EXPANDING REUSE

AVAILABILITY WITH AQUIFER

STORAGE AND RECOVERY

MANAGEMENT

July 12th, 2013

Austin, Texas

James Dwyer, P.E. - CH2M HILL

Ed McCarthy, Jr. - JSM&T, LLP

JSM&T Jackson Sjoberg

McCarthy&Townsend LLP

JSM&T

• Texas Reuse Plans and Florida’s

Success

• ASR in Texas

• Texas’ Current Regulatory System

• Moving Texas Forward

• Technical Challenges and Solutions

Overview

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TEXAS REUSE PLANS AND

FLORIDA’S SUCCESS

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“Nature within the past decade has

inscribed upon the wide-spreading

Texas landscape grim warnings of

greater disasters to come if

development in the State’s water

resources is neglected.”

John Vandertulip, Chief

Engineer, Texas Board of

Water Engineers

May 1961 – Water Plan for

1980

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Projected Water Demands

and Existing Supplies

5

18.0 19.0

19.8 20.5

21.2 22.0

17.0 16.4 16.0 15.6 15.4 15.3

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

20.0

22.0

24.0

2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060

Mill

ions o

f acre

-feet

Projected Water Demands Existing Water Supplies

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Reuse as a Source

(2012 Water for Texas)

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Reuse as a Source

(2012 Water for Texas)

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• 915,589 ac-

ft/yr

• 9 x current

supply

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“The reclaimed water shortages experienced in

recent years during the non-rainy season have

placed considerable stress on the reclaimed

distribution system…an ordinance has been passed

to limit lawn watering at these times to three days per

week.” (Pinellas County Utilities, Florida)

… There won’t be enough to go around.

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• Supply is constant; demands peak in summer season

• Large volumes may be necessary to avoid shortages

• Ground storage tanks inadequate for seasonal

storage; expensive

• Uncovered surface impoundments

– high evaporative losses; gross lake evaporation 80 in/yr to

45 in/yr

– algal growth (unsuitable for certain uses due to higher total

suspended solids or create a source of odors)

Challenges for Reuse

Implementation

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• Floridians reused 808,640 ac-ft in 2011 (722

million mgd)

• 29 percent of the statewide wastewater produced

• Reuse ASR in Florida since 2008

Florida Out Front

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Aquifer Storage and Recovery

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Injection of surplus water

into an aquifer for

subsequent recovery to

meet future demands

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Low Cost BIG Storage

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Project Cap

(MG) Cost

Unit Cost

($/MG)

Unit Cost

($/ac-ft)

United Water Wilmington, DE 80 $4,526,361 $56,580 $18,435

United Water Toms River, NJ 160 $3,646,235 $22,789 $7,425

City of Beaverton, OR 200 $3,245,710 $16,229 $5,288

Brick Municipal Utility Authority, Brick,

NJ

210 $3,911,723 $18,627 $6,069

Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer

Authority, Okatie, SC

500 $823,875 $1,648 $537

San Antonio Water System, TX 14,662 $31,287,349 $2,134 $695

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ASR IN TEXAS

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Operational Reclaimed Water Injection Well System

Operational Potable System

District

14

UGRA/

Kerrville

Corpus

Christi ASR

District

San Antonio

Water

System

El Paso Water Utilities

Reuse operating

since 1985

1995

(HB1989) 126k af/yr

2005; no asr

systems

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TEXAS’ CURRENT

REGULATORY SYSTEM

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• All ASR Wells Subject to: – Texas Water Code Chapter 27

– TCEQ’s Chapter 331 Underground Injection Control Rules (30

TAC CH 331)

Texas’ Current Regulatory System

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• Class V Wells Using ASR subject to

Subchapters: – A - GENERAL PROVISIONS

– H - STANDARDS FOR CLASS V WELLS

– K - ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CLASS V AQUIFER

STORAGE WELLS

30 TAC CH 331 (UIC Rules)

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(a) All Class V aquifer storage wells shall be operated in

such a manner that they do not present a hazard to or

cause pollution of an underground source of drinking

water.

* * *

(e) The quality of water to be injected must meet the

quality criteria prescribed by the commission’s drinking

water standards as provided in Chapter 290 of this title

(relating to Water Hygiene) [30 TAC Ch 290].

