Desalination and ASR in a Brackish Aquifer in

Central TexasBrian A. Smith Ph.D., P.G.

Brian B. Hunt, P.G.Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation

District

Kent Butler Summit April 25, 2014

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Texas’ Water Problems

District Management Zones

Western Edwards

Eastern Edwards

Saline Edwards

Trinity Outcrop

Buda

Austin

Kyle

WFC

District Regulatory Setting

Buda

Austin

Kyle

WFC

No new historical Edwards permits-only conditional Edwards permits

District Regulatory Setting

Buda

Austin

Kyle

WFC

Historical permits for Trinity Aquifers

District Regulatory Setting

Buda

Austin

Kyle

WFC

Saline Edwards Aquifer can be used for extraction with limits

District Regulatory Setting

Buda

Austin

Kyle

WFC

Aquifer Storage and Recovery allowed for saline Edwards and Trinity Aquifers

Main Street, Buda, Texas

Kyle

Austin

Q

Q

Q

Kyle

Austin

Q

Q

Q

G

G

Kyle

Austin

Q

Q

Q

G

G

L

Kyle

Austin

Kyle

Austin

Kyle

Austin

Kyle

Austin

Saline Zone of the Edwards AquiferFresh-brackish

boundary is relatively stable (Lambert et al., 2010)

Desalination- yields likely to be high (Pabalan et al., 2003).

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) generally is effective in brackish aquifers

Smith et al., in review

Acknowledgments1880s

1980s

R.T. Hill

Chock Raymond

Kent

Thank You!

Buda