A report by the office of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts suggests that the state should look to technology and innovation to solve its water problems.
The report suggests that the state's fresh water outlook could mirror what Texas companies have done with oil, where new technologies such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have opened up vast new supplies. For water, Texas could hope to see advances in desalinization, water reuse and aquifer storage and recovery.
The problem for Texas is simple: too much demand, not enough water. Solutions have been more elusive. So far, the situation in Austin has already required the Lower Colorado River Authority to cut water releases to downstream farmers for three years in a row.
Those kinds of drastic actions could become more common as municipalities and residents' demand for water grows. In 2010, agricultural irrigation accounted for 56 percent of Texas' water use while cities and their residents used 27 percent. By 2060, municipal users are expected to be the largest users at 38.3 percent of all water use, while irrigation will shrink to 38.1 percent.
If nothing changes, Austin could be particularly vulnerable – many of the city's most vital companies are dependent on water use. For example, the semiconductor industry spends $1 billion annually on water systems in the U.S., and manufacturing a large integrated circuit requires about 2,200 gallons of water.
However, according to the report, water savings are possible. For example, Dallas-based Texas Instruments has implemented recycling practices that have saved 1.2 billion gallons, or 14 percent of the company's use.
To help maximize those kinds of savings, as well as create new ones, the report advocates that the state encourage new technologies and conservation projects.
Specifically, the report urges the Texas Legislature to increase state funding for conservation projects demonstrating new technologies and to establish a framework to better allocate research money for conservation.
Texas' approval of $2 billion for water infrastructure funding last November was an important step, the report states, but it was just a step. The report is available online here.
