Recording the droughtConservation and Reuse Division

sees silver lining . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Lawmaker: Texas needs to financeits water future . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Texan takes water-saving messageto United Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

TEXASH2ODrought

2011Utilities show strainsfrom heat, high demandOne can hope that by the time the hard copy of this newsletter gets

into the reader’s hands, there will have been a gentle, widespread rain andthat the land and people’s spirits will be restored.

Of course, one can also hope to win the lottery.With statistics like these, the odds seem about the same: weather-

people say this is the most severe one-year drought on record. Taking inall droughts, this year is second only to the legendary “drought of record”in the 1950s.

July 2011 was the hottest month ever recorded in Texas. Or at leastsince 1895, when they started keeping track of such things.

In late June, a concerned TCEQ contacted utilities, urging them toreview their drought contingency plans. The underlying message was,“Start saving water now for when it really gets tight.”

PLEASE SEE STRAIN, PAGE 22

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JULY/AUGUST 2011

The Official Newsletter of the Texas Section AWWA • THE Water Professionals

T TE EX XA A

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DAVE SCHOLLER, CHAIR

281-558-8700BRENT LOCKE, CHAIR-ELECT

254-562-5992CHRISTIANNE CASTLEBERRY, VICE-CHAIR

512-751-9272RICHARD TALLEY, IMM. PAST CHAIR

817-392-8203

MIKE HOWE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/SECRETARY-TREASURER

512-238-9292FAX: 512-238-0496

E-MAIL: mikehowe@tawwa.org

This publication is distributed monthly tothe 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: © 1996-2011Texas Section - American Water Works Association, Inc.

© 2011, Texas Section - American Water Works Association, Inc.

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Texas SectionAmerican Water Works Association

P.O. Box 80150Austin, Texas 78708

http://www.tawwa.org

Since my last column, the 82nd Texas Legislature regular session and aspecial session called by the governor came to an end. More on thatnext time. However, the drought across Texas has not ended. I was

listening to the early morning news the other day, and this is officially thedriest year on record for Texas.

Here in Southeast Texas, we have not had a rain of one inch or greatersince Jan. 24 and are over 20 inches below-normal for rainfall. Rainfallsignificantly below normal is true for all regions of Texas and it is projectedthat the weather patterns that are causing this statewide drought willcontinue into October of this year. The cost of this drought to Texas will bein the billions on top of a difficult economy. Texas has done a good job ofwater resources planning as a result of Senate Bill 1 and the Regional WaterPlanning Groups, but there has been very little funding to build theprojects identified in the State Water Plan.

Speaking of never ending, AWWA has been the trusted source for scien-tific and engineering knowledge and advocacy for safe and sustainable waterfor 130 years. It has a rich and deep heritage of servant leadership and hasbeen a leader in eradicating waterborne disease. The Texas Section has arich heritage of leadership volunteers at the national level. I would like togive a high five to three outstanding volunteers in our Section whocurrently have stepped up to serve AWWA on the national level.

The first one is Charlie Maddox. Charlie is with the Austin WaterUtility and is the Director on the AWWA Board from the Texas Section.Each of the 44 Sections has a Director that serves for three years and is therepresentative of the Section on the AWWA Board of Directors. TheDirector provides reports back to the Section and reviews the activities ofthe AWWA Board of Directors. In that same role, the Director seeks theSection’s input on programs and policies to report back to the AWWABoard, for use in making decisions, providing comment or voting on issuesbefore the AWWA Board. The Directors are the advocate for and commu-nications link between our Section and the AWWA Board.

The second one is Alissa Lockett. Alissa is with the San Antonio WaterSystem and is an AWWA Director-At-Large. AWWA has four electedDirectors-At-Large on their Board; one is a service provider and the otherthree represent the diversity of the membership. The responsibilities forDirector-At-Large are essentially the same as those for Director – to serveon the AWWA Board, which establishes policies for the overall manage-ment and direction of Association affairs.

Last but certainly not least is Charlie Anderson. Charlie is with CDMand is the President-Elect of AWWA, which means he will be inauguratedas the President of AWWA at ACE 2012, which is in Dallas. A formerTexas Section Chair, he began climbing the AWWA ladder by being electedto serve on the AWWA Board of Directors for a term of three years. He wasthen elected by the AWWA Board of Directors to serve as a Vice President.

