Finch, Dr. Calvin

Texas A&M University

10 tx H2O  Winter 2013
Column by Dr. Calvin Finch, Water Conservation and Technology Center director
COMPARING STRATEGIES 
State funding of capital projects versus water conservation
The Texas Legislature seems intent on helping 
local water purveyors finance a portion of the water 
supply projects described in the 2012 state water 
plan (Water for Texas 2012). The plan says that $26.9 
billion is needed from the state to meet our water 
needs in the future. The plan also says that failure 
to provide the funds will cost $116 billion in lost 
income and will result in more than 1 million lost 
jobs by 2060 if we are subjected to a drought of 
record before adequate water supplies are in place.
Twenty-seven billion dollars is a lot of money, but 
it is only half of the funds needed for an adequate 
water supply. The timing of the money’s availability 
is important. The most important issues involve the 
actual commitment of the funds, what form they 
are in and when they will be available. Nearly as 
important, however, is how projects will be priori-
tized.
One of the most significant factors in prioriti-
zation is the issue of selecting between high-cost 
capital projects, such as reservoirs and recycling 
systems, versus conservation projects, such as high- 
efficiency toilet distribution, industrial water-saving 
technology, elimination of water loss due to poor 
infrastructure and incentives for conversion to low 
water-use landscapes. 
It is not a simple choice. 
Capital project advocates say conservation 
projects do not really create new water as a reservoir 
does. However, that argument does not seem to 
“hold water” to me. In the simplest definition, 
“creating new water” means having water available 
for new jobs and new residential populations. The 
water saved by replacing an old, inefficient toilet 
with a new, efficient toilet is just as available as water 
from a new reservoir. The “new water” is also just as 
permanent as a reservoir because the old, inefficient 
plumbing is no longer available. 
Unless familiar with the billions of gallons of 
water produced by San Antonio’s or El Paso’s water 
conservation efforts, one might believe the volumes 
of water available from conservation are not large 
enough to make a difference. That is just not true. 
Conservation has largely met new water needs for 
economic and population growth for many decades 
in San Antonio and El Paso.
Some say the new water supplies created by toilet 
replacement, industrial technology change and 
landscape conversion is too dependent on individual 
behaviors and proper maintenance of technologies. 
It is true that this philosophy is relying on thousands 
of mini-projects versus a few large projects, but even 
reservoirs fill in with silt and require regular mainte-
nance. The analysis of which water supply option is 
more reliable would be an interesting study. How 
does the accumulation of silt and sedimentation in 
drought-sensitive reservoirs compare to the perfor-
mance of the conversion of household or industrial 
water-use technology in terms of long-term 
reliability of the new water supplies?
An analysis of the cost per unit of water produced 
and the time required to have the first water 
available would need to be included in any analysis.
The purpose of this discussion is not to dismiss 
the capital projects; it is to suggest that both types 
of projects must be included in the mix. Purveyors 
funding new water resources for Texas need to 
recognize the importance of including water conser-
vation projects to contribute inexpensive, new water 
supplies that can be online quickly. 
WAT E R
CONSERVATION
& TECHNOLOGY
CENTER
Securing Our Water Future


English

Comparing strategies: State funding of capital projects versus water conservation

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Comparing strategies: State funding of capital projects versus water conservation

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