Colorado River Municipal Water District. WATER CONSERVATION and DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN

Transcription

1 Colorado River Municipal Water District WATER CONSERVATION and DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN Adopted by the Board of Directors

2 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors WATER CONSERVATION & DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN for the COLORADO RIVER MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT ***TABLE OF CONTENTS*** 1.0 INTRODUCTION Colorado River Municipal Water District Water Supply System Water Supplies to our Member & Customer Cities City of Odessa Water System City of Big Spring Water System City of Snyder Water System City of Midland Water System City of San Angelo Water System City of Abilene Water System City of Stanton Water System City of Robert Lee Water System City of Grandfalls Water System City of Pyote Water System Industrial Customers OBJECTIVES WATER CONSERVATION Metering and Water Accounting System Conjunctive use District Water Quality Enhancement System Strategic Water Releases Precipitation Enhancement Brush Management Total Maximum Daily Load Studies Leak Detection & Reduction Public Education Water Reclamation Projects Water Conservation Plans of Member & Customer Cities (a) City of Odessa Plan (b) City of Big Spring Plan (c) City of Snyder Plan (d) City of Midland Plan (e) City of San Angelo Plan (f) City of Abilene Plan Colorado River Municipal Water District Page i

3 ***TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)*** Adopted by the District s Board of Directors 3.11(g) City of Stanton Plan (h) City of Robert Lee Plan (i) City of Grandfalls Plan (j) City of Pyote Plan DROUGHT CONTINGENCY Introduction Public Involvement Wholesale Water Customer Information Coordination with Region F-RWPG Authorization Variances Contractual Obligations and Limitations The District's Water Supply System Source Constraints Distribution Capacity Constraints Supply Trigger Levels (a) Condition 1 - Mild Drought (b) Condition 2 Moderate Drought (c) Condition 3 Severe Drought System Emergency (Critical Condition) Composite Triggers for the West End Cities Notice to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Continuing Notice Termination Procedures Plan Reviews Drought Contingency Plans of our Member & Customer Cities APPENDIX A - Water Use of our Member & Customer Cities Colorado River Municipal Water District Page iii

4 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors WATER CONSERVATION & DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN for the COLORADO RIVER MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD or District) was authorized in 1949 by an Act of the 51st Legislature of the State of Texas for the purpose of providing water to the District's Member Cities of Odessa, Big Spring, and Snyder (see Figure No. 1). The District also has contracts to provide specified quantities of water to the Cities of Midland, San Angelo, Stanton, Robert Lee, Grandfalls, Pyote, and Abilene (through the West Central Texas Municipal Water District). FIGURE No. 1 - Member & Customer Cities Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 1

5 The District is governed by a twelve-member Board of Directors. Four Board members are appointed by each Member City. Members serve on the Board for two-year terms. The structure of this Board insures our Member Cities an active voice in the operation of the District. Also, they provide a conduit for feedback to the cities, which is especially useful for a coordinated response to severe conditions, such as droughts or water shortages. The District owns and operates three major surface water supplies on the Colorado River in west Texas. These are Lake J. B. Thomas, the E. V. Spence Reservoir, and the O. H. Ivie Reservoir. Together, the full combined capacity of these reservoirs is million acre-feet. Additionally, CRMWD operates four well fields for water supply. Two of these fields were developed by the Member Cities prior to The third field, located in Martin County, began delivering water in The fourth field, located in Ward County southwest of Monahans, can supply up to 21 million gallons of water per day. The District primarily uses these well fields to supplement surface water deliveries during the summer months. CRMWD also operates a "diverted water" supply system. The primary function of this system is to prevent the highly mineralized low flow of the Colorado River and Beals Creek (a tributary of the Colorado River) from reaching the Spence Reservoir. The system delivers this highly mineralized water to oil companies for use in oil field secondary recovery operations. The District provides raw untreated surface and well water to our Member and Customer cities. This water is not available for resale by these cities without proper treatment, disinfection, and distribution. Since these cities cannot resell the water directly without alteration, it can be argued that the District does not fit the following definition of a wholesale public water supplier as presented in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules: (A Wholesale Water Provider is) an individual or entity that for compensation supplies water to another for resale to the public for human consumption Also, since we have no direct contact or control over the water s end user, District contracts with Member and Customer cities typically have no mechanism to limit or restrict water consumption, except in a dire emergency Colorado River Municipal Water District Water Supply System. The District's water supply system includes eight major reservoirs, three diversion works, numerous storage reservoirs, and more than 600 miles of transmission line. Lake J. B. Thomas is the oldest water supply reservoir. It was constructed in Borden and Scurry Counties in The E. V. Spence Reservoir was completed in Coke County in 1969, and the O. H. Ivie Reservoir, the District's newest water supply reservoir, was finished in Five of the reservoirs are used to control and evaporate poor quality "diverted water". The Barber Reservoir and its diversion works, located near Colorado City, were built in 1969 to Page 2 Colorado River Municipal Water District

