Browsing by Subject "Water conservation"
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Item A techno-economic and policy analysis of integrated, cross-sectoral water management and conservation(2018-10-12) Cook, Margaret Allison; Webber, Michael E., 1971-; Lawler, Desmond; McKinney, Daene; Olmstead, Sheila; Passalacqua, PaolaIncreasing demands on water resources from growing populations and industries coupled with periodic, yet severe, drought have revealed vulnerabilities in water supplies around the world. However, in some locations, partnerships between water rights holders (such as the agricultural sector) and those with water needs and available capital (such as the energy sector) could improve water efficiency. A market with cross-sectoral participation that creates incentives for reduction of fresh water consumption could improve water availability for many stakeholders. This work lays out the methodology of evaluating these hypotheses with an original water and cost model that is developed and demonstrated using three case studies in the Lower Rio Grande Basin, the Brazos River Basin, and the Permian Basin in Texas with the intent that the findings would be generally applicable to other regions. This work uses an integrated, geographically resolved allocation model to evaluate water market participants and management strategies that could be implemented to encourage water demand reductions to supply new water users. Best practices are evaluated for increasing water availability through market mechanisms based on costs, benefits, and technological viability. The work closes with a discussion of regional variations to this integrated approach. Results of this analysis show that, in the Rio Grande Basin, up to 900 million gallons per year could be made available through 15% water conservation in irrigation areas. The water would supply approximately 30% of the annual hydraulic fracturing demand for 2016 and 2017 in the area. Reductions would also improve reliability for irrigators. In the Brazos Basin, results show that low-cost conservation scenarios could lead to savings of up to 4.1 billion gallons of water per year with mixed effects on reliability and resilience in the basin. The price paid for water used in oil and gas operations would not offset conservation strategies in every scenario, but agriculture and some municipal strategies are available. In the Permian Basin in West Texas, results show that a market heavily reliant on centrally treated flowback and produced water would reduce water management costs and offset approximately 9 billion gallons of fresh water consumption annually. These transactions show that water could be provided without increasing total supplies through the combination of consumptive water conservation strategies and market mechanisms. Third party effects and transaction costs need to be fully evaluated, though. Moreover, spurring these saved water transactions might require incentives at the regional or state level.Item Analytical methods and strategies for using the energy-water nexus to achieve cross-cutting efficiency gains(2013-12) Sanders, Kelly Twomey; Webber, Michael E., 1971-Energy and water resources share an important interdependency. Large quantities of energy are required to move, purify, heat, and pressurize water, while large volumes of water are necessary to extract primary energy, refine fuels, and generate electricity. This relationship, commonly referred to as the energy-water nexus, can introduce vulnerabilities to energy and water services when insufficient access to either resource inhibits access to the other. It also creates areas of opportunity, since water conservation can lead to energy conservation and energy conservation can reduce water demand. This dissertation analyzes both sides of the energy-water nexus by (1) quantifying the extent of the relationship between these two resources and (2) identifying strategies for synergistic conservation. It is organized into two prevailing themes: the energy consumed for water services and the water used in the power sector. In Chapter 2, a national assessment of United States' energy consumption for water services is described. This assessment is the first to quantify energy embedded in water at the national scale with a methodology that differentiates consistently between primary and secondary uses of energy for water. The analysis indicates that energy use in the residential, commercial, industrial, and power sectors for direct water and steam services was approximately 12.3 quadrillion BTU or 12.6% of 2010 annual primary energy consumption in the United States. Additional energy was used to generate steam for indirect process heating, space heating, and electricity generation. Chapter 3 explores the potential energy and emissions reductions that might follow regional shifts in residential water heating technologies. Results suggest that the scale of energy and emissions benefits derived from shifts in water heating technologies depends on regional characteristics such as climate, electricity generation mix, water use trends, and population demographics. The largest opportunities for energy and emissions reductions through changes in water heating approaches are in locations with carbon dioxide intensive electricity mixes; however, these are generally areas that are least likely to shift toward more environmentally advantageous devices. In Chapter 4, water withdrawal and consumption rates for 310 electric generation units in Texas are incorporated into a unit commitment and dispatch model of ERCOT to simulate water use at the grid scale for a baseline 2011 case. Then, the potential for water conservation in the power generation sector is explored. Results suggest that the power sector might be a viable target for cost-effective reductions in water withdrawals, but reductions in water consumption are more difficult and more expensive to target.Item Beyond the Aquifer : planning for San Antonio's future water supply(2010-05) Laughlin, Nathan Daniel; Butler, Kent S.; Schuster, StefanThis report examines water supply planning issues in San Antonio, Texas. San Antonio is unique among large cities in the United States in that it relies almost exclusively on a single source, the Edwards Aquifer, for its water supply. Because San Antonio’s water demand is projected to outgrow the Aquifer’s capacity, the city must consider other options to extend and augment its current water supply. After describing the hydrogeology and water supply history of San Antonio, this report explains the multitiered water planning structure and current and future water needs for the city. It then studies and evaluates three short-to-mid term water supply options. By continuing to develop its already successful water conservation programs and water reclamation system, San Antonio can delay the need for more costly and environmentally impactful water supply options down the road, and wisely manage the resources it already draws from.Item Climate action strategies for the University of Texas at