Charlie then threw his hat in the ring as a candidate for election to

By Dave Scholler

Never-ending

PLEASE SEE CHAIR, PAGE 18

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 2

Letter from the Texas Section Chair

Hardly a day goes by that doesn’t include a conversa-tion about the lack of rain, drought conditions, or thisbrutal summer heat.

While everyone in Texas is tuned into the drought andwater needs across the state, it’s a good opportunity forutilities — now that they have the public’s attention — tomake the drought work to their advantage.

At the TAWWA Water Conservation and ReuseDivision Meeting Aug. 2, one topic that surfaced involvedthe positive — yes, positive — aspects of a drought andhow utilities can benefit from a dry spell.

“The good part about the drought is that we do have people’sattention right now,” said Carole Baker with the Texas WaterFoundation. “I think it’s a really good time to get the message outto your communities that, in the water plan, 1/3 of our watersupply is supposed to come from conservation and reuse.”

Baker explained that because not a penny of state funding isgeared toward that 1/3 of future water supply, it’s up to utilitiesand water suppliers to get their communities to start seeingconservation as a more year-round, business-as-usual goal, notsomething to only consider in a drought.

“I think one of the biggest challenges we have it trying to helppeople understand that this needs to be a long-term commit-ment,” Baker said. “We need to have savings, we need to be ableto quantify those savings, and this is a great time to do it.”

Baker said it will come down to utilities to create conservationprograms and keep their communities on-board with conserva-tion even when it starts raining again.

Droughts also offer a chance for utilities to examine theirdrought plans and help be better prepared for the future.

“Utilities have the opportunity to solicit and reinforce fundingrequests for future long-term water conservation program efforts,”said Roger Schenk of CDM, chair of the Water Conservation andReuse Division. “They will also have the opportunity to evaluatetheir drought contingency response efforts, based on lessonslearned in recent drought responses.”

Dean Minchillo, with the Lower Colorado River Authority,said that when the LCRA implemented its drought plan in 2007and 2008, they realized all kinds of unintended consequences, butwere able to improve their plan from that experience.

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PLEASE SEE SILVER LINING, PAGE 21

Share Your knowledge with the Texas Water communitySubmit your Abstract

to be a presenter April 10-13, 2012

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

San Antonio

www.texas-water.com

TEXASWATER2012

DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTAL: SEPT. 19, 2011For instructions and access to the Texas WaterInteractive Presenter System, click to....

TEXAS WATER 2012SM is a registered servicemark of Texas AWWA for the exclusive use for this joint conference with WEAT. All rights reserved.

Conservation message canpenetrate customers after all

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 3

Silver liningto the drought

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By Mike HoweTAWWA Executive Director

It is a drought. But, it took us a while toget to that understanding. Some are stillunsure, though they are losing ground

(and water) with that argument as recordtemperatures and little or no rain continue.

Because of this uncertainty, it is hard to determine when adrought begins and how bad it really is. As a result of this uncertainty, decision-makers are confused or hesitant to takeaction until the drought’s effects are beyond obvious.

By then, it can be too late to implement many of the mosteffective responses. Droughts are not rare, but we are slow to takethem seriously at first, and consequently, because of our slowresponse, it then becomes much, much harder to convince thepublic they should now take quick action to counteract thedrought’s effects.

What we are watching is a slow natural disaster, a constantlycreeping event that is hard to recognize until streambeds are dry,crops have withered and reservoirs have reached record lows.Droughts don't have epicenters like earthquakes or paths like

hurricanes or tornadoes. Instead, droughts just spread and shiftthrough time and space. They are slow and take months to estab-lish and may persist for seasons, years, or even decades. Figuringout when a drought starts and stops requires careful monitoringof meteorological and hydrological variables such as precipitationand stream flow. And, the effects are cumulative, growing inmagnitude with each additional day of drought. Impacts maylinger for years even after ‘normal’ rainfall resumes.