6 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors reduce the chloride pollution entering the Spence Reservoir downstream. Red Draw Reservoir was constructed in 1985 along with a diversion works on Beals Creek. Both the Natural Dam Lake improvements and the Sulphur Draw Reservoir were built following the 1986 spill of poor quality water from Natural Dam Lake. The Mitchell County Reservoir was created to expand the District's ability to store and dispose of poor quality water. The complete scope of the District's Water Quality Enhancement System will not be addressed within this document. Table No. 1 presents a summary of the District reservoirs, their purpose, year of construction, and maximum capacity in acre-feet. TABLE No. 1 - District Reservoirs Reservoir Purpose Year Max. Capacity J.B. Thomas... Water Supply ,600 (1) E.V. Spence... Water Supply ,270 (2) O.H. Ivie... Water Supply ,340 Moss Creek... Water Supply ,030 Powell... Water Supply ,650 Barber... Quality Control ,500 Red Draw... Quality Control ,538 Natural Dam... Quality Control ,560 Mitchell Co.... Quality Control ,266 Sulphur Draw... Quality Control ,000 Table Notes: (1) The Texas Water Development Board prepared a VOLUMETRIC SURVEY OF LAKE J.B. THOMAS on October 30, This resurvey reduced the reservoir s maximum capacity from 204,000 acre feet to 200,600 acre feet. (2) The Texas Water Development Board prepared a VOLUMETRIC SURVEY OF E.V. SPENCE RESERVOIR on October 27, This resurvey increased the reservoir s maximum capacity from 488,760 acre feet to 517,270 acre feet. The District operates four well fields for municipal water supply. Two of these fields, located at Snyder and near Odessa, served as those cities water supplies prior to the District's inception. The third field, located in Martin County northwest of Stanton, was developed by the District in the early 1950's. The fourth field, which is the largest District well field, is located in Ward County, southwest of Monahans, and was developed in Table No. 2 lists the District's well fields, their locations, and their maximum production rates. TABLE No. 2 - District Well Fields Well Field Location Year Production Snyder W.F....Scurry Co 's MGD Odessa W.F...Ector Co 's MGD Martin Co. W.F... Martin Co MGD Ward Co. W.F... Ward Co MGD Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 3

7 (This page intentionally left blank) Page 4 Colorado River Municipal Water District

8 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors The District also owns and operates a water distribution network encompassing twenty-two pump stations and more than 600 miles of water transmission pipeline (see Figure No. 2). The system features numerous miles of parallel lines and interconnects, which makes it quite flexible. Consequently, the District is able to furnish almost any customer with water from any source. FIGURE No. 2 - District Pipeline System 1.10 Water Supplies to our Member & Customer Cities. Below is a city by city summary of the District's water supply capabilities for our Member and Customer Cities. Included therein are the City's recent water demands, sources used to meet those demands, and a description of their water treatment plant. Additional information regarding water demands is presented in Appendix A. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 5

9 1.11 City of Odessa Water System. The District is responsible for providing all of the water needs for the City and its customers. As a Member City, our contract with Odessa states in part: " (the) District agrees to sell and to deliver to the City at the delivery points hereinafter specified, and City agrees to purchase and take at said delivery points all water required by City during the period of this agreement for its own use and for distribution to all of the customers served by the City." Odessa's water needs have increased substantially over the years. Their FY 2000 demand was a record billion gallons (25,235 acre-feet), some 7.4 times their 1952 usage. Last year their total use was down somewhat at 6,961 billion gallons. The peak month use during the year was 29.5 MGD, while the peak day was almost 40 MGD. Odessa Historical Water Use Billion Gallons Year Under ordinary conditions, the City of Odessa obtains raw water furnished by the District from a blend of six different sources: (1) the Ivie Reservoir, (2) Spence Reservoir, (3) Lake Thomas, (4) Martin County Well Field, (5) Ward County Well Field, and (6) the Odessa Well Field. The District sets this blend based on reservoir contents, source water quality, economics, and the needs of our customers. Page 6 Colorado River Municipal Water District

10 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors City of Odessa Average Monthly Water Use MGD Year Annual Average Use JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Month The City typically consumes water at rates between 12 and 30 Million Gallons Per Day (MGD). During the past 5 years, their summer use has averaged 915 MG in July, while winter demands have averaged about 387 MG in December. The District has the ability to deliver a maximum of 34 MGD of water from the Terminal Pump Station to Odessa on a consistent basis. This ability is supplemented by the two 80 MG ground storage reservoirs located across the street from Odessa's Treatment Plant. Water being delivered to the plant from these reservoirs can reach 55 MGD rates on a short-term basis. The District operates the Ward County Well Field near Monahans, Texas. Currently this field can produce up to 28 MGD; however, the transmission system from the field to the City can only pump a maximum of 24 MGD. Normally system is operated at 16 MGD during the summer months only. Odessa's Treatment Plant features two parallel systems: one which is rated at 34.5 MGD; and the other, is rated at 40 MGD. Regardless, the combined plant can only treat 50 MGD today, due to hydraulic constraints and filter capacity limitations. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 7

