Long-Term Planning Pays Off

The updated regional water plan will show that water resource planning is paying off for El Paso. While the current plan shows groundwater importation by 2030, the 2011 plan, currently in draft form, delays importation until 2040. The plan also identifies sufficient water resources to sustain El Paso communities for the next 50 years.

The Public Service Board adopted its Water Resource Management Plan in 1991; however, it was not until 1997 that the 75th Legislature enacted the state water planning process. The legislation divides Texas into 16 regions that produce an updated 50-year plan every five years.

The 2011 Far West Texas Plan forecasts the amount of water needed to serve the region through 2060 and proposes strategies for meeting deficits when demand exceeds supply. El Paso will continue to use river water, fresh and brackish groundwater, and reclaimed water; however, the region’s population is expected to nearly double within the next 50 year. Additional resources will be needed to serve the utility’s growing customer base.

New Water Management Strategies
Treated surface water will replenish the Hueco Bolson early in the irrigation season when the supply exceeds demand. This water will be banked for use when river water allotments are reduced because of drought. At the end of the irrigation season, small-scale reverse osmosis units will desalinate agricultural drain water, which is too salty for conventional treatment. This would allow El Paso to treat river water throughout the year.

Importation from the Bone Spring/Victorio Peak aquifer in the Dell City area would be postponed from 2030 to 2050, and importation from the Capitan Reef Aquifer, which extends from Hudspeth County into Culbertson County, would begin in 2040. Importation from both areas is expected to total 30,000 acre-feet per year by 2060 – half the amount projected in the current regional plan.

The 2010 Far West Texas Water Plan will be submitted to the Texas Water Development Board for final approval on Sept. 1. The information will be incorporated into the state water plan and submitted to the Texas Legislature for approval early next year.