Stage 3 Water Restrictions (it's getting serious, folks!) (Canyon Lake, Canyon: living, price)

[smitty12]

Originally Posted by SnappyBob

This kind of reminds of that saying that you see hanging in offices that says something on the order of "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part" Except in this case it does. Too many people and not enough water. Too bad the city can't take some of that revenue that they collected from all of the development that they eagerly accepted and buy some rain. We've been though droughts before and not gone into stage three restrictions. I think we can look forward to this more and more in the future.

What makes you think there hasn't been significant planning? Couple of points.

1. Total Edwards pumping has been pretty level for the last 20 years, flood, drought, etc...
2. There effectively has been a "cap and trade" scheme for Edwards water rights for nearly 10 years. The cap means that Total Edwards pumping can not increase.
3. SAWS continues to buy more Edwards water rights to meet population increases. This mostly means less pumping for agriculture, which is who they are buying the rights from. Even so municipal use has been pretty flat, i.e. they haven't needed to use those pumping rights.
4. Stage 3 restrictions moved up from 630 feet to 640 feet in 2007 making it much more likely for us to reach Stage 3. We would have been in stage three in 1998 and 2000.
5. The Edwards Aquifer Authority was created in 1996, the first time any restrictions were mandated was 1998. There were several periods before this where the Aquifer went below 640 or the current threshold for stage 3. 626 feet in 1988, and 612 feet in 1956 for example.
5. SAWS does have a massive underground reserve storage area south of town. With this they pump it full when the aquifer is high and use the water out of it when the Edwards is low. This helps them keep under the pumping caps when restrictions come.
6. SAWS has one of the largest distribution systems in the country for treated water coming out of their waste water plants. Did you know that in 2000 they shutdown all Edwards Wells feeding the San Antonio River that was keeping water in the riverwalk flowing and now all water flowing in the riverwalk is treated waste water when natural flow is not enough? (BTW That treated water is treated to drinkable levels, but there is public pressure about not using it as potable.)
7. Almost all of the cooling water that CPS uses in its power generation plants also comes from the waste treatment process... Braniug and Caliveras lakes are all treated waste water. At one time Edwards water was used for cooling.
8. Despite all of this if Edwards pumping dropped to zero, the aquifer level would still drop at nearly the same rate due to springs and natural leakage to downstream aquifers.

SAWS has been researching and studying the feasibility of all kinds of other water sources besides the Edwards. Desalination (Both Ocean, and the Salt water deep in the Edwards), Canyon Lake, Median Lake, Colorado River Water, Trinity Aquifer, plus a couple of more sources...). All the other sources have their problems and politics associated with them, not the least of which is the owners of the water don't want it coming to San Antonio.

Bottom line we can solve any water problems with enough money. Desalination of ocean water works, it is just crazy expensive. I don't see how anyone could think there is a lack of planning going on.

[doss1]

Saw on the news that the aquifer's water levels have increased. Where the h*ll did that extra water come from?

[smitty12]

Originally Posted by TexasNick

Saw on the news that the aquifer's water levels have increased. Where the h*ll did that extra water come from?

It rained some just north of town earlier this week where the recharge zone is....

//www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...ious-rain.html

It usually takes a couple of days after some rain to see the increase.

[scuba steve]

Originally Posted by smitty12

SAWS has been researching and studying the feasibility of all kinds of other water sources besides the Edwards. Desalination (Both Ocean, and the Salt water deep in the Edwards), Canyon Lake, Median Lake, Colorado River Water, Trinity Aquifer, plus a couple of more sources...). All the other sources have their problems and politics associated with them, not the least of which is the owners of the water don't want it coming to San Antonio.

Who in the world owns the rights to the salt water, and why would they care so much about it? It's not exactly good for anything as/is. Unless people are scared it would draw more fresh water down into the salty area.

[smitty12]

Originally Posted by scuba steve

Who in the world owns the rights to the salt water, and why would they care so much about it? It's not exactly good for anything as/is. Unless people are scared it would draw more fresh water down into the salty area.

I don't think that is the direct problem with desalination, though increasing the salinity of coastal estuaries is an issue, so is the cost. I was merely pointing out that there are issues with all the alternatives. I do believe in most cases it can be worked out though.

For a through discussion of all the alternatives:

http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/alternatives.html

[SnappyBob]

I wonder how long before they start adding that pimped out sewer water to the aquifer?

[Bo]

Heard on the radio that the latest opinion from SAWS experts is that conservation efforts are working and if they continue to work, we might be able to avoid Stage 3 for another 2-3 weeks.

[smitty12]

Originally Posted by SnappyBob

I wonder how long before they start adding that pimped out sewer water to the aquifer?

They have proposed that, by pumping it into the creeks and streams north of town that provide recharge. That water is probably is in better shape than the runoff from city streets and new development over the recharge zone.

There has been public pressure not to do that due to the "ick" factor, which is why they currently are not distributing any of the treated wastewater anywhere on the recharge zone for any purpose. Thankfully most of San Antonio is not over the recharge zone.

[AnthonySA]

Hopefully we get enough rain the next couple of days to curb Stage 3. It's been holding steady at 642 the past couple of days.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by AnthonySA

Hopefully we get enough rain the next couple of days to curb Stage 3. It's been holding steady at 642 the past couple of days.

Rain??? I'm so excited!!