11 1.12 City of Big Spring Water System. Like Odessa, the District is responsible for providing all of the water consumed by the City of Big Spring and its customers. As a Member City, our contract with Big Spring states in part: " (the) District agrees to sell and to deliver to the City at the delivery points hereinafter specified, and City agrees to purchase and take at said delivery points all water required by City during the period of this agreement for its own use and for distribution to all of the customers served by the City." Big Spring's water needs have increased over the years. Their FY 2004 demand totaled billion gallons (6,270 acre-feet), roughly 70% more than their 1953 consumption. Their peak month use averaged 7.7 MGD last year, while the peak day was 8.7 MGD. Big Spring Historical Water Use 4 3 Billion Gallons Year Under ordinary conditions, the City of Big Spring obtains raw water furnished by the District from a blend of four different sources: (1) the Ivie Reservoir, (2) Spence Reservoir, (3) Lake Thomas, and (4) the Martin County Well Field. The District sets this blend based on reservoir contents, source water quality, economics, and the needs of our customers. Typically Big Spring consumes between 4.4 and 8.4 MGD throughout the year. Summer use has averaged 259 MG in the month of July, while winter use averaged as low as 138 MG for the month of December. Page 8 Colorado River Municipal Water District

12 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors City of Big Spring Average Monthly Water Use MGD Year Annual Average Use JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Month The District has the ability to deliver up to 21 MGD of water from Lake Thomas and up to 40 MGD of Spence water from Moss Lake to the 15 MG reservoir located at the Big Spring Pump Station north of the City. Alternatively, the District can gravity flow up to 11 MGD of Ivie/Martin County water to this 15 MG reservoir from the west. A 27" concrete cylinder water line feeds the Big Spring Treatment Plant from the 15 MG reservoir. Currently this line operates by gravity with a capacity of 12 MGD, but could be boosted to increase this capacity. The City of Big Spring's Treatment Plant features two trains with a combined normal capacity of 12 MGD. This can be pushed to 13 MGD for short periods of time. The City contracted with the Howard County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 in the late 1950's to supply water to the City of Coahoma and the community of Sand Springs. All of the water consumed by these entities originates from District sources, and is treated by the City of Big Spring. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 9

13 1.13 City of Snyder Water System. The District is responsible for providing all of the water needs for the City and its customers. As a Member City, our contract with Snyder states in part: " (the) District agrees to sell and to deliver to the City at the delivery points hereinafter specified, and City agrees to purchase and take at said delivery points all water required by City during the period of this agreement for its own use and for distribution to all of the customers served by the City." Snyder Historical Water Use Billion Gallons Year Snyder's water needs have increased more than 40% since Their FY 2004 demand totaled billion gallons (2,268 acre-feet). Peak month use averaged 3.3 MGD last year, while the peak day was 4.8 MGD. Page 10 Colorado River Municipal Water District

14 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors City of Snyder Average Monthly Water Use 4 3 MGD Year Annual Average Use JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Month Under ordinary conditions, the City of Snyder obtains all of its water from Lake J. B. Thomas. When Thomas reserves are low, the City's needs can be supplemented with water from the Snyder Well Field, whose seven wells are scattered throughout the city. Low Thomas reserves can also be augmented by pumping either 5 MGD of water from the Ivie Reservoir, or 9 MGD of water from the Spence Reservoir "in reverse" through the 33-inch water line and dropping it into the lake at the Big Spring/Odessa Intake Station. This operation was actually used between 1997 and 1999, during which earthen canals within the lake basin were used to minimize evaporative losses. The District's delivery system to the City consists of a 27-inch concrete cylinder line from the pump station at Lake Thomas to a 15 MG reservoir located on top of a hill. The District can pump up to 12 MGD to this reservoir. From there, water flows by gravity through a low-head 21" concrete line to the Snyder Water Treatment Plant. The design capacity of this line was 9 MGD, however, tests showed a current maximum flow of only 7 MGD. Snyder's Treatment Plant features two parallel 5.0 MGD rated plants which have two trains each. The combined 10 MGD capacity could be exceeded for short periods of time. Snyder also delivers treated water to the communities of Ira, Dunn, Rotan, and Fluvanna. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 11

