Bryan Gets $18M Loan to Fund Water Conservation Efforts

The City of Bryan soon will receive an $18 million multi-year, low-interest loan from the state to finance a project that will store water underground to meet long-term demands.

Bryan which will be among a select few cities in Texas to be using the water conservation method known as aquifer storage and recovery was one of 15 cities to be selected Thursday by the Texas Water Development Board to receive loans for water projects.

The funding, which totals $759.26 million for all 15 projects, will pay for the creation of wells and facilities in Bryan that will allow for the method by which drinking water is collected during wet periods, then stored underground in an aquifer through an injection well. Later, during periods of peak demand, the water will be drawn for use.

Bryan's SWIFT assistance will be used to finance the planning, acquisition, design and construction of eight ASR wells to be installed over the next 50 years. Two are recommended along with an existing well for the next 20 years, in addition to associated pumping, piping and treatment improvements.

Officials said the benefits to the method include that it's more resistant than reservoirs to loss of water through evaporation, it's cheaper than paying for land for a reservoir and causes less problems for wildlife habitats.

While only three cities in Texas -- San Antonio, Kerrville and El Paso -- are using aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) methods, the state water plan calls for the volume of water available in Texas through ASR's by 2070 to be 152,000 acre-feet per year, which is more than triple the amount estimated in 2012.

The loan announced Thursday is the first such aquifer storage and recovery project to be funded through the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, also known as SWIFT. The program was established by the legislature and voters in 2013 to fund projects in the State Water Plan.

The recent approval for funding for the loans marks the second round of financing.

"The reason why we put together the State Water Plan is to very clearly identify which projects need to come online to address future water needs," said Bech Bruun, chairman of the Texas Water Development Board. "I'm excited with the opportunity to provide this assistance to Bryan, specifically for an ASR project. ASR is viewed as an innovative technology and one that will need to be more prevalent as we look to the future in needing to address needs."

Bryan supplies water to almost 25 other communities, including Hearne, Millican, Bedias and Kurten.

Projects eligible for funding through the SWIFT program are in the adopted regional water plans and included in the State Water Plan to address water management. The projects across Texas approved this year also include transmission pipelines, well fields and more. The projects are all recommended in the 2017 State Water Plan. 

According to the city's resolution in support of the application for the project, the city has 12 water supply wells in the Simsoboro and Sparta Aquifers, and it supplies wholesale water service to Wickson Creek Special Utility District and Wellborn Special Utility District.

Bruun said 40 initial applications for SWIFT-funded projects were received earlier this year. The pile was narrowed down to the 15 that were funded after being ranked and scored based on criteria set by the legislature. The Texas Water Development Board estimates the assistance could save Bryan about $240,000 over the life of the 2016 portion of the loan commitment, and additional savings could occur upon closing on the last portion of the loan in 2017.

"The city of Bryan could seek financing on their own on the private market, but using SWIFT they're able to get lower interest rates, which ultimately means savings to them," Bruun said.

According to the city's resolution, the benefits of the SWIFT program, the impact to rate payers and more will be reviewed before closing on the loan.

Source: The Eagle