Initially Prepared 2016 Brazos G Regional Water Plan | Volume 2
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)
10
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) is a water management strategy for water suppliers
who periodically have surplus water and water shortages. For Brazos G, ASR is
considered for:

Seasonal operations by injecting and storing water in aquifers during the fall,
winter, and spring when demands are low and recovering the water during the
summer when demands are high. An example is optimizing the utilization of a
water treatment plant by processing source water at a relatively constant rate
throughout the year. This strategy may prevent or delay an expansion of water
treatment plant or pipeline.

Indirectly transfer water from one water utility to another. This indirect transfer
can occur by injecting water in one part of the aquifer and recovering an
equivalent amount of groundwater in another part of the aquifer. This transfer
effectively increases the Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG) at a county level
and is expected to allow an increase in pumping. This may especially be useful
where the MAG is fully allocated, but there are relatively small water utilities on
wells who do not have the means to develop an alternative water supply.

Recharge a shallow aquifer with surface water from junior water rights and
recover all or part of the water with wells at a later date. This approach is
considered to be most applicable to the Brazos River Alluvium where surface
water during moderately high flows can be diverted by gravity into recharge
basins and later recovered by nearby wells.

Storage and recovery of wastewater treated to potable drinking water standards.
A list of conceptual ASR projects for Brazos G was prepared that considered: (1) water
needs in local areas, (2) local or nearby aquifers that are suitable for aquifer storage and
recovery projects, (3) supply of water, and (4) operational considerations. This study
identified 16 ASR conceptual projects in six aquifers. This list is presented in Table 10-1).
It was presented to the Brazos G Regional Planning Group for selection of potential ASR
project for evaluation. From this list, three potential projects were selected, including:
May 2015 | 10-1

Johnson County and Acton MUD: Use of water rights in Lake Granbury, Brazos
River PUA advanced water treatment plant, and Trinity Aquifer by participants in
and near Johnson County and Acton MUD;

Waco and McLennan County: Use of City of Waco’s water rights and water
treatment capacity for storage in the Trinity Aquifer and recovery by participants
in and near McLennan County;

College Station Wastewater: Use of wastewater from City of College Station’s
two wastewater plants, advanced water treatment, and Simsboro Aquifer for
seasonal storage by the City; and
Initially Prepared 2016 Brazos G Regional Water Plan | Volume 2
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)

