TWCA Annual Convention

1. Securing the Water Future of the Greater
Houston Region: A Collaborative Effort to Meet
the Region's Projected Growth and Future Water
Demand while Reducing Rates of Subsidence
March 3, 2016
Mike Turco -- Harris Galveston Subsidence District
Jun Chang, P.E. -- City of Houston
Mark Evans -- NHCRWA
Alia Vinson -- Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP

2. A Brief History of
Subsidence and
Groundwater Regulation

3. • Groundwater served as the primary source water for
the rapid growth of the Houston Regional Area over
the last century.
• Nearly a century ago, development of the Goose Creek
Oilfield, a shallow play near Baytown, TX resulted in
nearly 3 feet
of Subsidence in that
area.
• Goose Creek Oilfield
was the first documented
case linking shallow fluid
withdrawal from the Gulf
Coast Aquifer System
and subsidence.
Groundwater Use and Subsidence

4. Groundwater Use and Subsidence
• Prior to WWII groundwater use due to industrial
and petrochemical development near Baytown
and Texas City were the primary contributors to
subsidence.
• After WWII as groundwater use
increased to support rapid
industrial and municipal growth.
• As a result of the growing
subsidence risk to major elements
of the Houston Economy, including
the Port of Houston, Industry, NASA Johnson
Space Center, and the Texas Medical Center, in
1975 the Texas Legislature created the Harris-
Galveston Subsidence District.

5. Brownwood - 1944

6. Brownwood - 1953

7. Brownwood - 1978

8. Brownwood - 2002

9. Brownwood - 2016

10. Subsidence Impacts

11. • Following the creation of the District, groundwater
regulation began nearest the coast in the ACE
• By the early 1990’s subsidence rates in the ACE
had generally reduced to near zero, however,
rates of groundwater level decline and
subsidence were increasing in areas further
inland.
• The 1992 District regulatory plan expanded the
area required to reduce groundwater usage to all
of Harris County.
Regulating Groundwater to Stop
Subsidence

12. Groundwater Regulation and
Alternative Supplies

13. Groundwater Regulation and
Alternative Supplies

14. Groundwater Regulation and
Alternative Supplies

15. 1915-2001 Subsidence Harris County

16. Groundwater Level Change in the
Evangeline Aquifer 1977-2015

17. Subsidence 2000 – 2010

18. • Areas 1 and 2 – Fully Converted
• Area 1 GW Reduced to 10% or
less of TWD
• Area 2 GW Reduced to 20% or
less of TWD
• Area 3
• GW Reduced to 70% or less of
TWD 2010
• GW Reduced to 40% or less of
TWD 2025
• GW Reduced to 20% or less of
TWD 2035
• Exemptions: Agricultural Irrigation
2013 Regulatory Plan
1
3
2

19. Collaborative Regional
Water Planning

24. Past Successes:
Visionary Planning

25. • Overall Water Supply Area: 1,550 square miles
• Four Counties
• Water Customers Served: 4.6 million
• Provide Surface Water to the Four Regional
Water Authorities:
 North Harris County Regional Water Authority
 West Harris County Regional Water Authority
 Central Harris County Regional Water Authority
 North Fort Bend Water Authority
Houston’s Water Supply Overview

26. Historical Projects - Storage
 1969 – Lake Livingston
 Storage: 1.7Million Acre-feet
• 806 MGD
 1954 – Lake Houston
 Storage:160,000 Acre-Feet
• 198 MGD
 1973 – Lake Conroe
 Storage: >416,00 Acre-feet
• 60 MGD

27. Houston – Water Treatment
East Water Purification Plant
350 MGD
Southeast Water Purification Plant
200 MGD
Northeast Water Purification Plant
80 MGD

28. Houston Raw Water Resources
Surface Water Supply by Source
Lake Conroe
6%
Lake Houston
16%
Lake Livingston
78%
Current Production by Source
Ground Water
20%
Lake Houston
16%
Lake Livingston
64%

29. Houston’s Current Water Supply
Surface Water Supply = 1,551 Million Gallons/Day
Lakes & Rivers
Reuse
Bayous
Ground

30. Challenges of Developing
New Water Supplies:
The 2025 Conversion

31. Phased groundwater reduction
mandate for NW Harris Co. area
• 2010 – 30% (achieved)
• 2025 – 60%
• 2035 – 80%
• Disincentive Fee - $7/1000 gallons

32. How Can These Challenges Be
Overcome?
• Regional cooperation among governmental entities to
swiftly develop water projects together
• The City of Houston, the North Harris County Regional
Water Authority, the West Harris County Regional Water
Authority, the Central Harris County Regional Water
Authority, the North Fort Bend Water Authority, and the
Coastal Water Authority have worked together to develop
and finance the water supplies needed to meet future
water demands and to comply with Subsidence District
requirements.
• Regular communication between the Subsidence District
and these entities keeps the regulators informed of the
status of projects and compliance with the Regulatory
Plan.

