2. What is the NHCRWA?
(the Authority )
(the “Authority”)
• Created in 1999 by HB 2965 to
manage the conversion to surface
manage the conversion to surface
water for 160 utility districts with
450+ regulated groundwater wells
450+ regulated groundwater wells
• 350 square miles, approximately
350 square miles, approximately
475,000 residents
4. Challenges facing NHCRWA?
(the Authority )
(the “Authority”)
• Secure a Source of Surface Water
Secure a Source of Surface Water
• Develop a Groundwater Reduction
Plan ( GRP )
Plan (“GRP”)
• Groundwater Transfer Program
• Provide the Infrastructure
Provide the Infrastructure
• Implementation
• Pay for the System
Pay for the System
• Communication
• 2020 System
2020 System
5. What WATER supply options did the
Authority consider ?
y
Remote Groundwater
Remote Groundwater
River Authorities & Water Rights Resources
City of Houston Cost Effective & Fair
6. Secure a Source of
Challenges facing NHCRWA?
Surface Water
Surface Water
(the Authority )
(the “Authority”)
• In December 2003 entered into a
In December 2003 entered into a
long term contract with the City
of Houston to provide treated
of Houston to provide treated
surface water
• Purchased 31 MGD of treatment
Purchased 31 MGD of treatment
plant and transmission line
capacity
capacity
• Pay proportionate share of raw
water facilities remaining debt
water facilities remaining debt
7. Secure a Source of
Challenges facing NHCRWA?
Surface Water
Surface Water
(the Authority )
(the “Authority”)
• Pay portion of O&M for treatment
facilities, raw water facilities and
facilities raw water facilities and
transmission line
• Provides mechanism for
Provides mechanism for
purchasing additional capacity
• In January 2009 effectively
In January 2009 effectively
exercised that option by entering
into a supplement to the original
into a supplement to the original
contract to construct the Luce
Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project
Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project
8. Secure a Source of
Challenges facing NHCRWA?
Surface Water
Surface Water
(the Authority )
(the “Authority”)
• Anticipate further supplements to
the original contract to provide for
additional treatment capacity and
transmission line capacity
9. Develop GRP
• Detailed how the Authority
would meet the Houston‐
Galveston Subsidence District
(“HGSD”) conversion mandates
‐ 30% conversion in 2010
‐ 70% conversion in 2020
‐ 80% conversion in 2030
•CCompliance philosophy
li hil h
‐ Impractical to deliver surface
water to all districts
water to all districts
‐ Address known areas of water
quality and quantity issues
10. Develop GRP
• Compliance philosophy (cont.)
‐ Serve a core compact area
Serve a core, compact area,
some 48 districts, in 2010
‐ Phase in additional districts in
2020 and 2030
2020 d 2030
‐ Build a technically sound,
practical and economical
practical and economical
system to meet HGSD
requirements
‐ I l
Implement a fair pricing policy
f i i i li
to pay for the system
• Authority’s GRP certified by
Authority s GRP certified by
HGSD – 6/11/03
12. Groundwater Transfer
Program
• In developing the GRP it became
p g
clear that some districts had water
quality/quantity problems,
declining water levels in their
declining water levels in their
well(s), aging infrastructure and/or
g
growth issues which had to be
addressed before 2010
THE SOLUTION…
THE SOLUTION
The Groundwater Transfer Plan
The “GTP”
Th “GTP”
13. Q: What is the Groundwater Transfer Program
• Districts with excess capacity sold
water to Authority
water to Authority
• Districts that needed water
bought water from Authority
bought water from Authority
• Authority made up supply deficits
using its wells
using its wells
• System to convey the water
consisted of components of the
consisted of components of the
Authority’s proposed 2010
Distribution System
Distribution System
14. Benefits of the GTP
• Addressed immediate and short‐term
needs
• Maximized investment in existing
district infrastructure
• Minimized investment in new
district infrastructure which would
have less than optimal usage
• Minimized number of new wells
• Primary system components
consistent with ultimate Authority
system
15. GTP in Operation…
• GTP began operating in
January 2006
J 2006
• Three separate GTP systems
• 25 di i
25 districts participated in the
i i di h
GTP
• D li
Delivered an average of
d f
approximately 4.35 MGD to
Buyer districts during 2009
B di i d i 2009
16. Provide the Infrastructure
• Line Alignment
• Design Criteria
D i C it i
• Real Estate Acquisition
• Constituent Friendly Design
C tit t F i dl D i
• Schedule
• Regulatory Agency Issues
R l t A I
• Mid Course Adjustment
21. Line Alignment
• Traditional approach unacceptable
• Alignment preference
Ali f
• Alignment alternatives
• Non‐traditional alternatives
N di i l l i
utilized
25. Design Criteria
• Harris County’s standard design
y g
criteria didn’t address large
diameter water lines
• In cooperation with Harris County
Public Infrastructure staff and
West Harris County Regional
y
Water Authority’s consultant, ,
developed design criteria for large
diameter water lines in County y
ROW and easements
26. Real Estate Acquisition
• System installed in a rapidly
y p y
changing area
g
• Used non‐standard “integrated
approach” due to the tight time
/ g p
schedule/alignment preferences
• Utilized team consisting of very
p
experienced land “men”, ,
appraisers and attorneys
27. Real Estate Acquisition
• Team worked in close consort
with design engineers – new for
g p
both groups
• Integrated real estate
g
considerations into design
• Used condemnation only where
y
necessary and as a last resort
28. Constituent‐
Constituent‐Friendly Design
• Reroute if necessary where
practical
• Tunnel to save large specimen
trees
• Locate above ground structures
to minimize inconvenience to
to minimize inconvenience to
development
• Schedule construction to minimize
Schedule construction to minimize
impact on schools, use of private
yards, wildlife and livestock
yards wildlife and livestock
management, etc.
