you include the cost of the energy we didn’t have to use to pump water from the ground to fill the ponds, you can add another $50 to $100 thousand to the equation. This makes a favor-able impact on our operating costs -- and results in a savings that we can pass along to our members.” Asked about golfers reactions to the quality of the turf, Washburn said that there had been no com-plaints or unfavorable reactions. The course remains lush and green until the grass goes dormant naturally during winter months and irrigation is not required. “There are several other advantages to using reclaimed water,” Washburn explained. “We don’t have to rely on rain to fill our lakes -- we can switch water around as needed for that. We also use this

source to ‘water-in’ fertilizer. Since we made this transition, we have always had as much water as we needed for all these critical purposes.” “One thing we’re especially proud of is that during that horrible drought, we never had to pump one drop of water out of the ground to maintain our golf course. And that benefits the greater community at large, our members, and the folks who have to make sure there is enough of this precious resource to go around. That’s a win/win scenario on anyone’s scorecard!”

Golf...continued from page 2

03-2013 185K