Abundant sunshine. High 99F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph..
A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 73F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
New construction at KB Home Deer Crest in New Braunfels.
Shawn Schorn, New Braunfels Utilities chief engineer of water systems stands next to a pump station located in the base of an elevated water storage tank Thursday, June 17, 2022.
New Braunfels Utilities' brand new 750,000 gallon elevated storage tank goes into use Friday, June 17, 2022.
New Braunfels Utilities Chief Executive Officer Ian Taylor hosts a community meeting at the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center to discuss NBU’s water supply system and long-term water resources planning, Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
New construction at KB Home Deer Crest in New Braunfels.
With the city’s rapid growth, is New Braunfels at risk of running out of water?
New Braunfels Utilities Chief Executive Officer Ian Taylor gave a clear answer for residents during a community meeting on Tuesday: No.
Residents were invited to the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center to learn more about NBU’s water sources, infrastructure, conservation efforts and rates.
Taylor told meeting attendees that water is likely the hottest topic out of the utility’s three lines of business — water, wastewater and electricity.
“When you live in a community like ours that’s growing like ours, it’s not unusual to be irritated, frustrated and I think sometimes a little scared about things,” Taylor told meeting attendees. “Sometimes, I hear people express those feelings about water.”
Shawn Schorn, New Braunfels Utilities chief engineer of water systems stands next to a pump station located in the base of an elevated water storage tank Thursday, June 17, 2022.
Taylor said the utility focuses on improving system resiliency and diversifying water supply sources.
Water supply resiliency is “the ability to overcome vulnerabilities to provide a continuous supply of safe, clean water to meet the demands of utility customers.”
New Braunfels Utilities' brand new 750,000 gallon elevated storage tank goes into use Friday, June 17, 2022.
Taylor added that NBU cannot contain or control new growth in the city, but the utility is obligated to the demands of that growth.
“We have to make sure that when people turn the tap on, the water is safe to drink and that the supply coming through that tap is resilient and then there’s enough infrastructure that’s in place,” he said. “So, when we’re in the middle of that hot summer day, everybody’s sprinklers are running — if a fire breaks out, the men and women of our fire department have enough pressure and capacity to put out that fire to protect life and property.”
NBU gets its water from a variety of sources — 36% from the Canyon Reservoir, 18% from Edwards Aquifer, 16% from the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority Mid Basin, 14% Run-of-River, 9% from the Trinity Aquifer 5% from the city of Seguin and 2% from the Green Valley Special Utility District. That wasn’t always the case, according to Taylor.
Before 1991, 100% of New Braunfels’ water supply came from the Edwards Aquifer. As NBU diversified its water supply portfolio over the next three decades, the city became less dependent on the Edwards Aquifer. By 1995, the Edwards Aquifer number fell to 45% of the city’s water supply. In 2005, 35% and in 2015, that number dropped to 31%.
NBU had access to 26,000 acre-feet per year of water in 2015, according to Taylor. In 2022, with further diversification and the number and capacity of water sources, the utility had access to more than 50,000 acre-feet of water per year, nearly doubling the amount of water in seven years. An acre-foot of water is defined as one acre of water, roughly the size of a football field, one foot deep.
New Braunfels Utilities Chief Executive Officer Ian Taylor hosts a community meeting at the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center to discuss NBU’s water supply system and long-term water resources planning, Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
Taylor explained that even in a worst-case drought situation, NBU would have enough water — more than 40,000 acre-feet per year — to supply the city’s thirsty customers until 2044.
NBU forecast that demand will surpass 20,000 acre-feet per year of water in 2025 and 30,000 acre-feet in 2035. By 2040, NBU projects that demand will surpass 35,000 acre-feet.
“That doesn’t mean that between now and 2044, we’re not going to be planning for more water,” he said.
Taylor added that NBU maintains ongoing conversations with water purveyors to establish long-term partnerships.
The city’s growth also means more infrastructure, expanding NBU’s production, distribution and elevated storage capacities.
“Water infrastructure is the treatment plants, the pumps, the pipes, the tanks — everything needed to get the water from source to tap,” he said. “That’s where we have been working like mad to build to keep the systems running in New Braunfels.”
NBU’s storage capacity recently increased with the construction of a 1.5 million gallon elevated storage tank located in the Veramendi development and the a 750,000 gallon tank along Veramendi’s west boundary, as well as an expansion of the Grandview Pump Station near North Walnut Avenue.
Several water projects are underway. NBU has begun work on its $11.5 million Surface Water Treatment Plant project designed to provide additional transmission capacity to deliver water and alleviate high-pressure issues in the area when the Headwaters at the Comal, the Surface Water Treatment Plant and Landa Park pumps are running simultaneously.
Work also continues on the Castell Avenue 24-inch Water Line Project, which includes providing an additional 24-inch transmission mainline needed to send water from downtown New Braunfels to the County Line ground storage tank and surrounding areas and replacing aging water and sewer lines.
Crews are also working on a project to upgrade existing infrastructure by replacing a 12-inch water line along McQueeney Road from County Line Road to the County Line Memorial Trail with 18-inch and 24-inch gravity mains.
New Braunfels is currently under Stage 2 watering restrictions. Landscape watering with a sprinkler is allowed one day per week before 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m. based on the last digit of the address. Addresses ending with 0 or 1 can water on Monday, addresses ending 2 or 3 on Tuesday, addresses ending 4 or 5 on Wednesday, addresses ending 6 or 7 on Thursday and addresses ending 8 or 9 on Friday.
Use of a hand-held hose, bucket, soaker hose, drip irrigation system, or a soaker hose that does not spray water into the air would be allowed on any day before 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m. during the second stage of restrictions. A sprinkler or irrigation system is not permitted on the weekends during stages 1, 2 or 3.
In addition to providing a complete copy of the New Braunfels Water Conservation and Drought Management Plan at nbutexas.com, residents can review the Drought Contingency Plan at www.nbutexas.com/drought-planning/ or request an assessment and explore tips for saving water inside and outside the home.
Despite a lack of rainfall and rising temperatures that caused the level of the J-17 well th…
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.