15 1.14 City of Midland Water System. The District entered its first contract with the City of Midland on May 10, This contract specified an escalating take-or-pay annual quantity and maximum delivery rate. For FY 2004, the contract quantity was MGD average (15,964 acre-feet per year) with a peak delivery rate not to exceed 15.0 MGD. Historically, water delivered by the District under this contract was a blend of water coming from Lake Thomas and the Spence Reservoir. Since 1995, however, some or all of the water for this contract has come from the Ivie Reservoir. Midland Historical Water Use Contract Ivie Contract 8 7 Billion Gallons Year The District typically blended the Thomas-Spence water at the 15 MG reservoir located north of Big Spring. The 27" and 36" supply lines have a combined capacity of 30 MGD from that reservoir to the Martin County Pump Station. From there, a 30" line, with a capacity of 15 MGD, travels on to the Midland Filter Plant. The District can increase this capacity by opening bypass valves from the 27" and 33" Martin County to Odessa pipelines adjacent to the filter plant. This bypass system can be used to deliver either the Thomas-Spence blend or Ivie Reservoir water, depending on pumping conditions. The District contracted with Midland for a fixed MGD average (15,000 acre-feet per year) of water from the Ivie Reservoir on September 1, Actual water deliveries from this source begin when the pipeline was completed in The City has contracted for the District to deliver this Ivie water, at a rate not to exceed 20 MGD, to the 100 MG Terminal Reservoir located west of the Midland International Airport. By contract, the City is responsible for transporting that water from the reservoir to their treatment plant, however, through subsequent Page 12 Colorado River Municipal Water District

16 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors agreement, the District has assumed the operation and maintenance of the pumps required for this transfer. City of Midland Average Monthly Water Use MGD Year Annual Average Use JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Month Midland's Treatment Plant has four trains which are rated at a combined 32 MGD. The plant can achieve a 44 MGD rate for short periods. Additionally, the City operates and maintains two well fields used for water supply. These fields, and their associated transmission system, has a maximum capacity of 25 MGD. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 13

17 1.15 City of San Angelo Water System. The District entered its first contract with the City of San Angelo on May 13, This contract, which expired and was replaced on August 19, 1997, now carries a contract quantity of million gallons (3,000 acre-feet) per year for water in the Spence Reservoir. The City may accrue up to 6,000 acre-feet of additional water if it does not take this contract quantity for one or more years. Withdrawals for any single year are limited to a maximum of 9,000 acre-feet. The City constructed, operates, and maintains its supply line and pump stations from the Spence Reservoir to their Water Treatment Plant. The District also contracted with San Angelo for a fixed MGD average (15,000 acre-feet per year) of water from the Ivie Reservoir on September 1, The City has contracted for the District to deliver this Ivie water, at a rate not to exceed 20 MGD, to one of the City's water transmission lines which is adjacent to the District's San Angelo Pump Station. This rate will eventually be increased to 25 MGD. San Angelo's primary source of water is the Twin Buttes Reservoir, owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, and the O. C. Fisher Reservoir, owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Additionally, the City uses Lake Nasworthy for supplemental storage. San Angelo Historical Water Use 7.0 Spence Contract 6.0 Ivie Contract 5.0 Billion Gallons Year Because of their other water supplies, San Angelo has been very erratic in their water demands from the District. Many years the City would operate off of their "local" sources, without taking Page 14 Colorado River Municipal Water District

18 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors any District water. However, in F.Y the city took 4,605 billion gallons (14,134 acre-feet) from the Ivie Reservoir. City of San Angelo Average Monthly Water Use MGD Year Annual Average Use JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Month San Angelo's Treatment Plant is located adjacent to the Concho River. The City normally passes water from Twin Buttes Reservoir through Lake Nasworthy, and on down the river to the plant. Low-head pumps on the river are capable of lifting up to 60 MGD from the river into the plant itself. Currently the City is able to gravity flow 20 MGD of water either from the O. C. Fisher Reservoir, or Ivie water from the San Angelo Pump Station, without supplemental pumping. This capacity will need to be increased once the Ivie Pipeline System is upgraded and the City's right increases to 25 MGD. The City's plant has three treatment trains rated at a combined 42 MGD. The plant can produce a peak rate of 55 MGD for short periods of time. For perspective, their peak day during 2004 was 23 MGD, somewhat over their peak contract flowrate. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 15