Unlike other natural disasters, drought tends to drive peopleapart rather than bring them together. Conflicts between people,communities and governments competing for water are typical ofdrought. We are at that stage now. Those who hold junior waterrights in some Texas basins are now without.

What does all this mean to us? In the simplest analysis, weknow drought costs at least as much as faster-moving disasters.The drought of 1987-1989 cost the government and privatesector an estimated $39 billion and affected up to 70 percent ofthe country's population. In comparison, estimates of a worst-casehurricane are around $7 billion, and a worst-case earthquake at$30 to $50 billion. So, if you think our economy is strugglingnow, we need to be aware of the additional dollar impacts this

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By Liz DavidsonTEXASH2O

Natural gas companies in Texas will soon have to reveal whatchemicals they use in the hydraulic fracturing process.

The new law, HB 3328 by Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland,requires natural gas companies to disclose what chemicals areused in the hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” process.Companies will be required to post the chemicals used at welllocations on a public website, FracFocus.org.

Keffer, president of EBAA Iron in Eastland, is a TAWWAmember. His success in passing the bill earned him honors as oneof Texas Monthly’s Ten Best Legislators.

Fracking involves blasting a combination of water, sand andchemicals into the ground to break up gas-bearing rocks andmake the resource easier to extract.

“This process has been used for many, many years in Texas,”Keffer told TEXASH2O in an exclusive interview. “We need totake the ‘it’s not your business attitude’ out of the equation.”

Although members of the gas industry have claimed that theprocess is safe if done properly, the secrecy behind the chemicalsused has not helped the industry against critics.

“We’ve got to take the mystery out of this process,” Keffersaid. “People have a right to know.”

Hydraulic fracturing has created controversyin recent years from claims that the chemicalsused in the process are seeping into undergroundwater reserves and drinking water sources.

“We’re in the middle of one of the worst droughts in decadesand a lot of water is used in the fracking process,” Keffer said.“We need to protect the environment and make sure the under-ground formations are not being affected.”

The bill drew support from various environmental groups,such as the Environmental Defense Fund and the Sierra Club, aswell as from different oil-and-gas groups, although Keffer notedthat maintaining support from both sides was challenging.

“We had to keep the balance between environmental wishesand oil-and-gas wishes,” Keffer said. “And I think, at the end ofthe day, we were able to do that.”

Companies will still be able to claim certain chemicals as“trade secrets,” but the law sets up a process for determiningwhether a chemical does not have to be revealed to the public.Landowners adjacent to well sites will also be able to challengethe trade secret claim. The Railroad Commission of Texas ishammering out rules for the law, which will take effect by 2013.

“I think its going to go a long way to helping the industry andpeople of Texas live side by side,” Keffer said. “And it’s a goodtemplate to be used for the rest of the country.”

REP. KEFFER

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 6

TAWWA-member legislator earnsaccolades for ‘fracking’ legislation

PM_72252.01_ref 072048.01_SNWA_ WSI 2011_Texas H2O_Print_Trim 8.5" x 11.5"_Live 7.5" x 9.5_Non Bleed_4C_InDesign CS3_Fonts: Helvetica Neue _AD: DV_GA: DV_Dorcus 5.24.11; tom 5/26/11 loaded

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From October 5 – 7, 2011, water-ef� ciency professionals from across the country

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WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition.

Featuring informative professional sessions and an expo hall, this international,

multidisciplinary urban water-ef� ciency event is a forum for participants to share

experiences and ideas in an atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration.

With a low registration rate of $390 per attendee, plus affordable room rates and

airfares, it’s easy to see why WSI 2011 won’t sink your travel budget.

Save the date for WSI 2011 to absorb new concepts and inspirations for a water-

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908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 7

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TEXASH2OOne of your customers could be

reading your ad here.

512-251-8101

The Texas Water IQ Campaign is going global.This September in New York, the United Nations General

Assembly is prioritizing international water issues with a one-daysummit featuring multiple speakers and panelists.

And longtime Texas water conservation activist Carole Baker willbe there. She has been invited to speak on a panel at the InternationalWater Forum on Sept. 16. The event coincides with the opening weekof the UN General Assembly.

