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6. UTILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Utilities are typically the systems of energy and are privately owned. At campuses such as the University, the thermal utilities (steam and chilled water) are often owned and operated by the University itself. The University purchases energy from the private utilities to use in creating the thermal utilities at a “central plant”. Sometimes a university will generate a portion of its own electricity through generators associated with the central plant or photovoltaic panel installations. Typically infrastructure is the set of systems necessary for public health and safety, such as potable water and waste water (sanitary sewer). They are usually publicly or institutionally owned. Utilities and infrastructure for the Island originate on the adjacent mainland. All of these systems except for rain water and storm water come across the mud flats of the Cayo del Oso on the bridge. UTILITIES Refer to section 4. SUSTAINABILITY for RENEWABLE ENERGY, to Illustrations No. 6.1 through 6.3, and to Appendix A Letter Report on Utilities and Infrastructure. NATURAL GAS Because the buildings are heated by steam from the central plant there is no need of a natural gas distribution system on campus. The natural gas from the City of Corpus Christi Gas Department simply comes across the bridge and goes to the central plant. Refer to Illustration No. 5.1 MAP OF NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTUION SYSTEM.

NATURAL GAS TRUNK LINES

Illustration No. 6.1 MAP OF NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

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ELECTRICITY Electricity is purchased from an outside provider (one of the six suppliers in the Corpus Christi area). It comes across the bridge in distribution cables that terminate at the campus substation near the central plant. Refer to Illustration No. 6.2 MAP OF ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. The campus buildings are provided with electricity from the central plant by means of the University’s own service lines.

ELECTRICITY

DISTRIBUTION LINES

ELECTRICITY

DISTRIBUTION LINES

Illustration No. 6.2 MAP OF ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

THERMAL UTILITIES The thermal utilities system consists of the central plant that produces the “products”—steam and chilled water, the cold water storage tank—that stores product made at night using the lowest cost energy, and the distribution lines (usually subterranean) that carry the thermal products to the buildings for use. Refer to Illustration No. 6.3 MAP OF THERMAL UTILITIES SYSTEM. These distribution lines are in branching and/or loop patterns. The loop pattern is the most efficient and provides for redundancy in the delivery of products to the buildings. CENTRAL PLANT The University has wisely invested in a modern and efficient central plant that is carefully conceived for future expansion of its capacity. It is located close to but out of the way of the campus core. A master plan for development of the central plant (Central Plant Utility Expansion, Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi) was completed in the fall of 2002.

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CENTRAL PLANT EXPANSION

FACILITIES SERVED BY CENTRAL PLANT

PROPOSED OUTER LOOP

CENTRAL PLANT & CHW STORAGE TANK

CENTRAL PLANT EXPANSION

FACILITIES SERVED BY CENTRAL PLANT

PROPOSED OUTER LOOP

CENTRAL PLANT & CHW STORAGE TANK

Illustration No. 6.3 MAP OF THERMAL UTILITIES SYSTEM

COLD STORAGE TANK The University uses a cold storage tank to great advantage. The Central Plant chills water at night when the electricity rates are lowest. The chilled water is stored in a large tank and is circulated in the system during the day. This allows for the chillers to be idle during much of the day when the electricity rates are the highest. This system is a simple one and is highly cost effective, as the records for the first tank reveal. The University is in the position to make use of a second tank, especially as the projected growth occurs on the campus. DISTRIBUTION LINES Presently the distribution lines from the central plant are in a branching pattern. The lines have been carefully designed and installed in order to serve as part of an eventual loop all of the way around the campus. Refer to Illustration No. 6.3 MAP OF THE THERMAL UTILITIES SYSTEM. INFRASTRUCTURE Refer to SECTION 4 SUSTAINABILITY, to Illustrations No.6.4 through 6.6, for maps of these systems,.and to Appendix A, Letter Report on Utilities and Infrastructure. WATER “The difference between a desert island and a tropical island is water.” RAIN WATER Presently, rain water is the same as storm water or storm drainage. Refer to STORM WATER below. Rain water represents a valuable resource that is presently not used. The annual average rainfall in Corpus Christi is 30.4 inches. As storm water, it even has an undesirable environmental effect on the Cayo del Oso, causing invasive species of plants to grow where they would not ordinarily be able to.

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Originally, the rain water on the island flowed to the wetlands at the island edges and to a large pond and associated wetlands on the east end of the island. Refer to Illustration No. 2.1 WARD ISLAND BEFORE WORLD WAR II. Gradually it was then mixed into the salt water of the bay. The rain water / storm water could be captured and stored to be used later as irrigation water. Refer to STORM WATER in section 4. SUSTAINABILITY. AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER WATER The Physical Plant Department has made note of the large amount of condensed water that comes from the cooling coils for each building due to the humid atmosphere on the coast. Given the intense landscaping around the tightly clustered buildings, a plan is evolving to capture and use this water for irrigation of the landscaping adjacent to each building. POTABLE WATER Potable water comes to the Island from a City of Corpus Christi surface reservoir to the west of the City. As with all other utilities and infrastructure systems, it comes to the Island by way of a pipe on the bridge. Refer to Illustration No. 6.? MAP OF WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. The supply of potable water is limited by the size of the pipe coming to the Island across the bridge. This line is adequate for the future. refer to Appendix A. The supply could be increased by using rainwater or reclaimed water for irrigation in lieu of potable water.

