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2005 Water Resource Plan
Update
Frequently-Asked Questions
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hy did SAWS revise its long-term water
resource plan?
In 1998, SAWS developed its first long-term water resource plan.
The 1998 Plan,
which was approved by City Council in 2000, mandated that a periodic
review take place to ensure that our planning process be adjusted
for "...new policies, changing circumstances, and new technologies"
(Securing Our Water Future: 1998 Water Resource Plan).
In accordance with this mandate, David Chardavoyne, the SAWS President/CEO,
convened a multi-disciplinary, staff Task Force to evaluate all
existing and proposed water supply projects. The recommendations
of the Task Force are contained in the Water Resource Plan 2005
Update (2005 Update).
Mr. Chardavoyne presented the 2005 Update to the Board of Trustees
on June 21, 2005. The Board of Trustees did not take action on
the 2005 Update until its August 16 meeting, to allow time to
solicit and receive input from SAWS regional partners, municipal
and state representatives, local businesses, associations, and
the general public. Over one hundred meetings have been scheduled
throughout the region to provide the public with an opportunity
to comment on the plan.
Why is SAWS using the 1984 planning year, rather than the 1956
drought of record?
The 1984 planning year is used to evaluate expected availability
of various supplies and to ensure that our total supplies provide
for projected water demands, even during critical period conditions.
The Task Force selected 1984 as its planning year, rather than
the 1956 drought of record, because:
- 1984 is the last year of the driest three-year period in
the last 30 years, during which each year received 26.2 inches
or less of rainfall
- 1984 represents a more accurate reflection of current demand
conditions, given the changes in agricultural, industrial,
and residential use patterns; and per capita consumption over
the past fifty years.
How much will all of the projects in the 2005 Update cost?
The recommendations outlined in the 2005 Update provide 2.4 percent
more additional supplies, than those proposed in the 1998 plan
at a reduction of the cost. The total cost of all recommended
projects in the 2005 Update is $2.1 billion, in comparison $2.8
billion proposed in the 1998 Plan.
What water supply options are in the plan?
Attaining more aggressive conservation goals, through a combination
of reductions in per capita consumption, implementation of the
new water conservation ordinance (Ordinance No. 100322) that was
passed by the San Antonio City Council in January 2005, and increased
use of recycled water, remains our most important source of water
supply. The 2005 Update recommends that SAWS adopt the goal of
achieving a minimum of 116 gallons per capita per day in a normal
year and 122 gallons per capita per day in a dry year.
In addition, the 2005 Update includes recommendations to continue:
- Edwards Aquifer water rights acquisition
- Recharge Initiatives Project
- LCRA-SAWS Project
- Regional Carrizo Project.
The 2005 Update also recommends that we add a brackish groundwater
desalination project.
Does SAWS reliance on the 1984 planning year differ from the 1956
drought of record planning standard that is currently used in
our regional plans?
While the South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Group did
use drought of record data for non-Edwards Aquifer water supplies,
it did not use drought of record conditions for forecasting the
availability of Edwards Aquifer water supplies. For planning purposes,
an estimate of 340,000 acre-feet per year of available supply
from the Edwards Aquifer was agreed upon by the South Central
Texas Regional Water Planning Group and the staff of the Texas
Water Development Board. This quantity was adopted as a placeholder
number until the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) obtains approval
from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a Habitat Conservation
Plan (HCP).
Why is SAWS withdrawing from the Lower Guadalupe Water Supply
Project?
SAWS staff assessed each proposed water project in terms of cost,
technical feasibility, environmental and regulatory risks, and
contribution to the diversity of our supply portfolio. As a result
of this analysis, staff recommends that SAWS withdrawal its participation
in the Lower Guadalupe Water Supply Project, because of the environmental
and regulatory risks associated with the project’s implementation.
The inability to obtain favorable legislation regarding inter-basin
transfer regulations added to the amount of risks with this project.
Additionally, there could be adverse impacts on the endangered
Whooping Crane, since the project might affect the bay’s freshwater
inflows and the blue crab population.
Does the 2005 Update rely on the Edwards Aquifer as the only source
of water supply?
One of the recommendations is to acquire additional Edwards Aquifer
water rights in the short-term. However, the 2005 Update does
not represent a simple plan of relying solely on the Edwards Aquifer.
In fact, if SAWS accommodates growth within its existing service
area, 29 percent of our supply will come from non-Edwards sources
in 2050. In contrast, if regional communities elect to have SAWS
serve as a regional, wholesale water provider, more than 50 percent
of our future water supplies will come from non-Edwards sources.
How can I learn more about the 2005 Update?
The 2005 Update can be downloaded
from the SAWS Web site. To schedule a briefing on the update for
a business, community group, or neighborhood association, please
contact Gary Guy,
(210) 233-3666.
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