Changes in the drought contingency plan as well as rates and structure for irrigation water customers were the main focus of the Tuesday evening meeting of the Brown County Water Improvement Board, both of which were adopted.
BCWID Board President J. Timmins explained the board’s position before the agenda items were addressed.
“Brown County Water Improvement District is a business, and our business is to provide dependable water supply to the area. A proven sound business practice demands that we eliminate any unnecessary costs whenever possible, but we charge rates appropriate to cover the costs we do incur,” Timmins said.
Timmins outlined that Lake Brownwood’s level is 9.5 ft below spillway that’s -0.1 of a foot decline in the last seven days and that the area is “nowhere near out of the drought that we have been experiencing.”
Timmins stated that the new rate plans address conservation and the actual cost of delivery by increasing the rates every year while at the same time cutting the delivery costs by shrinking the total pipeline system.
The Texas Water Adjudication Act of 1969, according to Timmins, would cancel riparian rights around the shoreline of Lake Brownwood. Timmins stated that by this time next year, BCWID plans is to have every user of water from Lake Brownwood under contract.
For the first time in many years, a fully contested race for the upcoming election for a position on the board of directors is underway because of the added interest in Brown County Water Improvement District and water due to the drought, Timmins said.
“There has even been discussion of expanding the district to include the entire county. The Texas Water Code outlines a procedure to call an election for that purpose,” stated Timmins. “The Brown County Water Improvement District and staff are ready to assist in anyone who wants to take on that project.”
BCWID has commissioned a ground water survey to determine if ground water is a viable option as an alternate source of water and this report is expected to be available at the next meeting, according to Timmins.
Waterfront customers Gary Meador and Mike Lowry of Feather Bay both expressed their interest in lower delivery charges for those who deliver their own water from the lake; however board members along with Spinks stated that the rates and delivery charges are figured for the system as a whole and at this time no exemptions are considered.
The actual cost of water supplied by BCWID for irrigation in a study performed by J. Stowe and Co. was determined to be $184/acre foot. Current cost to the customer for irrigation water had been $26 per acre foot. The board discussed implementing a 10 year plan to increase irrigation rates by 10% each year resulting in an increase of 135% in rates over the 10 years rather than a flat increase to the $184/acre foot which would be a 240% increase. Spinks stated that many other water providers (such as the Lower Colorado River Authority) have been charging rates related to units such as the foot per acre but that BCWID has not, only charging for the cost of delivery, storage and the cost to care for the watershed.
The board voted to adopt two choices of contracts, firm and interruptible for irrigation customers. Firm being contracts will pay $54/acre foot of water and names an amount of water the customer desires to purchase for the year with 50% of that water paid up front. Interruptible water rates would be at a 25% lower rate at $43/acre foot but interruptible in times of drought, those customers have less time that water would be available. These rates would increase 10% each year.
Board members also voted to include a clause in these contracts that addresses a credit for customers regarding limited supply due to drought, a variable that these customers cannot control.
According to Spinks, 80% of irrigation water is metered. Regarding the idea to have everyone who uses water out of Lake Brownwood metered, Spinks stated that there may be grant money available for irrigation meters.
Spinks added that the Drought Contingency was “wholly inadequate for last summer’s drought.” He stated last year the lake had reached an all-time low of 16.3 feet below spillway level.
Board members agreed and adopted a new plan that included 5 stages and a cutback on water usage when the lake hits certain levels. These new water restrictions will follow the following schedule for treated water users.
Stage 1 – 1420 Elevation – 5% reduction in water usage
Stage 2 – 1417 Elevation – 15% reduction in water usage
Stage 3 – 1414 Elevation – 30% reduction in water usage
Stage 4 – 1411 Elevation – 50% reduction in water usage
Stage 5 – 1408 Elevation – To be determined at initiation by Water District
The new plan begins implementing water restrictions when the lake is just five feet below spillway level.
Officials said that these requirements would actually be applied to their wholesale water purchasers such as cities. It would be up to the cities to implement specific water restrictions to their customers to reach the required use reduction level. The changes would also have to be reviewed by the state.
“This new drought contingency plan may seem harsh,” stated Spinks, “it is compared to what we have done in the past, but we are not in the same situation we have been in the past either. We are sitting here today, still at stage 3 of the drought contingency plan and truthfully, every day that goes by that lake doesn’t rise significantly makes me a lot more worried because we could be in the same situation we were in last October and be another 5, or even 7 or 8 feet lower than we are today by the end of the summer. If that occurs, well, we have to make cut backs, somebody has to make reduce water somewhere.”
Spinks said that flood irrigation is the most inefficient use of that water. He said that sprinkler systems, drip systems are sometimes 100% more effective.
“We have to put more restrictions on that because of the waste because of that evaporation,” Spinks said.
As far as wholesale customers, Spinks stated that he has met with all 5 wholesale water customers and expects no problems with getting help achieving these reductions outlined in the new drought contingency plan.
Spinks also stated that the new drought contingency plan is not easily understood but should have been implemented years ago. He also invited anyone with questions to come to the BCWID office and visit with him or the staff personally.
