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April !"# $ % !# $!#&’’( )* (&(+,- #. /0 1/ % *(& (+,- 1 2 $ 2 3 $ $ 1# 3 2 . (45 3 6 7 1/ ! ’5((2 . 7 &895 %: ,1 ;2 < )) = > 7 8 ? "@ ?(@ ?((@ A +9-)’+")&,4’ #, ’( !"! !"#$ % &%’#( ) *+,* - "#$ % .,/ 0 1 2 !%’#( & 3 "#$ % %’#( ! 4 -"#$ % %’#( !3 ) %) ’+")&,+- % ! #B /#C (55 -555/ :!=C !D $ #! Last month, an article appeared in the City Connection explaining how drinking water gets to residents in Huntsville from its natural sources. The ages of several key components of the City's water infrastructure were also discussed. This month, the water article will discuss several key terms related to water supply in Huntsville, how much water Huntsville citizens actually use day-to-day, and how close that amount really comes to the maximum amount available at any given time. Also, results from a recent water capacity study completed by a state agency for Huntsville will also be discussed. Firm yield vs. total capacity W hen discussing water capacity, one of the common terms used to discuss the amount of water available to residents is firm or safe yield. Firm yield, as defined by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, is the amount of water that any water plant can produce in one day when its largest component is out of service. For the Trinity River Authority plant - one of the City's two primary water sources - the firm yield is 6 million gallons daily, or 6 MGD. The City also draws groundwater from an aquifer using a system of seven wells. Each day, a total of 3.3 MGD of groundwater may be drawn from the aquifer without having a negative impact. This amount is considered the total sustainable capacity of the aquifer. Adding the 3.3 MGD that may be drawn from the City's wells and the 6 MGD from the TRA plant, the total firm yield for the City is 9.3 MGD. Firm yield is calculated with the assumption that one or more large components of City water infrastructure are not available for use. Total capacity, however, is a term that refers to the amount of water that can be produced if all systems are fully functioning. The total capacity of the TRA plant is 8 MGD, an increase of 2 MGD from firm yield. Therefore, the total sustainable capacity in Huntsville is 11.3 MGD, with 8 MGD from the TRA plant and 3.3 MGD from wells. Well failures During 2010, meeting total demand was additionally challenged by well failures. W ell 14, which failed in 2009, was ultimately unable to be repaired and was plugged. The City is exploring development of a new well, possibly at the site of a previous well. W ell 19, which failed in Januar y 2010, was out of commission well into the summer months. Repairs were not completed until August 2010. W ell 17 failed in July 2010, and completion of repair is anticipated this spring. Currently, W ell 13 – while still operational – is pumping at 70 percent of its normal rate, and repairs are anticipated in the future. These well failures were primarily due to malfunctioning components. Generally, pump failures are due to excessive damage on the pump, as well as age. Average usage vs. peak usage The City of Huntsville Public Utilities Department keeps a daily record of the amount of water used by residents. From those numbers, the average water usage and peak water usage for each year is calculated. Average water usage is the average amount of water used by residents; in 2010, the average daily water usage for the city was approximately 7.9 MGD. Peak water usage reflects the highest daily demand for water during the year; in other words, the greatest amount of water used by residents on a given day during the year. In 2010, the peak water usage was 11.6 MGD, a number which is over 300,000 gallons higher than the City's total capacity of water production. During 2010, the City's daily water usage surpassed its total water production capacity twice, and on four occasions, the City's water usage was above 11 MGD. Additionally, there were 50 days during which the City's water usage surpassed the safe yield of 9.3 MGD, and 148 days where the amount of water used was above the annual average. (See graph on page 3.) Storage tanks The majority of the city’s water is sent to at least one of six storage tanks prior to entering the distribution s ystem. Two of these tanks are elevated and help maintain required water pressure throughout the distribution system. To provide adequate pressure and volume, the storage tank levels should be at 80% of their capacity. W hen those levels fall below 80%, it is an indication that demand is exceeding production. In 2010, this could have occurred each time water demand exceeded 11.3 MGD, as well as during periods of continued demand of 10 MGD or higher. Water is constantly circulating through these tanks, with water leaving the tanks to balance production and use, and entering to maintain tank levels. All of the components of the water system are maintained by the City to provide citizens with a safe and reliable water supply. 6 E6E6E6E In 2010, daily water usage surpassed both firm yield and total capacity multiple times: Total days at 8 MGD or over: 148 Total days over 9.3 MGD (Firm yield): 50 Total days over 10 MGD (First drought contingency plan trigger): 20 Total days over 11.3 MGD (Total Capacity): 2 #!$ ~Re c e i ve d N a tio n a l M a in S tre e t Recognition: 2003, 2004, 2008, 2011 ~Partnered with the Tall Pines Quilt Guild to have Airing of the Quilts in Downtown for the past ten years ~Organized Spring Clean the Square a Downtown beautification project ~Partnered with the Sam Houston State Univer sity Histor y Depa rtment on r elo ca tin g a nd p r ese r ving Walker County’s oldest known Cabin to Downtown ~Awarded Texas Capital Fund Main Street Improvement Grant ~Improved Downtown Signage and installed over 20 park benches and litter receptacles in downtown ~Started a Signage and Façade Grant Program for Downtown Businesses ~Installed over 40 Historic Sidewalk Lampposts ~Added Historic Figures Banners, %!(5%!(5%!(5%!(5 %!%!.%# F < 1 %!% (5 2 1 B 2 Welcome Back Kats Banners, Quilt Banners and Christmas Banners for all light poles in the Main Street area ~Provide Support for the Huntsville Downtown Business Alliance ~Awarded Houston-Galveston Area Council Improvement Grants ~Partnered with the Walker County Historical Commission and Huntsville Community Theatre to fundraise by premiering Me and Orson Welles with special guest, Oscar Nominated Director, Richard Linklater ~Published On the Square monthly newsletters to keep everyone up to date on Downtown ~Improved all of the three parks in Downtown ~Organized the Main Street Summer Film Festival to raise funds to provide signage and façade grants to all of the businesses in Downtown ~Started the Downtown Hero Award to recognize advocates for Downtown ~Organized the Scare on the Square in October which has grown to have over 6,000 attendees annually ~Started a This Place Matters Photo Exhibit in honor of Preservation Month and Huntsville’s 175th Birthday ~Organized the Downtown Christmas Fair in conjunction with Huntsville for the Holidays and raised over $3,000 in the first year ~Planted over 50 trees in the nine-block area to beautify Downtown ~Since 2001 over $2 Million has been reinvested in Downtown ~Since 2007 over 3,500 Volunteer hours have been logged Downtown ~Since 2007 over 20 businesses have started, expanded or relocated in Downtown !" #$" %& ’ ()*+&&’ ?’@ (+4( 1 :G 3 2 ! #!% &’!( &’!( &’!( &’!( &)&)&)&) #*)#*)#*)#*) #*+&,!*#*+&,!*#*+&,!*#*+&,!* 5 5 ==== #H(#H(#H(#H(IIII 8888 :J )"&==== %=%=%=%= #H’#H’#H’#H’IIII 8888 ;((! 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