Texas Water Problem Using, Research Paper Example

Abstract

Texas faces a critical issue due to its very short water supply in many areas; therefore, it is important to recognize these limitations and the issues to consider when water is not available in large quantities. These circumstances are challenging for individuals in these communities and require integrative solutions in order to improve the water supply on a continuous basis. Since water is essential for daily living, it is necessary to develop a strategic approach to obtain additional water resources to ensure that the areas of Texas facing these risks will have access to clean water for optimal wellbeing. These efforts demonstrate the impact of specific integrated strategies in supporting to sustainability of the Texas water supply on a continuous basis. It is necessary to consider any and all alternative resources of water in an effort to produce effective outcomes for the residents of Texas who require water on a regular basis for their daily living and survival.

Introduction

Water-based resources are of critical importance to human existence. If water is in short supply, this issue dramatically impacts the health and wellbeing of many individuals and demonstrates the necessity to achieve greater outcomes and support for a variety of new strategies to ensure that water is obtained for these communities without difficulty. A continuous water supply promotes the sustainability of agriculture, the environment, and all businesses. However, people are the most valuable resources and require water to survive in their daily lives. The use of integrative studies offers a number of important insights regarding the water supply and how it impacts the wellbeing of residents across Texas who are directly impacted by shortages in the water supply and require daily access to water. Strategic development in this area provides many positive impacts and supports the development of new ideas and approaches to effectively manage the needs of this population. The following discussion will address these objectives in greater detail and will emphasize the importance of securing a regular water supply in order to improve the quality of life for these residents.

Research Problem

The water shortages in Texas continue to impact this population and its economy in different ways. When water is not available for consumption, it becomes important to address the challenges of obtaining an adequate water supply and the opportunities that are available to sustain this supply over the long term. Due to the precarious nature of the water supply in this state, Texas must continue to evaluate its options in order to achieve greater and more consistent access to water by using different strategic approaches to accomplish this goal. Recently, many smaller towns throughout Texas have developed shorter-term solutions to obtain water; however, long-term solutions are very difficult to identify and require additional evaluation (Plushnick-Masti, 2011). Under these current conditions, there are a number of smaller towns that have six months of water available to them; therefore, they must find other solutions to bring water to their communities (Plushnick-Masti, 2011).

Literature Review

Since many communities struggle financially, it becomes difficult to develop strategic approaches that are cost effective and provide the greatest use of available resources (Plushnick-Masti, 2011). Therefore, temporary solutions such as small pipes to retrieve water from lakes will only last for so long and will require longer term approaches to solve these problems (Plushnick-Masti, 2011). One area of opportunity to consider is groundwater; however, this water must not only be retrieved, but it must be purified and supplied to local residents for as long as possible, which could lead to very high costs over a long period of time (Plushnick-Masti, 2011). As a result, additional solutions must be identified to improve water access over the long term so that water resources are readily available for use for all local residents (Plushnick-Masti, 2011).

One possible option to consider is to obtain access to water is to treat and reuse wastewater, which would be accomplished by using “small off-channel storage reservoirs built off a river’s main stem” (Burnett, 2012). In addition, options such as aquifer storage, which enables water to be stored for use at a later date, are also being explored (Burnett, 2012). According to the Texas Comptroller’s office, one viable option is rainwater harvesting, which is used as a means of “funneling rainwater runoff from roofs or other surfaces into cisterns for storage” (Combs, 2013). It is important to recognize this option as one of several opportunities to obtain a more adequate water supply for Texas residents to ensure that their daily lives are not interrupted by the lack of water that is available for their communities, including their homes and businesses (Combs, 2013).

Water conservation is a critical issue to consider and must be addressed because it reflects a means of enabling existing water supplies to be preserved for as long as possible (Wythe, 2012). For example, “El Paso saves 231 billion gallons of water from conservation and reclaimed water” (Wythe, 2012). In this manner, it is expected that individuals, families, businesses, and farmers must take the steps that are necessary to conserve water on a regular basis by using less water to accomplish daily tasks, which requires a level of self-consciousness regarding how much water is being used for a specific purpose (Wythe, 2012). This process is often difficult for individuals to accept and demonstrates that preserving existing water supplies requires all persons to make the effort to accomplish this objective and contribute to this outcome (Wythe, 2012).

Methodology

The creation of an environment to obtain an adequate water supply requires the development of different alternatives in order to accomplish the desired objectives. It is important to recognize the potential value of all solutions in order to solve the water crisis in Texas, including the possible legislative mandate to provide regular reports regarding water supplies (Dailey Paulson, 2013). According to the source, “Pending legislation in Texas is aimed at helping residents weather the continuing drought by mandating water reporting for those cities with low water supplies and also loosening homeowner covenant restrictions, allowing residents to plant drought-tolerant landscaping” (Dailey Paulson, 2013). This opportunity would provide communities with the ability to seek alternative water sources as early as possible in order to prevent a complete water shortage (Dailey Paulson, 2013). These efforts will also encourage the development of new methods to conserve water during this 180-day period and to recognize the impact of water losses in these communities, which could lead to mass devastation and other problems over time (Dailey Paulson, 2013).

