Long Dry Spell Taxes Utilities in the West Water and power supplies under pressure from rising demand and a prolonged drought
As drought grips the West in what is shaping up as a long, hot summer, regional water agencies are gearing up for short-term and long-term measures to keep the water flowing. Agencies are planning major investments and seeking out innovative sources, like desalination and groundwater reclamation.
Facing a 75% decline in supplies from the Rio Grande River, El Paso, Texas, implemented an emergency 77-day, $8-million project. The city installed three mobile skid-mounted reverse osmosis units to reclaim 8 million gallons per day of brackish water from 11 defunct wellheads, says Craig Goehring, chief executive officer of Brown & Caldwell. The Walnut Creek, Calif., engineer provided turnkey services for the 77-day project.