19 1.16 City of Abilene Water System. The District contracted with the West Central Texas Municipal Water District for a fixed MGD average (15,000 acre-feet per year) of water from the Ivie Reservoir on September 1, The City of Abilene constructed, owns, and operates a 50 mile long, 36-inch diameter pipeline from the Ivie Reservoir to the city. The system has a maximum capacity of 24 MGD, but is currently equipped to pump only 20 MGD. The system started operation in June Typically the city has pumped around 4 MGD throughout the year, except during the low demand months of winter. The graph below illustrates Abilene s water use during City of Abilene Average Monthly Water Use MGD Year Annual Average Use JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Month The City constructed a membrane filtration plant to treat this Ivie Reservoir water. This plant features microfiltration of the full stream followed by partial stream reverse osmosis (RO) treatment. Currently the plant can take 9 MGD in and output about 6 MGD of finished water. They operate with about a 60% bypass around the RO plant in order to match the conductivity and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) with the water produced by their other plant. The Ivie filtration plant is ultimately expandable to 24 MGD capacity. Page 16 Colorado River Municipal Water District

20 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors 1.17 City of Stanton Water System. The City of Stanton derives its water requirements from the District under the terms and conditions of a contract dated June 1, This contract authorized the City to take up to two million gallons of water per day from the District's 27-inch and 36-inch supply lines between Big Spring and the Martin County Pump Station. The point of delivery is where said lines cross State Highway 137, approximately six miles north of Stanton. The City owns and operates a pipeline from that point to their treatment plant. Stanton has taken between 50 and 127 million gallons per year for each of the past 10 years. During FY 2004, they received 104 million gallons (319 acre-feet). Their peak month occurred in May, when they took 11.5 MG (0.37 MGD average). Below is a graph of their average monthly use for the past 5 years: City of Stanton Average Monthly Water Use MGD Year Annual Average Use JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Month The City of Stanton also owns and operates several wells which can be used to supplement or replace the District's water deliveries. The District's contract with Stanton expires January 1, Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 17

21 1.18 City of Robert Lee Water System. The City of Robert Lee entered into a water purchase contract with the District on May 23, The City has a take-or-pay quantity of million gallons (50 acre-feet) of water per year from the E. V. Spence Reservoir. The City constructed its own transmission facilities from the reservoir to their water treatment plant, located immediately below the Mountain Creek Reservoir dam. Mountain Creek Reservoir serves as the City's primary source of water. In FY 2004, the City diverted million gallons (146 acre-feet) of water from Spence Reservoir. The contract carries a provision allowing the City to exceed the contract quantity, provided the city pays the District a per thousand gallon surcharge for all water over the contract quantity. The peak month delivery averaged MGD City of Grandfalls Water System. The City of Grandfalls contracted with the District for water from the Ward County Well Field on July 24, This contract carries a maximum of 125 million gallons (384 acre-feet) per year, with a point of delivery located on the southern end of the District's well field. The City owns, operates, and maintains a transmission line from that point to the city's treatment and distribution system. During FY 2004, the City received a total of million gallons (133 acre-feet) of water. The peak month had an average MGD delivery rate City of Pyote Water System. The City of Pyote and the West Texas State School (formerly the West Texas Childrens' Home) at Pyote receive their water supply from wells operated by the District. The wells are located on the western edge of the Ward County Well Field, and are operated under the terms and conditions of a contract between the District and the University of Texas System. The FY 2004 deliveries to Pyote and the State School totaled million gallons (226 acrefeet) of water. The peak month reached an average of MGD. Page 18 Colorado River Municipal Water District

22 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors 1.21 Industrial Customers. Throughout the years, the District has sold and delivered large quantities of water to industrial customers. Most of these were involved in oil production, and used this water to repressure depleted down-hole oil reservoirs. Deliveries for this purpose reached a peak of billion gallons during 1974, but had fallen to a paltry 683 million gallons (2,095 acre-feet) by FY The bulk of water used for this purpose comes from the District's diverted water system, which is too high in dissolved solids for use as municipal water. Water from the diverted water system will not be addressed in this document. Three industrial users, namely Atheon, Power Resources, and a portion of the Alon USA water deliveries, are provided by waters from the E. V. Spence Reservoir. These customers took a combined million gallons (757 acre-feet) of Spence water during The water needs of these three industrial customers only will be considered in subsequent portions of this document. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 19

23 (This page intentionally left blank) Page 20 Colorado River Municipal Water District

24 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors 2.0 OBJECTIVES. Water in West Texas is a scarce commodity. New sources of water may be many miles from the need, and are most often very costly to develop and operate. Therefore, proper water conservation and drought management will continue to play a critical role in the development and usage of water throughout the next century; not as a direct source, but in the "stretching" of available supplies. The Colorado River Municipal Water District's objective, with regard to water conservation, is to increase the efficient use of water, thereby reducing water demands without adversely affecting this area's population or economic growth potentials. The objective can be achieved through the proper management of water at the wholesale level, using tools such as the water reclamation, conjunctive use of water sources, diversion of poor quality water, strategic water releases, precipitation enhancement, brush management, leak detection and reduction, and public education. At the retail level, the objective can be achieved through techniques such as leak reduction, water pricing strategies, proper landscaping, water reuse and recycling, and public education. The efficient use of water also includes water management during times of drought. By selective use and management of the District's multiple water sources we have been able to continue an uninterrupted water supply to our customers, even when our reservoirs experience extended periods of limited inflow. This includes the transfer of water from one reservoir to another by allowing the water to run backwards through existing pipelines and pump stations. This operation successfully transferred Ivie and Spence Reservoir water to Lake Thomas during FY 1998 and 1999, when the Lake reached elevations as low as Additionally, the District has developed ways of transferring lake water up to a pump station intake after the lake level drops below the elevation of that intake. These "pump back" operations have allowed us to continue the deliveries of water from a lake after it is "functionally dry" and very little water remains in the basin. By meeting this objective of efficient use of water, the District and its customers can delay the costly construction of new or upgraded water supplies, thereby realizing a considerable savings for all concerned. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 21

