where we are and how we got here tacir. two distinct issues unserved areas areas outstripping their...

Facing the Challenge of Water Supply Shortages

Where We Are and How We Got Here

TACIR

Two Distinct IssuesUnserved areasAreas outstripping their supply

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Ballpark EstimateIn 2005,

$50,000to

$150,000per mileofwater linePlus operating costs.

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Costs to Serve Rural AreasReading meters—vehicle costs and staff timeOperating and maintaining pumps and tanks

—staff, electricity, depreciationFlushing lines to ensure drinking-water

quality

All are more costly in sparsely populated areas.And there are fewer people to pay for them.Grants help with intial costs, but not operating costs.

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Line FlushingCostly but necessary

Serving freshly treated water “just in time”is impossible

Ways to Reduce CostsAutomated meter reading reduces staff time

in the field; vehicle idling, stops and startsAutomatic line flushing saves staff field time

and waterRemote monitoring of tanks, pumps and

valves saves time, water and money

But it’s still more expensive in sparsely populated areas.

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Water is not an unlimited resource . . .

Carrying capacity—the maximum population that can survive indefinitely in a given environment

Limiting factor—anything that tends to make it more difficult for a species to live and grow or reproduce in its environment

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Today’slimitsmaynotbelimitstomorrow!

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Getting water where you need it

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District

. . . Water is a shared resource

TACIRSource: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District

Current Water Supply Allocations in the Cumberland River System

Project Utility

J. Percy Priest

LaVergne, TNMurfreesboro, TNSmyrna, TNYMCA, TNConsolidated Utility District, TNCedar Crest Golf Course, TN

Center Hill

Cookeville, TNSmithville, TNDeKalb Utility District, TNRiverwatch Resort, LLC., TN

Dale HollowByrdstown, TNTrooper Island Camp, KYDale Hollow St. Park, KY

LaurelBarbourville, KYLondon, KYLaurel County WD #2, KY

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Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District

Average Flow Contribution by ProjectPercent of Total Flow

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Old Hickory LakeMain stem lock and dam project

Authorized purposes Navigation Flood control Power production

Water supply intake permitsNo water supply allocations—same as all main

stem projectsWater supply use may exceed lake inflowsMoratorium to study

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Federal Water Supply ActReallocationAuthorizes reallocation of storage from

original purposes to water supplyTypical reallocation is from power productionCan be from flood control, but more hurdlesWater utilities must pay for storage, the

higher ofBenefits or revenues foregone,Replacement cost, orUpdated cost of storage.

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If we build it, they will come . . .

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Source: National Drought Mitigation Center, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

J. Percy Priest LakeTributary reservoir

Authorized purposes Flood control Power production Recreation

Added purpose—water supply Reallocated from power production pool in 2005 Further reallocations requested in 2009

Preliminary report estimates much lower reliable capacity

Final report submitted for approval in January 2012 Approval may require several months

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Other areas of concernMississippi lawsuit against Memphis and

TennesseeGeorgia attempts to tap Tennessee River or

its tributaries

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