Baker of the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District is a former chairof the Texas Section’s Legislative Committee and Water Conservationand Reuse Division. A member of the state’s Water ConservationAdvisory Council, she is also acting executive director of the TexasWater Foundation and Chair of the Chicago-based Alliance for WaterEfficiency. She will primarily discuss the Texas IQ Campaign, specifi-cally regarding the research that went into developing the campaign,reaching its target audience and implementing the campaignstatewide.

“It is very encouraging that they have selected ‘public awarenesscampaigns’ to highlight,” said Baker.

After the panel discussion, a work session will break down theseissues further and see how they can be translated to a national andinternational audience.

“I hope that we can produce a good work plan that can be used toeducate people around the globe,” said Baker.

Carole Baker to speak at UNon international water topics

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 8

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Editor’s Note: This article by State Rep. Bill Callegari, a former watermanagement firm executive, appeared in the Austin American-

County.

By State Rep. Bill Callegari

The plague of drought has captured Texas headlines. Onthe heels of withering droughts in 2006 and 2009, nearlythe entire state endures drought conditions. Reservoirs are

running low, and some near-dry, as water levels in rivers andaquifers continue to plummet. All of this is occurring less than ayear after higher than normal precipitation levels in 2010.

Some communities, such as the city of Llano, face the ominousprospect of having no water before summer's end. Other towns,from Midland to Fredericksburg to The Woodlands, have imple-mented watering restrictions to conserve their resources.Meanwhile, wildfires throughout the state — including within theAustin and Houston metropolitan areas — serve as starkreminders of the perils of drought.

Historically, this year's drought is the state's third worst sinceofficial records began in 1895. The insult to this injury lies in the

Drought: A costly disasterFinancing: A Texas necessity

Continued on the following page

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 10

Statesman July 14. Callegari represents Fort Bend and western Harris

TTOO AADDVVEERRTTIISSEE:: 551122--225511--88110011

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possibility that this drought may not only get worse, but couldget more severe than the worst drought of record in the 1950s.

Scientific studies of tree ring records indicate the presence ofhistoric megadroughts of a magnitude worse than the 1950sdrought of record. In medieval times, the area that was tobecome Texas endured several 20- to 40-year megadroughtsthroughout the 1100's and 1200's. Another megadroughtstruck during the last half of the 16th century. Scientists havealso uncovered evidence of subsequent, severe droughts occur-ring around the times of the Revolutionary War and the CivilWar.

Texas has changed since these megadroughts. Texans builtreservoirs and tapped into aquifers for water during dry years.Despite these and other water supply developments, droughtremains an economically expensive natural disaster. Thedroughts of 2006 and 2009 respectively wreaked $4.1 and $3.8billion in agricultural damage. This year's losses already totalabove $1 billion and are expected to climb. Some expertspredict that this drought could cost Texas businesses as muchas $9.1 billion.

Looking forward, the ever-persistent threat of droughtcoupled with the absence of key pieces to our long-term watersupply infrastructure could be the Achilles' Heel of the Texaseconomic miracle. State water planners predict that in less than50 years 85 percent of Texans may not have enough water.

From the preceding page

PLEASE SEE FINANCING, PAGE 19

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By Liz DavidsonTEXASH2O

Last year, a program was introduced inWaco that gave high school students theopportunity to obtain a Class D wateroperator license upon graduation. Thisyear, two of those students can now begincareers in the water industry.

The program is a joint effort betweenthe A.J. Moore Academy and the City ofWaco Water Utility Services Department.Jon Coker serves as the classroominstructor, with the City of Waco’s TeresaBryant teaching twice a week to supple-ment the classroom material.

Over the year, the course helps preparestudents to take the TCEQ exam, whichcovers topics such as a general workingknowledge of water, water quality, andsurface water treatment. The program also

involved field trips, opportunities forhands-on learning and the chance tocompete in the first ever Junior MeterMadness at Texas Water 2011 in FortWorth.

The TCEQ exam requires a highschool diploma or GED and a 20-hour

basic water training course. Not only doesthe Waco program cover the material fromthis course, but Bryant said that thestudents actually receive about 60 hours oftraining.

