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What are the data gaps for developing brackish groundwater desalination resources in Texas?

What are the data gaps for developing brackish groundwater desalination resources in Texas?. Bill Hutchison, Ph.D., P.E., P.G. Director, Groundwater Resources Texas Water Development Board Texas Innovative Water 2010 October 11, 2010.

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What are the data gaps for developing brackish groundwater desalination resources in Texas?

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  1. What are the data gaps for developing brackish groundwater desalination resources in Texas? Bill Hutchison, Ph.D., P.E., P.G. Director, Groundwater Resources Texas Water Development Board Texas Innovative Water 2010 October 11, 2010

  2. What are the data gaps for developing brackish groundwater desalination resources in Texas? • Aquifer characterization • Integration of brackish groundwater and fresh groundwater management • Data interpretation and integration (variety of “non-traditional” sources)

  3. Topics • Brackish groundwater occurrence Texas • Current and projected use of brackish groundwater in Texas • TWDB role in brackish groundwater development

  4. ~ 2.7 billion acre-feet of brackish groundwater

  5. Current and Future Use of Brackish Water in Texas • Groundwater • 32 Facilities • 66 million gallons per day capacity • Surface Water • 12 facilities • 50 million gallons per day capacity

  6. Future Use of Brackish Groundwater • 2007 State Water Plan projections • 6 Regions • 175,000 AF/yr by 2060 • Brackish groundwater use in 2060 represents about 3% (volume) of 2060 “strategies”

  7. 1959 1972 1973 Texas Legislature appropriated $20,000 to study scaling problems in desalination TWDB Report 157, A survey of the subsurface saline waters of Texas H. P. Burleigh, TWDB Executive Director, Testimony before Congress “Continued Federal Support of Desalination Research and Development” TWDB and Brackish Groundwater

  8. 2003 2005, 2007, 2009 Brackish Groundwater Manual for Regional Water Planning Groups Texas Legislature appropriates funds for brackish groundwater desalination demonstration projects TWDB and Brackish Groundwater

  9. Summary of Demonstration Projects • 12 projects • 3 completed • Project cost total = $14 million • TWDB participation = $2.5 million

  10. BRACS (2009) • TWDB requested and received funding to implement a Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System (BRACS) program

  11. BRACS Goals and Objectives • Assist regional water planning groups • Extend the 2003 TWDB study: • Map aquifers to 10,000 mg/L TDS • Characterize aquifers • Build replicable numerical groundwater flow models

  12. BRACS Business Plan • Pilot Project (18 months) • Develop a replicable protocol • Develop and execute a procurement strategy for aquifer analysis

  13. BRACS Pilot Project • Test methods and procedures • Identify deficiencies in data • Provide estimate of time and resources to complete evaluation • Demonstrate feasibility of BRACS

  14. Pilot Area Selection Criteria • Brackish groundwater desalination water management strategies in the regional water plans (2006 and 2011) • Previous and ongoing aquifer studies • Brackish groundwater desalination projects • Geologic framework of aquifer • Data availability

  15. Pilot Study Area Selection • 15 Sites considered (10 regions) • One “primary” selected • Pecos Valley Aquifer • Two “alternatives” • Edwards-Trinity (High Plains) • Trinity/Woodbine Aquifers (Johnson County)

  16. BRACS Data Types • Drilling Records • Geological and Hydrogeological Data • Geophysical Well Logs • GIS Shape Files • Groundwater Models • Groundwater Quality Data

  17. Monument Draw Trough

  18. HuecoBolson~ 1.6 million acres~ 2,500 sq. mi.

  19. HuecoBolson~ 1.6 million acres~ 2,500 sq. mi.

  20. B F Airport Area

  21. 3-D Groundwater Quality Assessment (2002 & 2003) • New data to characterize groundwater quality in Hueco Bolson • Test drilling (EPWU) • Shallow drilling (EPCWID) • Downhole profiles (JMAS)

  22. EPWU Test Drilling JMAS Downhole Profiles EPCWID Shallow Wells

  23. Estimated Volume of Groundwater El Paso and Juarez Area (2002) (Million AF)

  24. JDF Monitoring Wells

  25. Implications of Investigation • Brackish groundwater is not a “new” source of water • Need to integrate management of brackish and fresh groundwater

  26. B F Airport Area

  27. Kay Bailey HutchisonDesalination Plant

  28. Existing EPWU Wells

  29. Rehabilitated Wells (3)

  30. Redrilled Wells (13)

  31. Connected to Collector Line (4)

  32. New Wells on Loop 375 (16)

  33. Plant Project Wells (36)

  34. Groundwater Flow – w/o KBH

  35. Groundwater Flow – w/ KBH

  36. New BRACS Research • Assessment of Groundwater Modeling Approaches to Brackish Aquifers • Develop a bibliography of existing literature relevant to the Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System (BRACS) program • Locate and Acquire Digital Geophysical Well Logs and Conduct Data Entry of Attributes

  37. Summary • Brackish groundwater use in Texas will increase in coming decades • One major metropolitan area has integrated brackish groundwater into its supply portfolio (another area will implement it soon) • TWDB is well positioned to provide technical support to current and future efforts

  38. Questions? Bill Hutchison 512-463-5067 bill.hutchison@twdb.state.tx.us

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