BASTROP COUNTY, TX (KXAN) — John Kirkland has found himself in the middle of a battle over his city’s water supply. As Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Bastrop, Kirkland said he was doing everything he could within his power to prevent Austin Water, the utility provider for the City of Austin, from storing water beneath the county.
“In my opinion, [the proposal] breaches the gray line of being immoral, and I continue to be strenuously opposed to it,” Kirkland said Tuesday, October 14, during a city council meeting.
The plan is called Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR), and it involves taking treated surface water from the City of Austin, transporting it to Bastrop County, and pumping that water into the aquifer below. By keeping water stored in the aquifer, it will be protected from evaporation.
“Every person that is affected by this project will have our full care and attention,” said Shay Ralls Roalson, director of Austin Water, at that same October 14 meeting.
“There’s really nothing for Bastrop except for risk in this project,” Kirkland told KXAN. He’s concerned that they’ll put their own water at risk in exchange for no benefit. “That risk involves depleting the wells of the people closest to us whenever they want that water out. It comes with the possibility of severe contamination, including poisoning.”
Because treated surface water would be pumped into the aquifer, there is a chance that chemical reactions could occur between the pumped water and minerals found within the aquifer.
“It has been done by several other communities right here in Texas. Communities like El Paso, Kerrville and San Antonio all have ASR projects that they’ve used now for decades,” said Marisa Florez-Gonzalez, supervisor of the water resources team at Austin Water.
Why store Austin’s water in Bastrop?
Florez-Gonzalez said the project has been in the works for several years. Austin Water surveyed several neighboring counties, including Bastrop and Lee counties. Those two counties, along with Travis County, were found to be best suited for the project.
The aquifer beneath Bastrop, the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, is composed primarily of sand. Because of this, when water is pumped into it, that water will remain relatively close to where it was pumped.
The aquifer beneath Travis County, the Edwards Aquifer, is primarily limestone caves. Because of this, any water pumped into the Edwards would flow freely through the cave.
“The characteristics of the aquifer are very important in terms of our ability to effectively store and then retrieve large quantities of water,” Ralls Roalson told KXAN.
How would the ASR project work?
As water is pumped in, it forms into a big bubble. The thin outer layer of that bubble is where the local water mixes with the treated water, but the bubble itself would only be treated water.
Ralls Roaslon said that Austin Water has worked with several other water suppliers during this evaluation period. She did not say if the counties were aware that this evaluation was taking place.
Before the project begins, Austin Water will drill several test wells and take samples of the groundwater. They will examine, in a laboratory, what will happen when the groundwater and minerals mix with the treated water.
Kirkland said that he thinks this is above board, but provides only a “static picture” of the water quality.
During this period, Austin Water plans to also do studies on the aquifers in Travis County.
Following this laboratory period, Austin Water will undergo a pilot program in Bastrop County to test the ASR project on a small scale. If that is successful, then they will expand the project.
Building a pipeline to pump the water into Bastrop County would require a lot of land. The City of Austin plans to reach out to landowners to determine if any will give them their property. Austin Water is also exploring the need for easements and leasing land for temporary structures.
The City of Austin has vowed not to use eminent domain for this project. Kirkland said that City of Bastrop counsel informed him that the agreement is not legally binding for future Austin city councils.
Bastrop pushes back against Austin Water
Before Austin Water proceeds, they sought a final collaboration agreement with the City of Bastrop during the City Council meeting on October 14.
“One of the elements in that collaboration agreement said that we would not take any action to prevent the project from moving forward. Which is the exact opposite of what I’m currently doing,” Kirkland said.
As Mayor Pro Tem, Kirkland has overseen discussions about the project with Austin Water. The mayor of Bastrop, Ishmael Harris, is a long-time employee of Austin Water. The city’s rules of ethics require him to excuse himself from the matter. Kirkland said that the mayor has followed the rules to the letter.
The city declined the collaboration agreement. However, it may not matter.
“The sole permitting authority for this project is the [Texas Commission on Environmental Quality]. And so if the TCEQ approves this project, then the city of Bastrop’s opinion of this project is irrelevant,” Kirkland said. “It does make you feel a little bit powerless.”
“We understand that everyone comes to this discussion wanting what’s in the best interests of their constituents and of the region. And we share the concern for making sure that these water resources are well protected for future generations,” Ralls Roalson said.
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