Once students pass the course and

Waco program leadsyouths to careersin water industry

Plant.

PLEASE SEE STUDENTS, PAGE 18

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 12

A.J. Moore Academy student Jorge Zuniga at the Dissolved Air Flotation Water TreatmentCity of Waco Utility Director, Ricky Garrett, explains the dissolved air flotation process to

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AADDVVEERRTTIISSEE:: 551122--225511--88110011

Members on the move

Engineering firm Hazen and Sawyer’s newFort Worth office will be headed up by TinaE. Hanson, P.E.

Hanson is chair of the Texas Section’sDistribution Division and a former trustee onTAWWA’s Board representing North Texas.

Hanson has designed upgrades and modi-fications to dozens of wastewater and watertreatment facilities over the last two decades, working with plantcapacities ranging from 175,000 gpd to 450 mgd. Ms. Hansonrecently managed the risk-based assessment for the City of FortWorth’s Wastewater Master Plan Update that included renewalrecommendations and a renewal program for the entire wastew-ater collection system.

“I’m very excited by this opportunity to harness the expertiseof Hazen and Sawyer to address the water and wastewater chal-lenges facing Texas,” Hanson said. “By 2060, Texas is projectedto more than double in population, putting increasing demandson water supplies and the accompanying water and wastewaterinfrastructure.”

Hanson holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in civilengineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. Alongwith her leadership in Texas AWWA, she is a member of theWater Environment Association of Texas.

-H2O-

Carollo Engineers announces the addition of Paul Walker,P.E., and Meera Victor, P.E., to its Houston office.

Coming from the Austin and Dallas offices of CarolloEngineers, respectively, Walker and Victor have extensive experi-ence in the Texas water/wastewater industry.

Victor, an Associate with Carollo, recentlyreceived the Ken Miller Water For PeopleFounder’s Award, recognizing her contributions to the Water For People effort.She chaired the WFP auction at Texas Water2007SM and Texas Water 2011SM. With more than10 years of experience, she focuses specifically on water treatment, wastewater treatment and water reuse.

Walker, a vice president with Carollo, is aspecialist in water treatment with 20 years ofexperience. He has performed treatabilitystudies, master planning, detailed design andconstruction services for water treatment facili-ties in Texas and across the U.S. with acombined capacity of more than 1 billiongallons per day and an aggregate construction

value of more than $1 billion.

VICTOR

WALKER

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 14

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The South Texas Chapter – a jointchapter with Texas Section and WEAT –elected leaders at its June meeting.Among those serving in leadership posi-tions are, from left, Kerry Averyt, pastpresident, TAWWA South TexasChapter; Cale Underberg, treasurer,WEAT San Antonio Section; DennisLaskowski, Section Rep, WEAT SanAntonio Section; Lizanne Douglas,secretary, TAWWA South TexasChapter; Jana Cezeaux, secretary,WEAT San Antonio Section; DavidBennett, vice president, WEAT SanAntonio Chapter; Melissa Bryant, presi-dent, TAWWA South Texas Chapter;Robert Macias, past president, WEATSan Antonio Chapter; Josh Marazzini, president, WEAT San Antonio Chapter;and Greg Swoboda, vice president,TAWWA South Texas Chapter.

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 15

Chapter News

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Offi ces in Austin, College Station, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San AntonioWeKnowWater@BV.com

Consulting • Engineering • Construction • Operation | www.bv.com

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TTAAWWWWAA FFIINNAANNCCIIAALL PPLLAANNNNIINNGG SSEEMMIINNAARR

Name ________________________________________

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** CCHHOOOOSSEE YYOOUURR SSIITTEE❏ SSEEPPTT.. 11:: Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555

Timmons Ln., Suite 120, Houston, TX 77027

❏ SSEEPPTT.. 1155:: Wells Branch Community Center,2106 Klattenhoff, Austin, TX 78728

❏ Check for $95 enclosed

❏ Bill my credit card:❏ Visa ❏ MasterCard ❏ AMEX ❏ Discover Card

Name on card __________________________________

Number __________________________ Exp. ________

Billing address (if different) ______________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

REGISTER ON-LINE: www.tawwa.orgor FAX REGISTRATION TO 512-251-8152

❏ I am faxing registration; check to follow(Please include copy of registration form with check.)Please make checks payable to Texas Section AWWA.Mail form and payment to:

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For information: http://tawwa.org512-238-9292 (Phone) 512-251-8152 (Fax)

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 16

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Two opportunities remain to participate in financial planningtraining offered by the Texas Section’s Rates and ChargesCommittee. A registration form appears at left.

