Estimating the Required Investment to Attain Region M Water Savings Through Rehabilitation of Water-Delivery Infrastructure ? 2005 Perspectives

摘要

Irrigation districts in the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley use an antiquated water-delivery conveyancesystem; which loses substantial water from seepage, evaporation, etc. Pressures are increasing fordistricts to improve their operational efficiencies. Rehabilitation of the system has been estimated tosave approximately 211,000 ac-ft of water annually; which can benefit agricultural, municipal, andindustrial users in the region. Combining these estimated savings with prior economic and financialanalyses of 17 proposed rehabilitative project components result in an extrapolated estimated requiredinitial capital investment of $157.8 million in rehabilitative measures to attain the 211,000 ac-ft of annualsavings. A caveat to the exactness of this dollar estimate is warranted, however, because this single-pointestimate is built upon other estimates (e.g., water savings, initial construction costs, etc.) by irrigationdistrict management, consulting engineers, and university scientists. Future application of on-goingeconomic work, combined with an ?in-process? revised estimate of potential water savings (i.e., from thecurrent 211,000 ac-ft), could provide an improved investment estimate in the future.