North Texas water suppliers battling to meet demand during triple-digit heat
WYLIE, Texas - Summers like this one remind us just how precious water is. But providers in North Texas are battling not just high heat but a lot of people moving here.
"In the summertime, our water usage does go up," said Zeke Campbell with the North Texas Municipal Water District. "We typically see an almost two-fold increase compared to wintertime, so this is definitely our busy season when it comes to water production."
Right now, the Wylie treatment district averages 560 million gallons a day. It’s the water provider for many north and east of the metroplex.
"55,000 people moving to our service area every year. As we like to say, they aren’t bringing water with them," Campbell said.
It’s one reason the district built Bois D’arc Lake in Fannin County, the first major reservoir built in the state in 30 years. It began holding water in April 2021.
"For us, it’s absolutely critical to meeting the growth that we’re seeing," said Galen Roberts, assistant deputy of water resources for the NTMWD. "Were it not for Bois D’arc, we may not have enough supplies during a drought of record. But now that we have it online, we’re in a very good position for the foreseeable future."
But in a year that’s seen triple-digit day after triple-digit day, climate change is another variable planners have to account for looking forward.
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"Things like faster than expected population growth, climate variability, or other things that we don’t know and may occur could impact our planning and our projections," Roberts said. "And so we account for that uncertainty in our plan."
In the meantime, crews will work to keep water pumping, and that can be tough in high heat.
"When you have hot weather like this, especially in this area, shifting soil can be a concern," Campbell said. "So many utilities are having to deal with some leaks and main breaks. It’s common when it’s dry for long periods of time like this."
In 2017, the district launched a program that involves sending highly specialized equipment into pipelines to try to identify leaks or weaknesses early.
"We’re trying to ensure that we address items before they fail," Campbell said.
Because any failure during summers like this can be life-threatening.
The district expects a third of future water demand will be met by people conserving water.