Sessions are available Sept. 1 at the Houston-Galveston AreaCouncil, 3555 Timmons Ln. in Houston and Sept. 15 at theWells Branch Community Center, 2106 Klattenhoff in Austin

Each seminar offers utility financial staff training in a widevariety of topics, including regulatory requirements, infrastructurefinancing, water supply development, capital planning and ratedesign.

Sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. after anintensive look at case studies dealing with the issues covered bythe seminars.

Cost for each seminar is only $95/person. Use the form at leftor register on-line through www.tawwa.org. For more informa-tion, contact Nelisa Heddin at nheddin@wrmlp.com.

TTEEXXAASS WWAATTEERR 22001122SS MM

AAPPRRIILL 1100--1133 •• SSAANN AANNTTOONNIIOO

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 17

2 seminars leftfor trainingin utility finance

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www.kimley-horn.com

Austin ∙ College Station

Dallas ∙ Fort Worth

Frisco ∙ Houston

Irving ∙ San Antonio

Students from Page12

graduate from the Academy, they have fulfilled the requirementsfrom the TCEQ and can take the exam.

Out of the class of 12, three students took the exam, with twopassing with an 80 or better and obtaining their license. They areJohn Foytek and Jorge Zuniga.

“It was a huge success,” said Bryant. “We got benefits out of itthat we didn’t even expect. The kids have a larger appreciation forwater, and after talking to them, they were passing what theylearned onto their friends and parents, as well.”

Not only does the program educate students about water andgenerate interest in water careers, it provides members of theindustry an opportunity to personally prepare the next genera-tion.

“We get the added benefit of creating the training for ourpotential workforce,” said Jonathan Echols with the City of WacoWater Utility Services Department. “We get these young kids intothe field.”

Bryant said that word about the program has spread and it has20 students enrolled in it for the upcoming school year.

Zuniga, one of the students who now has his Class D license,said that he didn’t know much about the water industry beforethe class, but has begun looking into it as a potential career.

“I’ve learned a lot from the course, which enabled me to passthe TCEQ exam,” Zuniga said. “I took the test in order to getahead in beginning my work career.”

Although neither of the licensed students are currentlyworking in the water industry, Bryant said that doesn’t mean theywon’t pursue it in the future.

“This license is good for three years,” Bryant said. “Whatevertheir path is, they can always come back.”

Chair from Page 2

AWWA President and was elected by a vote of the AWWA Boardof Directors earlier this year.

When asked about his soon to be service as AWWA President,Charlie responded, “Every AWWA President takes the gavel andmantle of leadership not as a superstar but as one who has beenprivileged to be part of a diverse and dynamic team of volunteerswho share a common vision for AWWA's future.”

These individuals serve on the Board of AWWA and havefiduciary responsibilities of care, loyalty and good faith that goalong with all organization roles, even in our Section.

We need to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to theseindividuals. They give their time and energy unselfishly, and theyhighlight the strength of the Texas Section and its core of volunteers.

We are nothing without you, our membership, as these indi-viduals have demonstrated. I urge all of you to get involved tokeep our Section strong and the Best Section in AWWA.

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Financing from Page11

Throw in the onset of a megadrought, and our prospects lookdim. Business, industry, and communities cannot grow or existwithout reliable water resources. The bounties of population andeconomic growth will diminish if we fail to secure the resourcesnecessary for their sustainability. In fact, the Texas WaterDevelopment Board notes that failure to meet the state's watersupply needs in drought conditions could cost Texas businessesnearly $100 billion by year 2060.

This current drought should bring our long-term water policyinto sharper focus. To our credit, Texas is renowned for its stridesin comprehensive, statewide water planning. The perfect planfails, however, absent execution.