25 (This page intentionally left blank) Page 22 Colorado River Municipal Water District

26 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors 3.0 WATER CONSERVATION PLAN. The Colorado River Municipal Water District has been involved in the conservation of municipal quality water for many years. Our efforts on the wholesale level have included the conjunctive use of water sources, diversion of poor quality water, strategic water releases, precipitation enhancement, leak detection and reduction, and public education Metering and Water Accounting System. The District meters the water passing through our system at each point of diversion, well, and customer location. The diversion meters are typically high volume venturi tubes with integral totalizers. The rate of flow at these locations is electronically transmitted to our operators at the Central Control station on a "real time" basis. Large volume customers are typically metered with venturi tubes, while the smaller users and wells typically metered by either turbine or propeller meters. Recently the District has purchased and installed a few transit-time ultrasonic meters to replace selected turbine meters. These meters, with accuracies typically less than ±2, have been successful in applications where poor quality water is being metered since the meter probes do not need to be immersed in the liquid. The District's meter technicians calibrate and maintain all meters on a regular basis. Also, a meter balance is performed monthly to spot meter inaccuracies. All water deliveries, diversions, sales, and losses are determined from these meter readings Conjunctive use. Groundwater throughout most of West Texas is essentially mined. Recharge rates are quite low, or in some cases nonexistent, and thus the water you pump out today may never be replaced. Consequently, the District has practiced the conjunctive use of our surface and groundwater assets for many years. During the 1950's, we used the Martin County Well Field only in the summer months when Odessa's water demands exceeded the transmission capacity from Lake Thomas. A parallel 33" line was laid from the Martin County Pump Station to Odessa for that purpose. During the 1960's, the District even used aquifer storage in the Martin County Well Field by injecting surplus water from Lake Thomas into this aquifer during the winter months, thereby increasing the quantity available for pumping next summer. This practice ended once the Spence system was completed in Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 23

27 When the Ward County Well Field came on line in the early 70's, the District continued its practice of conjunctive use. Water from that source is typically used only during the summer months to meet the increased demands by the City of Odessa. The well field is rested during the fall, winter, and spring months. In contrast, water from our surface reservoirs are the "backbone" of our delivery system, and are used at a mostly uniform rate throughout the year District Water Quality Enhancement System. As previously mentioned the District has developed an extensive system of diversions, pipelines, and reservoirs in an effort to reduce the overall tonnage of chlorides and dissolved solids accumulating in the E. V. Spence Reservoir. These efforts began in 1969 with the construction of the diversion works and Barber Reservoir north of Colorado City. They have expanded such that today's system includes five reservoirs, with a combined storage capacity of more than 100,000 acre-feet, three diversion stations, and approximately 100 miles of water transmission line (Figure No. 3). In all, the District has spent more than $28 million on efforts to improve the water quality at the Spence Reservoir. Water taken from the diversion works is either sold to oil companies for use in oil field repressurization (see Section 1.21 above), or sent to either the Barber, Red Draw, or Mitchell County Reservoirs for evaporation. Although the District's permits from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission authorize the use of up to 8,000 acre-feet of potable surface water annually for repressurization purposes, since 1969 the District's Board of Directors has elected to restrict the use of municipal quality surface or groundwater for that purpose. Page 24 Colorado River Municipal Water District

28 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors FIGURE No. 3 - District's Water Quality Enhancement System The District's diversions have been largely successful. Between 1969 and 2004, we have captured a total of 936,959 tons of chlorides which would have otherwise traveled to and accumulated within the Spence Reservoir (see Figure No. 4). Overall, these efforts have helped the District retain Spence as a valid municipal water supply source, which might not have been possible had the chlorides continued to gather within the reservoir and deteriorate its water quality. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 25