Austin(2010-05) Hernandez, Marinoelle; Eaton, David J.; Walker, Jim H.This report analyzes the current greenhouse gas emissions inventory for The University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin), reviews the carbon reduction strategies being implemented at UT-Austin and other peer institutions, and offers recommendations for strategies that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions at UT-Austin in the future.Item Incentivizing water-efficient growth in Austin(2017-09-15) Bock, Meghan Kassandra; Lieberknecht, Katherine E.; Paterson, RobertThis report examines water impact fees as a financial tool for incentivizing water-efficient growth for the purpose of determining whether this strategy represents a cost-effective solution for the City of Austin. Currently, the City of Austin in the initial stages of developing its first long-range integrated water resource plan. As part of the planning process, the city will be projecting municipal demands and identifying future needs over a 100-year time horizon. To achieve the plan’s vision for a water resilient future, water conservation and demand-side management will play an integral part in the city’s holistic approach. Planning for the future, however, involves many uncertainties—future demand, population growth, drought conditions, etc. To tackle these complex issues, it is critical for the city to explore a diverse portfolio of options for reducing future water demands. Aside from more traditional policy mechanisms for promoting conservation, what additional strategies can the city pursue? To address this question, this report evaluates the potential for designing water impact fees to encourage water-efficient growth in new development. As part of this analysis, this report evaluates the political, legal, and financial feasibility of implementing conservation-based impact fee structures. To begin, the report provides an overview of Austin’s prior efforts to promote water conservation and how these accomplishments have positioned the city to develop its first IWRP. Next, the rules and procedures dictating how cities in Texas calculate impact fees as well as typical fee structures are discussed. The third section evaluates Austin’s current and projected water use patterns to help identify specific strategies the city can use to incentivize water efficiency in new development. A financial analysis of these strategies is then provided to illustrate how the city could implement a conservation-driven impact fee structure and what the cost-effectiveness of doing so would be. The report concludes by offering recommendations on how the City of Austin can incorporate this strategy into its comprehensive water management plan.Item Saving water in farming : methodology for water conservation verification efforts in the agricultural sector(2013-05) Ramirez Huerta, Ana Karina; Eaton, David J.This dissertation develops, tests and validates statistical methods for verifying the amount of water conserved as a result of investments in precision leveling, other on-farm conservation measures in place, weather variation and farmer behavior. This evaluation uses a sample of 328 unique fields from Lakeside Irrigation Division in Texas over a six-year period, totaling 966 observations. Results show that precision leveling accounts for a 0.30 acre-feet reduction of irrigation water per acre leveled. This Mixed-Level Model (MLM) estimate for precision leveling water savings is more precise than the estimates either from an Ordinary Least Square Model or a Fixed Effect Model. A meta analysis combines the results from this model with other similar studies. Although the mean estimate of the meta-analysis is similar to the MLM estimate, the meta-analysis further reduces the standard error of the mean precision leveling estimate by 2 percent. A better approximation of the acre-feet water savings per acre farmed translates into less uncertainty for water regulators, managers and policymakers regarding the volume of conserved water that is available for transfer.Item Water conservation on campuses of higher education in Texas(2014-08) Zellner, Hannah Marie; Pierce, Suzanne Alise, 1969-Facing drought and water shortages, many regions of the United States and the world have been forced to improve water resources management. In water-stressed areas of the US, water conservation has become the most economically viable water supply option available. As such, water conservation efforts are an increasingly popular method of demand management and have proven effective at various scales throughout the country. Many states in the arid southwest, including Texas, have incorporated water conservation strategies into their state water plans to reduce demand during drought conditions. At the 2013 Summit for the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS), water conservation was identified as a critical issue for higher education institutes (HEI) across the state. HEIs are analogous to small cities in terms of their resource use, and can also serve as test labs for sustainability concepts and resource management strategies. In response to concerns about water scarcity, TRACS launched an evaluation of water conservation strategies across Texas’ HEI campuses. The project collected data focused on the use of water conservation methods and their perceived effectiveness in irrigation and landscaping, building use, and utilities. Additionally, water conservation educational efforts, and the goals and policies of HEIs were considered. The objectives of the project were to collaborate with Texas HEIs, compile a database of best practices, and identify regional preferences in a state with varying climates and water resources. The results of the survey determined that native and adaptive plants were the most-widely used water conservation method for irrigation and landscaping as well the most effective strategy. In buildings, low-flow plumbing was reported to be the most widely-used and also most effective water conservation method. A variety of water conservation measures were used in utilities; metering, maintenance, and recycling water were viewed as most effective. While many HEIs reported offering opportunities for students to learn or participate in research about water conservation, only half reported offering workshops or courses for managerial staff and faculty. Education for staff and faculty is a particularly important area for improvement, as many staff members are closely involved in managing water use across campuses. Many of the HEIs reported having water conservation policies in place or pending and some participating HEIs reported having target reduction plans and involvement with agencies related to water conservation. It is important for the administration of educational institutions to put policies and plans in place to guide the everyday operations of a campus. HEIs in the state are making great strides in water conservation, but establishing a network to share best practices and improvements could significantly enhance campus water conservation initiatives.