Significant water supply planning strategies designed toprotect our growing economy and communities from drought

have not been imple-mented. Fourteen majorreservoir sites designated bythe Legislature in 2007remain undeveloped due tolack of funding and federalregulatory interference.Regulatory hurdlespreclude our ability totransfer water from boun-tiful rivers to areas in need.

We need to take greater strides toward implementing water-smart conservation practices and technologies, including reuseand desalination.

Underlying each of these water supply strategies is the need fora consistent, reliable funding source for our water plan.Reservoirs, pipelines, and water desalination plants are expensive.Texas will need to invest $30 billion or more on water supplyprojects like these if we are to meet our needs in the comingdecades. As the strings to our state's budget grow tighter, we mayneed to consider ways to raise revenues to finance these projects.

As a fiscal conservative, I am reluctant to suggest the need fornew state revenues or financing mechanisms. Fiscal conservatismincludes making wise investments to protect future prosperity: inthe long-run we will get what we pay for. Towards that end, it iscrucial that we frame this discussion in the context of drought —while mindful of the lessons of megadroughts — and itseconomic implications.

The benefits of committing to investing in long-term watersupply solutions will outweigh the costs of drought. Droughts arenative to Texas, and our growth requires that we be prepared to

pray, and forecast for the best of rainfalls, prudence necessitatesthat we plan, build, and find a way to pay for the worst ofdroughts.

‘Fiscal conservatism

includes making wise

investments to protect

future prosperity.’

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withstand long- and short-term droughts. While we may hope,

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drought will bring.

In 1994, the Texas Water Development Board showed that asevere one-year drought that constrained water supplies by 15percent could cost the state's economy $15 billion in directeffects, and from $25 to $45 billion in indirect effects. Thishypothetical drought is similar to the drought that Texas sufferedin the 1950s, although the effects are projected for only one year,and the drought of the 1950s, like many other droughts ofrecord, was a multi-year drought.

The 1950’s drought is our current “drought of record” thoughmany are now speculating that we have or will soon reset thatmilestone with the current drought. And, it has been going on forsome time. I recently came across a 2006 article that I wroteabout what appeared to be the beginnings of severe drought herein Texas.

This is the real deal and even if we had a slow moving tropicalstorm come onshore this month or next, it would only be atemporary reprieve. When drought begins, the agricultural sectoris usually the first to beaffected because of its heavydependence on stored soilwater. Soil water can be rapidlydepleted during extended dryperiods.

If precipitation deficienciescontinue, then people depen-dent on other sources of waterwill begin to feel the effects ofthe shortage. Those who rely on surface water and ground waterare usually the last to be affected. A short-term drought thatpersists for three to six months may have little impact on thesesectors, depending on the characteristics of the hydrologic systemand water use requirements. But, as we march into the longerdrought, we now are seeing the first of what will likely be an ever-increasing number of water systems impacted. And, even if thedrought ended in early 2012, the impacts on water systemswould continue.

When precipitation returns to normal and drought conditionshave abated, the above sequence is repeated for the recovery ofsurface and subsurface water supplies. Soil water reserves arereplenished first, followed by stream flow, reservoirs and lakes,and ground water. Drought impacts may diminish rapidly in theagricultural sector because of its reliance on soil water, but lingerfor months or even years in other sectors dependent on storedsurface or subsurface supplies.

Groundwater users, often the last to be affected by droughtduring its onset, may be last to experience a return to normal

Howe from Page 4

Continued on the following page

Droughts are more

costly than

hurricanes

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“If this drought continues for the long-term, then we’ll haveto see again, what are we prepared for and what are we not reallyprepared for,” Minchillo said. “I’m sure we’ll learn some morelessons, and it will be hard, but we’ll have a better product for thenext time.”

Robert Stefani, with the City of Austin’s water utility,discussed how the 2009 drought became a good marketing toolfor Austin. For instance, the utility hasn’t been marketing irriga-tion audits more than usual, but the request for audits hasincreased two- to three-fold. He attributes that to people remem-bering what happened in 2009.

