West Texas Water Partnership

The West Texas Water Partnership (WTWP) is a unique collaborative effort by the cities of Abilene, Midland and San Angelo to address long-term water needs. The WTWP will explore opportunities to maximize local supplies, continue to support conservation and develop new long-term water supplies for the region. 

The best way to offset the drought’s crippling effects and to prepare for growth is to work together develop several long-term cooperative water management strategies to address future water demands, part of which may include bringing more water to the region. No one city can bear the cost of bringing water in alone, and whether the source is groundwater or surface water, many questions and valid concerns will arise, ranging from environmental to the effect on the source and its inhabitants.

To share these burdens and minimize potential impacts to the environment, Abilene, Midland and San Angelo have joined hands as the West Texas Water Partnership (WTWP). This partnership acknowledges water resource development in the region can best be achieved by working together. It eliminates the adverse effects that competing for water would have.

Each city has funded the engineering, legal and organizational needs of an effort to evaluate and develop water management strategies, maximize existing water resources and acquire future groundwater or surface water supplies, if necessary.

Fort Stockton Holdings water project

News release: May 12, 2020 - West Texas Water Partnership secures long-term source

FAQ

• Where is Fort Stockton Holdings (FSH) water located? FSH water is located in the Fort Stockton area. FSH owns a groundwater production and transport permit that allows FSH to produce and use 28,400 acre-feet of Edwards-Trinity groundwater each year.
  
  
• Will we own the rights? No, the agreement is for the purchase of untreated groundwater on a take-or-pay basis. The cities will pay for their proportionate share of the total volume.
   
• How much water is allocated to the City of San Angelo? The total volume contracted with Fort Stockton Holdings is for 28,400 acre-feet per year. This volume will be broken down as follows between the three cities:
  • Midland: 15,000 acre-foot per year
  • Abilene: 8,400 acre-foot per year
  • San Angelo: 5,000 acre-foot per year

    Population, current supplies, and variety of factors drive the allocation between the three cities. One acre-foot is equivalent to 325,851 gallons. San Angelo’s annual average water usage is around 14,000 acre-feet.

• How much are we paying for the water?
  • From the date the contract goes into effect until January 1, 2025, the City will pay $0.30625 per 1,000 gallons. The payment for 2020 will be prorated for the calendar year, for a total of about $489,959 per year.
  • The rate increases to $0.3425 per 1,000 gallons on January 1, 2025 and will remain the same through December 31, 2029, for a total of about $558,020 per year.
  • Beginning January 1, 2030, the rate increases to $0.55 per 1,000 gallons for a total of about $896,090 per year
  • On January 1, 2031, and through the remainder of the contract term, the rate increases by 0.5% of the rate in effect for the previous year.
    
    
• How will the City pay for the water? The City has identified a funding source for the water through the San Angelo Development Corporation. 72% of that corporation’s revenue is restricted for future water supply and that revenue stream could support the cost associated with the payment for 5,000 acre-feet of water.
  
  
• How much will developing this project cost? The engineer’s total project estimate for the wellfield, pipeline, associated transmission infrastructure and treatment facility is $300 million. With the City’s portion of the total volume, this would put the City’s split of the capital infrastructure at $52.8 million. As a comparison to the Hickory groundwater project, the FSH project cost is approximately 29% less based on the capital cost per volume. Operating costs have been projected to be very similar to the operating costs of the Hickory system.
  
  
• Why are we contracting now versus when we need it? As long as drought does not drive this project, the expected timeline for developing this supply is in the range of 2035 to 2040. Similar to the 1970s acquisition of the Hickory groundwater rights, securing these sources happens many years in advance. If the partnership were to wait until a source was needed, there is a high possibility the source would no longer be available to serve the citizens of West Texas.
  
  
• Will we stop pursing the Concho River Water Project? The City of San Angelo is still pursuing the Concho River Water Project. Both projects are an effort to diversify the City’s water portfolio and expand San Angelo’s future water supply to meet the demand of generations to come.