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Mapping & Analysis of Wastewater Spills in the

Barton Springs and Southern Segments of the Edwards

Aquifer

Project Manager: Katie TritschGIS Analyst: Kevin TaylorWeb Design/GIS Analyst: Eric SchroederGIS Analyst: Katie Steele

Presented for: Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance

Background Work CompletedCurrent WorkFuture WorkConclusion

Progress Report Overview

Map and analyze wastewater spills that have occurred in Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Region 11 within the last five years.

Geovisualization of this data to enhance GEAA’s understanding of: Distribution Gallon amount Frequency Causes of wastewater spills

Interactive Mapping: Enhance public’s understanding and concern Potential health affects due to polluting groundwater

reserves

Background: Purpose

Edwards Aquifer Recharge and Contributing zones

Barton Springs & Southern segments

Priority counties: Travis and Hays Next county: Williamson

Spills are 500 gallons or more

Occurrence over the past five years 2007-2012

Background: Scope

TCEQ wastewater spill data 1,800 spill records total Sorted by county and date

New Data Tables Separate table for Hays County and Travis County

New columns: full street address, city, zip code, cause of spill, and action taken to remedy the spill

537 records total were processed Some left out due to non-specific or nonexistent locations Hays (93) and Travis (344), totaling in 437 spill records

mapped.

Work Completed: Data Acquisition & Processing

Original hypothesis is incorrect Certain MUDs do not contain more spills Stronger correlation between spills and

population.

Also, not many spills on the recharge or contributing zone of the aquifer.

Combining our analyses to give a general assessment of the impact of population growth and development on wastewater spills. Work Completed:

Data analysis & interpretation

Work Completed:Final Deliverables

Completed: Hays and Travis counties

Next: Williamson County Due to client’s interest and analysis

challenges Should only take a couple days

Current Work:Data Acquisition & Processing

Williamson County spills map

Sequential maps for Travis County

Categorical Map Map of spills based on spill causes

Developing ideas for vulnerability analysis Kernel density, weighted by spill volume Population density map Combined qualitative analysis for Final Report

Current Work:Data analysis & interpretation

Currently cleaning up spill data attribute tables in ArcMap When displayed in the interactive map

software, the location, duration, volume, and causes will be easier to read.

Interactive Mapping Options: Manifold Google Earth Potentially Open Source software

Current Work: Interactive mapping

Adobe Dreamweaver

We are in exploratory phase due to little experience

Watching tutorials to help us navigate the Dreamweaver software

Current Work: Website publication

Geocoding Williamson County within the next week

Promptly move on to following portions of the project

Future Work: Data acquisition & processing

Executing point pattern analysis (Kernel) and population density calculations

Creating static maps – Categorical by cause, Kernel density, population density, Williamson spills

Writing out our analysis Improving the understanding of the context Errors/limitations Shortcomings and challenges Opportunities for further research

Future Work: Data analysis & interpretation

Deciding which software to use within the next couple weeks

Formatting data to be more user-friendly and inputting it into chosen software

Embedding interactive map onto websiteFuture Work: Interactive mapping

Continuing to work on website publication until Week 10

Slow yet steady progression with Dreamweaver

Anticipating a well-designed final product

Future Work: Website publication

Integrating data into interactive map

Perfecting static maps

Wrapping up website publication

Putting together final report

Designing and printing a professional poster

Creating a CD of all documents, data, and metadata for GEAA’s future use

Future Work: Final Deliverables

Schedule Revisions…

ARI Revised Timetable  Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10*

Start date Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Nov. 19 Nov. 26Dec. 3 - Dec.

10Data Acquisition & Processing                    

Data Analysis & Interpretation                    

Interactive Mapping                    

Website Publication                    

Final Deliverables                    

Overall project is moving along well despite unsuspected challenges

Looking forward to getting a fuller picture of the recharge and contributing zones of the aquifer with the addition of Williamson County

Continued effort in finding correlation between wastewater spills and an external factor (population growth, development)

Final Deliverables will be ready on time

Confident of our success at increasing understanding of the context of spills in the Barton Springs and Southern segments of the Edwards Aquifer.

Conclusion

Questions?