“We kind of kept that theme that [conservation] is importantfrom ’09 and never really let up on it,” Stefani said. “So when wecome back with more restrictions this year, in a sense, we’repicking up from where we were two years ago instead of startingcompletely over.”

In looking for ways to conserve, droughts also offer a chancefor utilities to re-evaluate its programs. For example, Stefani saidthat Austin Water Utility has taken this opportunity to readdressits variance program.

“These kind of things are driven by the drought,” Stefani said.“We were looking for places to tighten up and our varianceprogram was one of these areas.”

With these ways for utilities to take advantage of the drought,the conversation continued to echo the notion that, with futurewater supplies in mind, it will come down to changing the waypeople think about water and conservation.

“Somehow we’re going to have to get the general publiceducated about what we’re facing and what we’re looking at,”Baker said. “It’s no longer, ‘let’s encourage, let’s do the rightthing, it’s a good thing to do’ — it’s critical.”

Silver lining from Page 3

water levels. The length of the recovery period is a function ofthe intensity of the drought, its duration, and the quantity ofprecipitation received as the drought slowly ends. It took us awhile to get where we are and even if the drought officially ends,it will take an extended period for water supplies to recover.

This is not good news. There are no easy answers for waterutilities. At the same time greater conservation is necessary, utilitymanagers also have to sell water to pay the bills. Trying to findthe balance between these two contradictions once again putsutilities in an untenable conflict of interest. And, raising rates willnot fill ever-decreasing reservoirs or make wells more productive.

We have devoted this issue of TEXAS H2O to examining theimpacts of this drought. We will continue to do so in futureissues.

We may not always know that a drought is on us, but, as itdevelops, we know it when we see it. And we see it right now.

From the preceding page

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Built Fast....Built To Last

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Strain from Page 1

In August, 764 of the state’s water systems had implementedeither mandatory or voluntary restrictions on customer water use,and that number was expected to continue to climb.

TCEQ, using the TXWARN utility-to-utility disaster responsesystem administered by Texas AWWA, sent out an electronicquestionnaire to all utilities in the state. If your utility hasn’tresponded, it can record its situation through a special website,www.texasdrought.org.

As expected, smaller systems were feeling the pains first. TheCity of Kemp and the City of Robert Lee drew the attention ofCNN.

In a situation familiar to many Texas utilities, dry weather hadshifted soil around pipelines in Kemp, resulting in 14 line breaksthat emptied the city’s water towers and forced it to cease deliv-ering water.

High heat and high demand has all but drained Lake E.V.Spence, the sole source of water for the City of Robert Lee, justnorth of San Angelo. Larger cities using the lake turned to othersources, but Robert Lee has no other source.

Robert Lee is in Stage 3 of its drought contingency plan,banning outdoor watering. The next step is pro rata allocation ofwater to customers as it plans to build a pipeline to nearbyBronte.

The strain is expected to continue, and more populous watersystems may begin to see the same kinds of struggles.

Or it could rain by the time you read this. One can hope.

The U.S. Drought Monitor forecast map shows little prospect of improve-ment through October.

NOTICETexas WaterSM is a registered servicemark of Texas AWWA forthe exclusive use in conjunction with the joint conference with

the Water Environment Association of Texas. Any other use without the express written permission

of Texas AWWA is prohibited. All rights reserved.

908712 TX AWWA H20 NL.qxd 8/22/11 5:03 PM Page 22

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Texas Section CalendarWant 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 LOCATION INFORMATION

Aug. 26 Water For People Golf Tournament Canyon Springs Golf Club. mvergara@cpyi.com24405 Wilderness Oak, San Antonio

Sept. 1 TAWWA Rates & Charges Committee 8:30am Houston-Galveston Area Council www.tawwa.orgFinancial Planning Seminar 3555 Timmons Ln., Houston See Story Page 17

Sept. 15 TAWWA Rates & Charges Committee 8:30am Wells Branch Community Center www.tawwa.orgFinancial Planning Seminar 2106 Klattenhoff, Austin See Story Page 17

Sept. 19 Texas Water 2012SM www.texas-water.comAbstract Submittal Deadline.

April 10-13 Texas Water 2012SM Henry B. Gonzalez Conv. Center www.texas-water.comSan Antonio

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