The words “water supply” have a heightened urgency for a lot of people living in the Heart of Texas, or Central Texas. State and local water suppliers are double checking water use projections and keeping an eye out for new supply opportunities.
One supply opportunity, Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR) is being explored in West Bell County just south of Lake Belton on the Fort Cavazos Military Reservation. According to the United States Geological Service “Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a water resources management technique for actively storing water underground during wet periods for recovery when needed, usually during dry periods. The timeframe can range from months to decades.” In this case, treated or potable water would be injected into the most suitable aquifer in the test area during times when water is plentiful. Unlike with large lakes, there will be no loss of stored water due to evaporation or sedimentation. Natural disasters such as extreme freeze events or tornados can impact a water supply system. Having potable water stored and available would enable the owner to use that water during a natural disaster to meet their needs. Additionally, an intense drought such as the one we’re in can result in curtailed surface water usage to preserve lake supplies. Having additional water stored can minimize the impact of curtailments.
Thanks to the generous contributions from several supporters in the region including; the Killeen Economic Development Corporation, the Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District, the City of Harker Heights, the City of Copperas Cove and the Bell County Water Control & Improvement District #1 (WCID 1), the necessary funding is in place to conduct the well drilling and geological study necessary to assess the feasibility for moving forward with a successful resiliency project. INTERA Incorporated has been selected to perform the viability testing and work directly with the well driller to acquire the necessary geological data.