Emergency Lifeline Water Supply for San Angelo, Texas

Abstract

The City of San Angelo (City) faces immediate water supply challenges and the need to make critical decisions to secure long-term reliable water supplies is now. Once reliable supplies, in the form of lake and surface waters, are now threatened. An immediate solution is required to help the City preserve access to these water supplies while meeting regulatory and customer needs. The Hickory Aquifer located in the nearby McCulloch County, where the City owns existing water rights and represents a viable and consistent source of water to the City is the solution. The major elements of the Hickory Water Supply Project include the development of a groundwater well field, pump station, water transmission main, and water treatment for the radium containing groundwater. This paper focuses on the route study, water quality implications, and pipe materials evaluation for the transmission main consisting of approximately 63-miles of 30-inch diameter pipe. BACKGROUND The City of San Angelo (City) is in the heart of West Texas and has a population of approximately 100,000. Like many other cities in Texas, it relies on surface water sources for its drinking water supply. Due to the extreme and longlasting drought in West Texas, the existing water supply is now threatened and alternative water sources are sought to help maintain access to an adequate, reliable water supply. The City has recently embarked on a project to develop a new groundwater source: the Hickory Aquifer located in West Texas. This new source presents challenges in terms of location and water quality. Specifically, the Hickory Aquifer is located approximately 63 miles southeast of the City and contains high