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Demand-based Strategies
- Water conservation. Conserving water by consuming less, wasting less, or reusing some water helps reduce current costs,
preserves future supplies, and postpones or eliminates the need for expensive new developments. A modest conservation program that reduces municipal water demand by 15 percent would save
$25 billion over the next 50 years.* Senate Bill 1 -- approved in 1997 -- requires all major water rights holders to adopt water conservation plans, and thus far over 500 water supply entities have developed them, while Senate Bill 2 -- approved in 2001-- requires the Regional Water Planning Groups to look more in-depth at conservation as a water management strategy for the second round of planning.* Most major cities in Texas have instituted comprehensive conservation programs to reduce per-capita water use.
- Waste prevention. Ensuring that faulty sprinkler heads, broken or leaky pipes, or the overapplication of irrigation water does not result in waste could
be a part of the state's permitting process or, alternatively, could be encouraged through various incentives, not the least of which is the ability to sell or lease water rights to
municipal users (see below). The TWDB provides training and loans to assist with leak detection, water metering and water audits.
- Cancellation of water rights. Water rights that are not being used, or not being used in a "beneficial" way, can be
cancelled by the state and set aside for environmental use or for future demand. For example, a city that had set aside large amounts of water based upon future growth might have that
right cancelled based upon its "wasteful" non-use of water.
- Water transactions and banking. Water rights can be traded, sold, or leased in Texas, though the state imposes limits on
the free transfer and marketing of these rights. The TWDB can then help negotiate prices between the purchaser and the depositor; maintain a clearinghouse of depositors and those needing
supplies; encourage water rights holders to implement water conservation practices by depositing the conserved water in the bank; and sell, buy, and hold water rights itself.
Nontraditional Supply Strategies
- Conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water. One conjunctive use alternative involves injecting excess surface water
into an aquifer for storage and subsequently withdrawing it during times of insufficient surface flows. The recharging of water prevents loss through evaporation and also avoids the
environmental impacts associated with the construction of surface reservoirs. However, in some situations, it may not be desirable because it reduces wastewater return flows to rivers or
streams.
- Brush Control. In recent years, Texas agencies, irrigators and cities have looked at controling "brush" - vegetation -
along river banks and reservoirs which utilize a great deal of water. For example, the 2001 Legislature allocated $15 million to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board $15
million to fund brush control and management projects. Over $3.7 million was provided for removal of high water-use species in the Pedernales River watershed, while over $11 million was
allocated for brush control in the Upper Colorado/Twin Buttes Reservoir. Another targeted area has been the North Concho River, as water flowing into the O.C. Fisher Reservoir has reached
low levels and has been impacted by increased vegetation.* Brush control is a viable option to increase water supplies in some areas of the State; its effectiveness, however, depends upon the type of vegetation, the climate and its implementation.
- Interbasin transfer. Water rights may be transferred from one river basin to another to help areas with high demand meet
their supply needs, providing certain conditions ensuring no detriment to the river basin of origin occurs.
- Desalination. Desalination is the treatment of seawater or brackish groundwater by desalting the water and making it into
fresh water. In 1992 there were 89 desalting plants in Texas, mainly for industrial use.* Desalting of salt water is one recommended solution to meet the needs of coastal cities like Corpus Christi, while cities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley are considering desalting saline groundwater for industrial and municipal uses. El Paso has developed one desalination plant and is considering others. However, desalting water is very expensive and disposing of the resulting brine is also expensive and environmentally challenging.
- Weather modification. The Colorado River Municipal Water District has for years used weather modification to attempt
to increase water supplies and to increase rainfall on cotton farms. Proponents of cloud seeding believe that it has increased rainfall and lake levels in West Texas. Opponents, however,
believe that cloud seeding is, at best, an unmeasurable science that simply shifts rainfall from one local area to another and, at worst, is akin to ancient rain dances. The 1997 Water
Bill recognizes cloud seeding as a fundable water management strategy for irrigators and cities. Due in part to the budget deficits faced by the Legislature in 2003, as well as its
uncertain results, funds for cloud seeding were cut out of the FY 2004-2005 budget.
- Rainwater Catchment and Graywater Systems. Both individuals and municipalites in Texas have invested in Rainwater
Catchment or Harvesting Systems -- which take rainfall off of commercial or residential roofs, store them in cisterns and make the available for lawn or garden use -- and graywater
systems -- which take used water from showers, dishwashers and other uses and make them available for nonpotable uses such as watering gardens. In this way, potable water from a water
treatment plant does not need to be used for watering lawns or other non-essential water needs. For more information about Rainwater Catchment Systems, consult the Texas Guide to
Rainwater Harvesting, published by the Texas Water Development Board.*
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