Williamson County: Use of available water from Lake Granger, Eastern
Williamson County Regional Water Treatment Plant, and Trinity Aquifer by BRA
customers in eastern Williamson County participants.
In addition, the City of Williamson County is considering an ASR project to fully utilize
production from their existing well permits from the local groundwater conservation
district.
Table 10-1. List of Potential ASR Strategies
Water Utility
Source of
Water
Location
Description of Strategy
Seymour
Abilene
Fort Phantom
Hill (FPH)
Lake
Jones County (NW of Fort
Phantom Hill Lake
Goal: Increase the firm yield of Fort Phantom Hill
Lake
Approach: Divert Lake water to a farm, recharge
by surface infiltration, recovery the water with
wells during drought conditions and return to the
lake.
Haskell and Knox
Counties
Double
Mountain
Fork-Brazos or
Lake Stamford
Haskell and /Knox
Counties
Goal: Utilize junior water rights to increase water
supplies, especially during droughts.
Approach: Divert river water during relatively high
flows to a farm, recharge by surface infiltration,
recovery the water with wells during drought
conditions, treat, and transfer to municipalities
with shortages.
Trinity
Acton MUD
Brazos River
PUA (Lake
Granbury)
Hood County
Goal: Increase water supply and optimize
seasonal operations, especially a desalination
water treatment plant.
Approach: Divert treated water to new ASR wells,
inject into aquifer during low demands and
recover water with ASR wells during high
demand.
Johnson Co SUD
(Regional
Provider)
Brazos River
PUA (Lake
Granbury)
Johnson County
Goal: Increase water supply and optimize
utilization of water treatment plant and
transmission facilities.
Approach: Divert treated water to new injection
wells in Johnson County, inject into aquifer
during low demands, and participating utilities
recover the water with existing or new wells.
Using an accounting process, the MAG for the
Trinity Aquifer in Johnson County.is increased.
City of Waco
(Regional
Provider)
Lake Waco
(City of Waco
Water
Treatment
Plan)
McLennan County
Goal: Increase water supply and optimize
utilization of water treatment plant, minimize
construction of new transmission facilities.
Approach: Divert treated water to new injection
wells near Waco’s distribution system, inject into
aquifer during low demands, and participating
utilities recover water with existing wells. Using
an accounting process, the MAG for the Trinity
Aquifer in McLennan County.is increased.
10-2
|
May 2015
Initially Prepared 2016 Brazos G Regional Water Plan | Volume 2
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)
Table 10-1. List of Potential ASR Strategies
Water Utility
Source of
Water
Location
Description of Strategy
North Bosque
WSC
Lake Waco
(City of Waco
Water
Treatment
Plan)
McLennan County
Goal. Increase groundwater supply.
Approach: Divert treated water to new ASR wells,
inject into aquifer during low demands and
recover water with ASR wells during high
demand.
BRA Customers
(EWCWTP)
Lake Granger
(Water
Treatment
Plant)
Eastern Williamson Co
Goal: Increase firm yield of Lake Granger,
optimize seasonal operations of Water Treatment
Plant (WTP).
Approach: Divert treated water to new ASR wells
in Trinity Aquifer (Phase I) near Lake Granger,
inject into aquifer during low demands and
recover water with ASR wells during high
demand and return the recovered water to the
WTP for distribution to customers.
Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone)
BRA Customers
(EWCWTP)
Lake Granger
(Treated)
Eastern Williamson Co,
near I-35
Goal: Increase water supply in Eastern
Williamson County, optimize seasonal operations
of Water Treatment Plant.
Approach: Divert treated water to new ASR wells
in Edwards (BFZ) Aquifer near I-35 and inject
into aquifer during low demands and recover
water with ASR wells during high demand, and
deliver to participating utilities.
Round Rock
(Regional
Provider)
BRA (Lakes
Belton,
Stillhouse,
and/or
Georgetown)
Vicinity of Round Rock
Goal: Increase water supply and optimize
utilization of water treatment plant, minimize
construction of new transmission facilities.
Approach: Divert treated water to new ASR wells,
inject into aquifer during low demands, recover
water with ASR wells during high demand, and
deliver to participating utilities.
Jarrel-Schwertner
WSC
BRA (Lakes
Belton,
Stillhouse,
and/or
Georgetown)
NE Williamson County
Goal: Increase water supply and optimize
utilization of water treatment plant, minimize
construction of new transmission facilities.
Approach: Divert treated water to new ASR wells,
inject into aquifer during low demands and
recover water with ASR wells during high
demand.
Chisholm Train
SUD
BRA (Lakes
Belton,
Stillhouse,
and/or
Georgetown)
NW Williamson County
Goal: Increase water supply and optimize
utilization of water treatment plant, minimize
construction of new transmission facilities.
Approach: Divert treated water to new ASR wells,
inject into aquifer during low demands and
recover water with ASR wells during high
demand.
Brazos River Alluvium
BRA
Downstream
water rights
Brazos River
Brazos and Burleson
Counties
Carrizo-Wilcox
May 2015 | 10-3
Goal: Increase water supply in lower basin during
low-flow conditions.
Approach: Channel or pump station diversion,
surface infiltration in basins, recovery by wells,
and discharge to Brazos River.
Initially Prepared 2016 Brazos G Regional Water Plan | Volume 2
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)
Table 10-1. List of Potential ASR Strategies
Water Utility
Source of
Water
Location
Description of Strategy
BRA
Customers or
Water Rights
Little River
Lake Alcoa
Goal: Increase groundwater availability by
increasing recharge.
Approach: Divert junior water rights from Little
River to Lake Alcoa at relatively high rates,
gradually release the water from Lake Alcoa to
streams for recharge through bed and banks.
Recover the water with new or existing wells.
BRA
Customers/Water
Rights
Yegua Creek
Lee County
Goal: Increase groundwater availability by
increasing recharge.
Approach: Divert junior water rights from Yegua
Creek to infiltration basins at relatively high rates
for recharge. Recover the water with new or
existing wells.
College Station
City of College
Station
College Station
Goal: Reuse wastewater and increase water
supply to College Station during times of high
demand.
Approach: Apply advanced treatment of
wastewater to produce potable drinking water,
inject the treated water into new ASR well in the
vicinity of the wastewater and water treatment
plants during periods of low demands, recover
the water during high demands.
Brazos River Alluvium and Carrizo-Wilcox
Bryan
10-4
|
Brazos River
May 2015
Robertson County (btw
Hwys 79 and 21) and in
vicinity of Bryan’s well field
Goal: Increase water supply to Bryan.
Approach: Channel or pump station diversion,
surface infiltration in basins, recovery by wells,
and discharge to water treatment plant, inject in
new ASR wells in the Simsboro, and recovery the
water using the ASR wells during high demand
conditions.