METER

WATER DISTRIBUTION MAINS

METER

WATER DISTRIBUTION MAINS

Illustration No. 6.4 MAP OF WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

WASTE WATER Waste water is collected in the University’s lines and by gravity or force main is sent to a lift station on the west side of the Island and from there it flows across the bridge to the City’s water treatment plant close by on the mainland. The lift station is owned by the City. It is constantly at capacity. According to the City, the waste water lines are dramatically infiltrated by storm water.

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This could be the result of old and broken lines, or there may even be lines in service from the WWII installations that are cross connected between storm and waste water. An engineering testing program using smoke could provide useful information concerning these possibilities. Or, perhaps the City is wrong and the lift station needs to be expanded immediately. Refer to Illustration No. 6.5 MAP OF WASTE WATER COLLECTION SYSTEM and to Appendix B. Beyond the size of the lift station the waste water system is limited by the size of the pipe that crosses the bridge. That pipe is sized adequately to allow for growth. See Appendix A.

WASTE WATER TRUNK LINES

CITY LIFT STATION

LIFT STATION

LIFT STATION

WASTE WATER TRUNK LINES

CITY LIFT STATION

LIFT STATION

LIFT STATION

Illustration No. 6.5 MAP OF WASTE WATER COLLECTION SYSTEM

RECLAIMED (TREATED) WATER Treated water (reclaimed water or “gray” water) from the City’s treatment plant flows out of a drainage way from the plant to the west side of the Cayo del Oso. This drainage way is just to the south of the Suter Wildlife Area. When an enlarged waste water line was installed during the construction of the new bridge to the Island, the old line was kept in place. The plan is to use it to pump a supply of treated water to the Island for irrigation use. The volume of this water available for irrigation is determined by the size of the existing pipe retained for this use. Refer to Illustration No 6.6 DIAGRAM OF POTENTIAL RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM.

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R.O.M. = Rough Order of MagnitudeCAYO DEL OSO

CORPUS CHRISTI BAY

WASTE WATER

TREATMENT PLANT

HANS SUTER

WILDLIFE AREA

HIKE/BIKE BRIDGE WITH

OBSERVATION DECKS AND alternate

GRAY WATER PIPE LINE FROM

TREATMENT PLANT

TREATED OUTFALL

Use abandoned

Cistern to collect

gray water &

rainwater

Use abandoned

pipes to connect Cistern

Existing empty

pipe in bridge

for gray water

R.O.M. = Rough Order of MagnitudeCAYO DEL OSO

CORPUS CHRISTI BAY

WASTE WATER

TREATMENT PLANT

HANS SUTER

WILDLIFE AREA

HIKE/BIKE BRIDGE WITH

OBSERVATION DECKS AND alternate

GRAY WATER PIPE LINE FROM

TREATMENT PLANT

TREATED OUTFALL

Use abandoned

Cistern to collect

gray water &

rainwater

Use abandoned

pipes to connect Cistern

Existing empty

pipe in bridge

for gray water

Illustration No. 6.6 DIAGRAM OF POTENTIAL RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM

STORM WATER Rain water that does not soak into the unpaved earth becomes storm water. Storm water (rainfall on the roofs and surface paving such as streets, sidewalks, and parking lots) is engineered to flow into a subsurface collection and transmission system. This system uses three subterranean outfalls. One goes from the campus core directly south to a channel probably left from the military installation. The channel empties directly into the Cayo del Oso. It appears to have created a curved delta of sorts extending out into the Oso. Refer to Illustration No 6.7 MAP OF STORM WATER / DRAINAGE SYSTEM. Storm water (rainwater) could be a great potential resource if it were to be collected and stored. The Island has an extraordinary asset that could make such a system possible. It is a rectilinear concrete storage tank on the southwest edge of the Island. The tank has a volume of nearly a quarter of a million gallons. It was originally the U.S. Navy Engineers designed septic tank for the military facilities on the Island during WW II. To utilize this tank a collection pond and pumping station would be necessary. Refer to section 4. SUSTAINABILITY.

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MAJOR OUTFALLS

SURFACE FLOW

MAJOR OUTFALLS

SURFACE FLOW

Illustration No. 6.7 MAP OF STORM WATER / DRAINAGE SYSTEM

SUMMARY The limitations of all utilities and infrastructure systems are man made. Recommendations:

1. Complete digital maps of all utilities and infrastructure system. 2. Begin preliminary planning of the reclaimed water system. 3. Begin preliminary planning of the rain water (storm water) collection system.