United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Exploratory
Research
Washington DC 20460
Research and Development
EPA-600/S6-83-002 Sept. 1983
x°/EPA Project Summary
Assessment of Potential
Environmental Problems
Concerning Water Availability
G. M. Wesner and B. E. Burris
This study analyzes national supply
and demand and summarizes data on
all water resources regions. Estimates
of the potential for wastewater reuse
and recycling are also presented. The
technology for improving the water
supply through augmentation and con-
servation is reviewed, and the most
feasible implementation methods are
discussed in detail. Three detailed
studies of water sensitive regions pre-
sented in this report illustrate the
regional nature of the issues, prob-
lems, and research needs. The areas
are San Antonio, Texas, South Coastal
area of Southern California, and the
Yadkin-Pee Dee Basin in North Carolina
and South Carolina.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Office of Exploratory Re-
search, Washington, DC, to announce
key findings of the research project
that is fully documented in a separate
report of the same title (see Project
Report ordering information at back).
Introduction
This study summarizes water supply
and demand data for all water resources
regions in the Nation, reviews the tech-
nology for water supply augmentation,
presents evaluations of water resources in
three widely different areas of the Nation,
and analyzes issues, problems and re-
search needs in water availability. Critical
water problems facing the Nation include
inadequate surface water supply and over-
draft of ground water. There are other
water related problems and potential prob-
lems in the Nation including pollution of
surface and ground waters but the major
concern is the inadequate, or marginally
adequate, supply in many areas.
Water Use
Agricultural irrigation is the largest cur-
rent water use in the Nation, and its per-
centage of total water used is projected to
increase by the year 2000.
Percent of Total
Fresh Water Requirement
1975 2000
Agriculture
Steam Electric Power Plants
Manufacturing Industries
Domestic and Commercial
Minerals Industries
Other
50.9
24.6
14.1
8.0
1.9
0.5
54.5
24.2
6.0
11.2
34
0.7
Most of the agricultural use is in the Pacific
Northwest California, and Missouri re-
gions. Cooling water for steam electric
generating plants is the second largest
requirement for fresh water with most of
the demand in the Eastern States. De-
creases projected in fresh water require-
ments for the steam electric and manu-
facturing industries are the results of pro-
jected increases in water recycling. It is
estimated that fresh water supplied to
manufacturing industries in the year 2000
will be used over 1 7 times and fresh water
will be recycled over seven times by steam
electric plants before it is discharged.
Water Supply
The two general methods of increasing
the water supply are: (1) augmentation by
increasing the quantity of water available
to the user, and (2) conservation to reduce
withdrawals and consumption. The fol-
lowing augmentation and conservation
measures are evaluated in this study.
• Augmentation
1. Desalination
2. Wastewater recycling and reuse
3. Brackish-saline water use
4. Transfer and storage
-------
5. Evaporation reduction
6. Vegetation management
7. Weather modification
8. Water rights
9. Icebergs
• Conservation
1. Agricultural irrigation efficiency
2. Crop switching
3. Cooling water techniques
4. Domestic and commercial con-
servation devices
Conclusions
It is concluded that conservation, waste-
water recycling and reuse, desalination
and improved conjunctive use of ground
water and surface water supplies offer the
most immediate potential for increasing
water supplies on a nationwide basis.
Other methods may be used in more
localized areas and others may be more
widely used after further research and
development. The water supply situation
in the following three water sensitive re-
gions is evaluated in detail in this study.
• San Antonio, Texas. Ground water is
presently the sole source of water
supply for the u rban sections in a five
county area of South Central Texas
that includes the City of San Antonio.
• South Coastal California. About two-
thirds of the water supplies for this
11,000 square mile area in Southern
California are imported from the
Colorado River and Northern Cali-
fornia with the other one-third sup-
plied from ground water and local
runoff.
• Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin. Surface
water and ground water from within
this river basin are the source of
supply for an 18,000 square mile
area in North Carolina and South
Carolina.
Information on major issues, trends and
research needs in water availability for this
study were collected from several sources
including:
1. Recent reports and review on the
National water situation including
comments and critiques on Federal
water policy and research activities.
2. Regional reports, many of which
were prepared under the Federal
Water Resources Planning Act
3. Reports by various State agencies.
4. Discussions with local water agency
personnel and others during the
work on this project.
5. Informal discussions with knowledge-
able persons in Washington, D.C. to
solicit opinions on major issues,
trends and research needs in water
availability.
It is concluded that many of the prob-
lems and issues are regional in nature. The
issues that exist in all regions of the Nation
are limited or inadequate water supply and
concern for water quality. Inadequate or
marginally adequate water supply is a
problem in many areas especially in the
Western States. The unresolved question
of water rights on Indian lands and Federal
lands limits the allocation of existing water
supplies in many areas in the West
At the present time the most feasible
methods of augmenting water supplies
are conservation, wastewater reuse and
conjunctive use of ground and surface
water supplies. Research needs are also
somewhat regionalized in nature. The
most immediate research needs are those
that will advance the most feasible means
of augmenting supplies: conservation,
wastewater reuse, water rights and insti-
tutional arrangements.
G. M. Wesner andB. E. Burn's are with Culp/Wesner/Culp, Santa Ana, CA 92707.
Marvin Rogul is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Assessment of Potential Environmental Problems
Concerning Water Availability," (Order No. PB 83-226 035; Cost: $11.50,
subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Office of Exploratory Research
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460 .
*US GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1983-659-017/7179
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
Postage and
Fees Paid
Environmental
Protection
Agency
EPA 335
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use S300
2
IUN AGENCY
ICAGO
------- |