29. Schedule
• Design began in mid 2003
• C
Construction had to be initiated
i h d b i ii d
by end of 2003
• H d
Had to place Groundwater
l G d
Transfer Program systems in
service in January 2006
i i J 2006
• Had to have Authority’s system
ready to provide surface water by
d id f b
the last quarter of 2009 – less
than six years
th i
30. Provide the Infrastructure
• Line alignment
• Design Criteria
• Real Estate Acquisition
• Constituent friendly design
• Schedule
• Regulatory agency issues
• Mid course adjustment
31. Provide the Infrastructure
• Line alignment
Line alignment
• Design Criteria
• Real Estate Acquisition
q
• Constituent friendly design
• Schedule
• Regulatory agency issues
Regulatory agency issues
• Mid course adjustment
32. Mid Course Adjustment
• In 2007 the Authority received
y
updated population and water
p j
demand projections which
indicated a 21% increase in water
use in 2010
• In response to the projected
,
increase in water use, the 2010
surface water conversion goal
increased from 23.9 to 29 million
gallons per day
33. Mid Course Adjustment
• New demand projections for surface
water increased the number of
t i d th b f
districts to be served from 48 to 60
• Increased size of the distribution
Increased size of the distribution
system by approximately 24%
• Method of delivery to districts
Method of delivery to districts
changed from direct connect to
delivery at the ground storage tank
delivery at the ground storage tank
using an air gap
35. The 2010 system will enable the
use of surface water by 60
f f b 60
public water systems, and
consists of:
• Approximately 72 miles of various
Approximately 72 miles of various
type and size water line ranging in
size from 12 inch to 60 inch in diameter
size from 12‐inch to 60‐inch in diameter
• 1 Regional Pump Station
• 1 Regional Water Plant
• 3 Regional Wells
36. Implementation
• The Authority advised converting
The Authority advised converting
districts ‐ 60 in number ‐ that the
phase in of surface water delivery
phase‐in of surface water delivery
would begin in the last quarter of
2009
• Districts had to convert to use of
chloramines disinfection in order to
use the surface water the Authority
would provide
37. Implementation
• Districts have had varying levels of
success in timely negotiating the
i ti l ti ti th
regulatory requirements to use
chloramines disinfection, building
chloramines disinfection building
their chloramination systems and
placing them in service
placing them in service
To Our Customers...
We’re Changing Our
Water Disinfection
Method
38. Implementation
• The delayed ability of districts to use
y y
surface water, the physical location
and size of those districts that are
ready, and the need to provide
groundwater to GTP participants that
aren’t ready to receive surface water
has delayed the conversion to
surface water
f
39. Implementation
• The conversion has become more
challenging than originally envisioned
and ‐‐ despite the delay and resultant
complexity of the conversion ‐‐ th
l it f th i the
Authority remains optimistic and
committed to meeting the 30%
committed to meeting the 30%
conversion goal set by the HGSD
40. Paying for the System
• NHCRWA has no taxing authority
• R i
Raises funds through pumpage
f d h h
fees and the sale of water
• C
Constituents urged Authority to
i dA h i
keep pumpage fees as low as
possible…as long as possible
ibl l ibl
• Board of Directors commitment
to equitable fee system
i bl f
41. Paying for the System
• Pumpage fee was initially set at
$0.12 in 2000, has increased seven
$0 12 in 2000 has increased seven
times and as of January 1, 2010
fees are
‐ $1 /1 000 ll
$1.75/1,000 gallons for
f
groundwater
‐ $2.20/1 000 gallons for
$2.20/1,000 gallons for
surface water
• $457 million in revenue bonds
have been sold
h b ld
42. Communication
• Given the scope of the program,
effective communication with
ff i i i ih
both districts and residents was
imperative
i i
• Difficult to get people’s attention
on a topic that wasn’t on their
i h ’ h i
‘radar’
43. Communication
• The Authority used a multifaceted
outreach program featuring:
p g g
‐ Direct communication with districts
‐ Active web page with separate
construction page
‐ Periodic newsletters to residents
‐ Town hall/neighborhood meetings
Town hall/neighborhood meetings
‐ Neighborhood specific flyers on
pending construction
pending construction
‐ Extremely active public education
program
‐ Speakers bureau
‐ Water Users Advisory Group
44. 2020 System
• Timely and effectively construct the
2020 system, which is almost twice
2020 t hi h i l tt i
the size of the 2010 system
• Continue to search out ways to build
Continue to search out ways to build
the 2020 system as cost effectively
as possible…and thereby keep the
as possible and thereby keep the
cost of water as low as practical
• Apply lessons learned during
Apply lessons learned during
development and implementation of
y y
the 2010 system to the 2020 system