29 FIGURE No. 4 - District Diversion History District Diversion History '69-04 Tons of Chlorides per Year 50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5, Year 3.04 Strategic Water Releases. Despite the District's diversion efforts, the water impounded in the Spence Reservoir has tended to be quite high in dissolved solids and chlorides. Prior to 1986, chloride levels rose to a high around 1000 ppm in Heavy rainfall that year dropped this level to 600 ppm, where it remained until the spill of saline water from the Natural Dam Lake in That spill resulted in the chlorides rising to a ppm level by the late 1990 s. The municipal use of water containing such high concentrations of chlorides is marginal at best, even with extensive dilution by better quality waters from other sources. Consequently, the District made a water release totaling 50,000 acre-feet during May and June of This release reduced the total impounded chlorides (tons) by one-third. We repeated this process when conditions again became favorable in That year the release totaled 20,000 acre-feet of water, which reduced the impounded chlorides by 22,000 tons. Both of these releases were timed to be passed through the Ivie Reservoir downstream with minimal impact on that reservoir's water quality. These releases were expected to provide better quality water within Spence Reservoir once significant inflow was received. The expectation was realized with the November 04 and February 05 rainfall. Chlorides had dropped within Spence Reservoir to 520 ppm by March 1, Page 26 Colorado River Municipal Water District

30 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors 3.05 Precipitation Enhancement. In 1971, the District began a precipitation enhancement program (weather modification) in an attempt to increase the rainfall over the drainage areas of Lake Thomas and the Spence Reservoir. This program has operated almost every year since, and has been evaluated by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Bureau of Reclamation. It is believed that an increase of 10 to 15 percent in rainfall has been achieved through these efforts. One indicator of this increase has been the rise in dryland cotton production within the "target area" of the project. Although there is evidence that weather modification has increased precipitation, it is difficult, if not impossible to determine what increase in runoff has actually occurred Brush Management. Brush control and brush management has significantly increased in the upper Colorado River basin during the past five years. State funded projects on the North Concho River watershed, Champion Creek Reservoir watershed, Middle Concho River watershed and the Ballinger Municipal Lake watershed (Valley and Quarry Creeks). These state fund projects administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) are targeting upland brush species (mesquite and Juniper) that severely limit rainfall infiltration and runoff into rivers, streams, creeks, and surface water reservoirs. Additional watershed investigations in the upper basin by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the District are focused on management and restoration of riparian reaches of the Colorado and Concho Rivers with the goal of restoring stream flow, habitat restoration, and greater surface water storages in area reservoirs. The District s primary focus in brush management is in the control of saltcedar. This exotic, invasive brush species has taken over and dominated the riparian habitats of the upper Colorado River basin. All of the District s reservoirs (Lake J.B. Thomas, E.V. Spence Reservoir, and O.H. Ivie Reservoir) and other reservoirs in the upper basin have become overtaken by this phreatophytic brush species within the last 15 years. The impact to surface water resources has reached catastrophic levels considering the quantity of water being consumed by the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 acres of saltcedar. Additionally, saltcedar is causing a significant impact to water quality through it s metabolic uptake of highly saline water and the transfer of these salts to the soils where the tree grows. The District is cooperating with the TSSWCB on a saltcedar control project in the upper basin scheduled to begin treating saltcedar with aerial application of an herbicide in 2005 and continuing in The goal is to kill all the saltcedar on the mainstem Colorado River and Beals Creek starting at the Lake Thomas Dam and downstream to and including the E.V. Spence Reservoir basin. Follow-up control is being planned through a biocontrol project conducted by the USDA-ARS in Temple, Texas. Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 27

31 3.07 Total Maximum Daily Load Studies. Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies are an important part of water conservation as a tool to isolate the source of poor quality water with the goal of eliminating its contamination of streams, rivers, and lakes. Reducing or eliminating such pollution will increase the amount of adequate quality water for municipal and industrial purposes. The District completed TMDLs on E.V. Spence Reservoir for sulfate and TDS in These TMDLs were approved by the TCEQ in November, 2000 and the Implementation Plan was approve in August, The E.V. Spence Reservoir was violating TCEQ segment standards for sulfate and TDS primarily because of inflows from a catastrophic rain event that caused the Natural Dam Lake east of Big Spring to overflow in 1986 causing very poor quality water loaded with high levels of TDS to inundate the reservoir. The reduction of pollutant loads to Spence reservoir will be achieved by a number of best management practices (BMPs) that are being implemented by the District, the TCEQ, the Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC), and the TSSWCB. These practices include the revision of municipal discharge permits; reservoir release management; river diversion management; oil well plugging; weather modification; remediation of the magnesium plant site; and targeted brush control on saltcedar. The TCEQ has undertaken another TMDL project targeting load reductions in the Colorado River between Spence Reservoir and Ivie Reservoir. Presently, stream standards are being violated for chloride and TDS and the TCEQ has a contract with EA Engineering to complete these TMDLs. The District is cooperating with the TCEQ as a stakeholder in this investigation and working closely with the EA Engineering consultants to complete these stream loading requirements. Project completion is scheduled for March Leak Detection & Reduction. The District controls our pump stations remotely using a "real-time" SCADA system. Our Central Control room has operators on duty continuously who monitor the pump status, pressures and flow rates throughout the system. Any major leak in the pipeline network is quickly spotted by the operators who then shut off pumps, adjust valves, and dispatch maintenance men rapidly to minimize lost water. Additionally, District employees either drive or fly the pipeline routes about twice per month to look for minor pipeline leaks. Any leaks found are repaired in a timely manner Public Education. Since 1992, the District has placed water conservation information into the hands of area fourthgraders through the distribution of the Major Rivers program. Students also received specific West Texas water information through the District's companion booklet entitled the Wonderful World of West Texas Water. Page 28 Colorado River Municipal Water District