Operating Requirements (§331.184)

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Adopted May 29, 1996 Effective June 28, 1996

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• Regulated based upon the legal characterization

of the water source

• Surface water – State owned water regulated

under Chapter 11, Texas Water Code – Sections 11.153-11.155

• Groundwater – Privately owned, but may be

regulated by local Groundwater District – Chapter 36, Texas Water Code

– Groundwater District’s enabling legislation or organic statute

– Groundwater District’s Rules

ASR Water Sources

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• Supply regulated under same rules, plus: – Chapter 26, Texas Water Code regulating water quality and

wastewater

– TCEQ’s Chapter 305 Consolidated Permits Rules (30 TAC CH

305)

– TCEQ’s Chapter 307 Texas Surface Water Quality Standards

Rules (30 TAC CH 307)

– TCEQ’s Chapter 308 Criteria & Standards for the National

Pollutant Discharge Elimination

– System (NPDES) Rules (30 TAC CH 308)

– TCEQ’s Chapter 210 Use of Reclaimed Water Rules

(30 TAC CH 210)

Reuse of Water Supply

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• Texas Water Code §11.154 (c) c) ... The commission shall consider whether:

(1) the introduction of water into the aquifer will alter the physical,

chemical, or biological quality of native groundwater to a degree

that the introduction would:

(A) render groundwater produced from the aquifer harmful or

detrimental to people, animals, vegetation, or property; or

(B) require treatment of the groundwater to a greater extent

than the native groundwater requires before being applied to

that beneficial use;

(2) the water stored in the receiving aquifer can be successfully

harvested from the aquifer for beneficial use; and … .

Protecting Water Quality of

Receiving Aquifer

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MOVING TEXAS FORWARD

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• Eliminating “storage” as the limiting factor

• Overcoming the “potable water” criteria

• The Florida “Template”

• HB 3013 – Texas’s “first step” in 2013

ASR as the Future for Enhanced

Reuse of Reclaimed Water

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Class of

Water

Usage

CLASS F-I Potable water use, ground water in a single source aquifer

described in Rule 62-520.460, FAC which has a total dissolved

solids content of less than 3,000 mg/L and was specifically

reclassified as Class F-I by the Commission.

CLASS G-I Potable water use, ground water in single source aquifers which

has a total dissolved solids content of less than 3,000 mg/l\L.

CLASS G-II Potable water use, ground water in aquifers which has a total

dissolved solids content of less than 10,000 mg/l\L, unless

otherwise classified by the Commission.

CLASS G-III Non-potable water use, ground water in unconfined aquifers which

has a total dissolved solids content of 10,000 mg/L or greater; or

which has total dissolved solids of 3,000-10,000 mg/l\L and either

has been reclassified by the Commission as having no reasonable

potential as a future source of drinking water, or has been

designated by the Department as an exempted aquifer pursuant to

Rule 62-528.300(3), FAC

CLASS G-

IV

Non-potable water use, ground water in confined aquifers which

have total dissolved solids content of 10,000 mg/L or greater.

Classification of Ground Water, Usage,

Reclassification (FAC 62-520.410)

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• Representative Lyle Larson – Passed by the House

– Left pending in Senate Natural Resources Committee

• Key “Reuse” Components: – Expedite ASR surface water source permitting

– Amend Chapter 26, Texas Water Code (§26.0271(b)-(c)) to

expressly authorize injection of reclaimed water for ASR

Projects

– Limit groundwater district regulatory authority over ASR Projects

– Encourage ASR Projects, particularly using reclaimed water as

the supply source

HB 3013-“Relating to the underground storage

of water for later retrieval and beneficial use”

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• Rep. Larson refiled HB 3013 as HB 25 during

the 1st Special Session

• Rep. Larson is committed to ASR and the use of

reclaimed water

HB 3013 available at:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=83R&

Bill=HB3013

HB 25 available at:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=831

&Bill=HB25

HB 3013 has a Future

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TECHNICAL CHALLENGES

AND SOLUTIONS

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• Competitive unit cost for storage/recovery

capacity

• High levels of nutrients promote biologic activity;

reduced well capacity

• Low O&M (i.e. repumping and backflush

frequency)

• Non-potable storage zones reduce recovery

efficiency

Reuse challenges common to

potable ASR projects

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• Competitive unit cost for storage/recovery

capacity

• High levels of nutrients promote biologic activity;

reduced well capacity

• Low O&M (i.e. repumping and backflush

frequency)

• Non-potable storage zones reduce recovery

efficiency

Reuse challenges common to

potable ASR projects

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• Accumulation on borehole

restricts flow;

• Limited recharge rate to 80

percent of maximum

recovery rate

• Max 2 NTUs significantly

reduce backflushing (Type

I, 3 NTU)

• Flocculation chemical over-

spill

Suspended Solids plugging

(screened wells)

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ASR 17 Injection

Well 17 CY 2 Injection

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• Reuse ASR projects

often target non-

potable storage zones

• Degrade due to mixing;

affect the use

• Above 300 S/m; 10

mEq/L chloride

unsuitable for most

irrigation

Mixing

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• Native groundwater quality

• Background migration velocity

• Residence time

Mixing Factors

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Questions

JSM&T Jackson Sjoberg

McCarthy&Townsend LLP