Results

The efforts that are made by legislators and other contributors throughout Texas demonstrate the importance of developing strategic approaches that will make a consistent effort to reduce water waste and promote conservation in these communities (Dailey Paulson, 2013. Therefore, it is necessary to facilitate the creation of new ideas and approaches that are used to promote the responsible use of water by individuals, families, businesses, and farmers. Each of these users contributes to the water supply problem; therefore, they must find ways to better manage their use and to conserve water as much as possible. In this instance, when the limited availability of water impacts many people, state legislation is essential to ensure that the issue is being managed as best as possible, considering the circumstances (Dailey Paulson, 2013). With the precarious nature of the current water supply, it becomes necessary to consider any and all possible solutions to ensure that the needs of the population of the affected communities in Texas are met and water disruption is not observed (Dailey Paulson, 2013).

The scientific principles behind the water shortages in Texas are represented by different challenges that are indicative of the drought that took over the state in 2011 and 2012 (Young, 2013). From this perspective, there are a number of options to secure water resources for the foreseeable future, such as the following example: “we need different sources of water. One example is brackish water; this is salty water. Brackish water is found in deeper aquifers, generally below the potable supply. Brackish water is being studied as an alternative water supply for parts of the state, for different purposes. So for example, brackish water is pumped up from deep aquifers, then treated using desalination and is available as potable-grade water. That’s new water being introduced into Texas, water that previously was not really part of the active hydrologic cycle” (Young, 2013). With the continued risks associated with the limitations of water throughout Texas, it becomes very important to recognize these alternatives and their relative impact on local communities (Young, 2013). Involvement at the scientific level is instrumental in shaping the direction of water-based research in order to obtain additional resources for use in the future (Young, 2013). Scientific and geographical research are important areas where discoveries might be found that will encourage the development of new directives to positively impact the water supply in Texas, particularly for those communities who were hit the hardest by the 2011-2012 drought conditions and who have yet to recover from this experience and its impact on water resources (Young, 2013).

In using integrative studies to better understand this problem, it is necessary to determine how history and English are instrumental for long-term results and effectiveness. Water is an essential resource; therefore, by using historical accounts and literature sources, the importance of water and its contribution to the world’s environment is further explored. In addition, these accounts provide additional evidence of how to extract water from available sources and to utilize its full capabilities in different ways to provide a sufficient water supply for all persons throughout Texas. History and literature demonstrate that water is an integral component of all living things and of the environment; therefore, using these examples might be useful in supporting the development of new ideas to extract water from existing resources to achieve an optimal water supply for the people of Texas.

The drought conditions in recent years throughout Texas represent a challenge to the state and its communities. It is important to recognize the different alternative methods that are available to provide residents with additional water resources to maintain their daily lives. The scarcity of water in many Texas communities is of significant concern and requires an effective understanding of the different alternative sources that are available to use to manage this problem. Legislative bodies and other organizations have become involved in the management of existing water resources in order to effectively prepare for the challenges of securing and sustaining these sources when they are in limited supply. These efforts demonstrate the necessity to utilize unique water sources and to modify them as necessary to support individuals, families, businesses, and farmers in managing their water requirements.

It is also important to recognize the value of collaborations in supporting conservation efforts and in evaluating the potential for new water resources and techniques to obtain water in this manner. The efforts that are made to accommodate communities throughout Texas represent a means of developing new approaches to supporting growth and change in how existing water resources are used and how future water sources are derived in different ways. The people, businesses, and farmers of Texas must utilize these resources wisely so that there is no additional risk of water scarcity for the foreseeable future, particularly in communities where drought conditions are the strongest and water is desperately needed to conduct routine daily activities and to meet other needs.

References

Burnett, J. (2012). Texas seeks new water supplies amid drought. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2012/07/08/156366821/texas-seeks-new-water-supplies-amid-drought

Combs, S. (2013). The impact of the 2011 drought and beyond: innovative solutions to the water crisis. Retrieved from http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/drought/solutions.php

Dailey Paulson, L. (2013). Texas legislator proposes mandatory water supply reporting. Retrieved from http://www.rwlwater.com/texas-proposes-mandatory-water-supply-reporting/

Plushnick-Masti, R. (2011). Texas water problems: towns find fast solutions. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/05/texas-water-problems-solutions_n_1127087.html

Wythe, K. (2012). Securing Texas water. Retrieved from http://twri.tamu.edu/publications/txh2o/summer-2012/securing-texas-water/

Young, M. (2013). Michael Young on water resources in Texas. Retrieved from http://earthsky.org/earth/michael-young-on-water-resources-in-texas