32 Adopted by the District s Board of Directors By the late 1990 s approximately 6,800 students from 274 fourth-grade classrooms on 18 different campuses received these resources which include booklets, stickers, pamphlets and maps. Also, District employees were visiting classrooms and providing field trips for several fourth-grade classes throughout each school year. Demand for the resource materials and field trips has dwindled in recent years. The State s focus on standardized testing for school children has left little time for teachers to incorporate outside materials and activities. Consequently, the District is providing such services on a demand only basis Water Reclamation Projects. In 2004 the District began a study to consider the feasibility of directly reusing effluent water from our Member Cities Waste Water Treatment Plants. Currently we are moving into the preliminary design phase for a reuse facility near the City of Big Spring, and conducting further studies on possible projects near Odessa, Midland, and Snyder. Partial funding for this work is being provided by the Texas Water Development Board Water Conservation Plans of Member & Customer Cities. Under current contracts, the District is limited in its ability to require and enforce specific water conservation principles on our Member and Customer Cities. As previously noted, we are obligated to provide all of the raw water needs for our Member Cities, without regard for how those needs may change from year-to-year. Customer Cities mostly have take-or-pay provisions linked to specific contract quantities. The District is not free to demand reductions in these contract quantities. Consequently, the District believes water conservation is best encouraged and implemented by our Member and Customer Cities at the retail level. Most of the District's Member and Customer Cities have developed their own Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plans. Below are short summaries of many of these plans. 3.11(a) City of Odessa Plan. The City of Odessa provided the District with a copy of their Revised Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan on August 25, This plan sets an objective of reducing the quantity of water required by 5 percent within the next five years through efficient water use practices and additional effluent reuse. Odessa plans to achieve this objective through public education, plumbing code changes, improved metering, immediate leak repair, and continued water recycling. Odessa has been very aggressive in their water recycling program. Huntsman, a local industry, currently takes up to 3 million gallons per day of effluent for their processes, in-lieu of Colorado River Municipal Water District Page 29

33 using potable water. Additionally, several school campuses, golf courses, and even the Texas Department of Transportation, are using treated sewage effluent for lawn irrigation. In the Drought Contingency portion of their plan, Odessa established three drought predicated triggers. A mild drought would be when demands exceeded 90% of supplies for three consecutive days, a moderate drought when demands exceeded 95% of supplies, and a severe drought when demand exceed all of the available supplies. In response to the triggers, Odessa plans to inform the public, request voluntary water rationing by industrial users, implement voluntary lawn watering schedules, and encourage lawn watering conservation techniques. For moderate conditions, they plan to add mandatory lawn watering schedules and set limits on industrial users. Severe conditions will add prohibitions on landscape watering except during designated hours with hand held hoses. It will also ban certain water uses which are not necessary for human health. 3.11(b) City of Big Spring Plan. The District received a Revised Water Conservation Plan and a Revised Drought Contingency Plan from the City of Big Spring on April 26, This plan noted the City's average daily water use is quite high. Their average gallons per capita day (GPCD) use was shown as 258, which compares unfavorably with the 180 GPCD statewide average established in the year Consequently, the City will attempt to reduce their GPCD consumption by from this figure to 228 GPCD by the year For water conservation, the City plans to achieve this goal through several different ways such as encouraging the use of water conserving plumbing fixtures, public education programs, reducing seasonal water use, reducing wholesale water use, and improving water metering devices. In the Drought Contingency Plan, the Cities mild condition will exist when demands exceed 95% of the safe capacity of the water system, or lake levels reach specified conditions. In response the City has set a goal of a 5% reduction in water use by media notification, voluntary water use restrictions, and voluntary wholesale water reductions. A moderate condition has a goal of a 10% reduction in water use through mandatory water restrictions for residential and industrial users. A severe condition warrants 35% reduction in water use through the prohibition of landscape watering, swimming pool filling, and vehicle washing in addition to the mild and moderate condition restrictions. Page 30 Colorado River Municipal Water District