Presented by Mark L. Loethen, P.E.at the Texas Water Conservation Association Conference in The Woodlands, Texas - March 2014

1. UNDERSTANDING THE PAST
WHILE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Mark L. Loethen, P.E.
Deputy Director, Public Works &
Engineering
March 6, 2014
Houston 2090
WATER SUPPY IN HOUSTON:

2. 2
Today’s Presentation
Water Supply in Houston
 A Historical Perspective
 Where we are today in 2014
 What will the Future Hold
 Questions

3. 3
Water Supply in Houston
The Basics
Houston City Limits: 635+ square miles
Houston Population Served: 2.1 million+
4th Largest City in the United States
Add in the region for Water Supply
Overall Water Supply Area: ~1,550 square
miles
• Three Counties
Water Customers Served: ~ 4.3 million

4. 4
A Historical Perspective
In the Beginning
◦ 1878 City Council Contracts with Houston
Water Works Company
◦ Contract Requirements
◦ Provide 55 Fire Hydrants
◦ 150,000 Gallon Reservoir
◦ 3,000,000 gallons per day
◦ 4 miles of distribution mains
◦ Free Water to 3 City Fountains
◦ Rate Limit of 5 Cents/100 gallons
Water Supply: Buffalo Bayou

5. 5
Then Came Water from the Ground
 1887 Artesian Well at 180 feet
 15 Wells Drilled
 Houston Water Works affirms Artesian supply
(no longer Buffalo Bayou)
 1906 – City of Houston buys Water
Works Company
◦ Water Works Plant
◦ 55 Wells
◦ 65 Miles of Water Mains
Houston promptly drills 66 new wells

6. 6
Houston Still has Water from the Ground
 Main Water Supply System
◦ 101 Water Wells
◦ Actual Production Capacity (173 MGD)
 Isolated Water Supply Systems
◦ 28 Water Wells
◦ Actual Production Capacity (41 MGD)

7. 7
Looking to the Future:
Surface Water Enters the Picture
Water from San Jacinto River
 1945 – 2 Federally Funded
Canals purchased by City
 1954 – Lake Houston Dam
Constructed by City
 160,000 Acre-Feet of
Storage
Houston
2014

8. 8
Additional Surface Water
Water from Trinity River
 1969 – Houston and Trinity River
Authority Construct Lake
Livingston
 83,000 Surface Acres
 Dam: 2.5 miles long
 Storage: 1.7Million Acre-feet

9. 9
Additional Surface Water
More Water from San Jacinto River
 1973 – Houston and San Jacinto
River Authority Construct Lake
Conroe
 20,000 Surface Acres
 Dam: 11,000 feet in length
 Storage: >416,00 Acre-feet

10. 10
Water Treatment
East Water Purification Plant
350 MGD
Water Supplies in Hand:

11. 11
Water Treatment
Southeast Water Purification Plant
200 MGD
Northeast Water Purification Plant
80 MGD
Houston Water

12. 12
Treated Water DeliveryHouston Water
7 RePump Stations

13. 13
Strategic
Partnerships/CustomersHouston Water
Contract Types
Treated Water
Contracts
49
GRP Water Contracts
(Areas I, II and III)
98
Raw/Untreated Water
Contracts
113
Strategic Partnership
Contracts (Regional Water
Authorities and SE Plant Co-
Participants)
14
Reclaimed Water
Contracts
2
TOTAL 276

14. 14
Houston Water
 Surface Water
◦ Lake Houston
◦ Lake Livingston
◦ Lake Conroe
 Groundwater
 Water Conservation
 Reclaimed/Reuse Water
Current Strategies - 2014

15. 15
Houston Water
Population Estimates
Year City Limits COH Service Area
TWDB
2011
HGSD
2012
TWDB
2011
HGSD
2012
2010 2,099,451 2,099,451 4,068,413 4,333,476
2020 2,361,723 2,248,414 4,642,349 4,924,100
2030 2,621,560 2,428,680 5,212,135 5,275,955
2040 2,879,184 2,606,077 5,776,087 5,571,310
2050 3,138,008 2,783,630 6,331,797 5,850,897
2060 3,397,563 2,965,639 6,883,684 6,125,922
Houston 2060

16. 16
Houston Water Population Estimates

17. 17
Houston Water Convert Population
Estimates to Demands

18. 18
Houston Water Current Forecast

19. 19
Houston Water
Future Water Supply Projects
Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project
 3.6 Miles of Pipeline
 23 Miles of Canals
 Capacity: 425 MGD
 404 Permit Issued/Pump Station in
Design
Houston 2020

20. 20
Houston Water
NEWPP Expansion
80 MGD
Expanded to
400 MGD
Houston 2025

21. 21
Houston Water
Allens Creek Reservoir
• Storage
Capacity:
145,000 acre-
feet
• Diversion Limit:
62 MGD (COH)
Houston 2025

22. 22
Direct and Indirect Water Reuse
Further Water Conservation
Desalination ?
Houston Water
Looking to Future
Houston 2080 ?

23. 23
Houston Water
Looking to Future
Importation of
Groundwater ?
Interbasin
Transfer
from
East?
Houston 2080 ?

24. 24
Questions ?
Ignore the Past?
Understand and
Learn from the Past