34. Future Water Supplies
• Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer
Project – Raw water supply
transfer from Trinity River to
Lake Houston
• Northeast Water Purification
Plant (NEWPP) Expansion --
Treated water supply from Lake
Houston
• Transmission Lines from NEWPP
• Internal Distribution Systems

35. Luce Bayou Facts
• Transfer of Trinity River Water
• Capacity 500 MGD
• ~ 26 miles of pipeline/canal
• RW Pump Station
• ~Cost $350 Million
• Coastal Water Authority sponsored,
participants include COH, WHCRWA,
NHCRWA, NFBWA and CHCRWA

36. Luce Bayou

37. • Phased expansion of City’s Northeast
Water Purification Plant
• Increases from 80MGD to 400MGD
More Treatment Capacity Needed

38. Northeast Water Purification
Plant Expansion
• Project sponsored by the City
of Houston but jointly funded by
WHCRWA, NHCRWA, CHCRWA,
and NFBWA
• Project costs estimated at
$1.28B
• Sized to meet 2040 water
demands

39. Northeast Transmission Line
• Project sponsored by the City, but jointly funded
by NHCRWA and CHCRWA (short segment #1 of
the line (2200 ft) is also funded by WHCRWA and
NFBWA).
• Estimated cost is $445M.
• 108 inch water line approx. 12 miles long (to
NHCRWA).

40. Northeast Transmission Line

41. • Sample format
Surface Water Supply Project
Transmission Line
• Project managed by the WHCRWA, but
jointly funded by WHCRWA/NFBWA
• Estimated cost is $600M
• 96-inch water line approximately 39 miles
long

42. Surface Water Supply Project

43. • Sample format
NHCRWA
Distribution System

44. • Sample format
WHCRWA Internal
Distribution Projects

45. Continued Challenges:
Funding Regional
Projects

46. • Sample format
State Water Implementation Fund
for Texas (SWIFT)
• The SWIFT was created by HB4
• Constitutional amendment (Prop 6) passed on
November 5, 2013
• $2 billion was transferred from the Rainy Day Fund
• Fund projects in the State Water Plan
• Only political subdivisions and nonprofit water
supply corporations are eligible for funds
• At least 20% for water conservation and reuse
projects
• At least 10% for serving rural and agricultural needs

47. Funding For Regional
Water Projects
• The City and the four regional Water Authorities
have already spent more than $2.5B to comply
with Subsidence District conversion requirements.
• The City and the four regional Water Authorities
are expected to spend >$3B of additional
infrastructure by 2025 (including NEWPP
Expansion, Luce Bayou, Transmission Lines,
and Distribution Lines).

48. Funding For Regional
Water Projects (continued)
• Additional costs are expected
to meet 2035 requirements
and beyond.
• Capital costs are financed
using tax-exempt bonds.
• The Water Authorities do not
have taxing authority and
debt service is paid for by GRP
(groundwater pumpage) fees and surface water
fees.

49. TWDB SWIFT Funding
• The Texas Water Development Board
SWIFT/SWIRFT programs have facilitated the
development of these regional water projects.
• The SWIFT program’s first round of funding in
2015 provided funding for all qualified projects that
applied.
• All of the projects described in this presentation
received some SWIFT funding, which allowed
bonds to be sold to the TWDB for
these projects at low-interest
rates saving millions of dollars
over the life of the bonds.

50. What’s Next?:
Long Term Planning

51. Long-Term Water Supply Strategies
• Reuse
• Additional Surface Water
• Importation of Groundwater
• Desalination
• Conservation

52. Contacts
Mike Turco
HGSD
1660 West Bay Area Blvd.
Friendswood, TX 77546
mturco@subsidence.org
(281) 486-1105
Mark Evans
NHCRWA
3648 Cypress Creek Pkwy.
Houston, Texas 77068
mevans@nhcrwa.com
(281) 440-3924
Jun Chang
City of Houston
611 Walker Street, 25th
Houston, Texas 77002
jun.chang@houstontx.gov
(832) 395-2464
Alia Vinson
ABHR
3200 SW Fwy, Suite 2600
Houston, Texas 77027
avinson@abhr.com
(713) 860-6449