TEXAS WATER SHORTAGE CASE STUDY

There is little to invest in the aspects of water sources since the hydrological cycles are well understood. However, alternatives to the current means of potable water provision can be pursued. As a leader of such a project, I would pursue three main alternatives to ensure that potable water security is in place in Texas. The first one is integrating and scaling the harnessing of underground water aquifers. Texas draws more than half of its water sources from underground aquifers (Pagán et al. Therefore, I would employ sustainable sources to this quests which include solar and wind energy. Also, the use of nuclear energy has a better tradeoff since saline water can be expended in the cooling for making potable water in the process.

Texas is well primed for desalination as it has a good coastline off the Atlantic. Desalination makes up for the lack of fresh water that many face which is a good source (Werber et al. Use of renewable energy reduces the heavy strain that artificial causes of climate changes have on the climate. Domestic water can be easily replenished during sporadic rains or storms and prevent catastrophic reliance on central sources of water in the region. This is sustainable albeit erratic and severely diminished by a threat to the climate. Discuss the general benefits, implementation, and economic considerations of the two alternatives you would rank second and third. The general benefits of lower ranked discuss desalination and rainwater harvesting. The benefits of desalination are the reliable and nearly endless surplus of water.

The proposition is to use renewable energies which would make the whole process sustainable in the long run (Ziolkowska, 2015). Also, regulated use of atomic energy can serve as well since cooling is provided by the same water being desalinated. This will result in economic tradeoffs which make for a desirable investment. It will also lower the costs of production per cubic meter making it attractive. The benefits of rainwater harvesting are firstly the ready access to fresh potable water directly. Therefore, having better reservoirs for storages as well as encouraging households' strategies will lower the costs of collecting water as well as increases supply during shortages. This calls for the expansion of dams as well repair of the existing ones. The Colorado River is well saturated by dams of this nature.

However, their capacity is thus designated for a bygone era when rains were more frequent. This calls for the extension of their capacity to ensure they are able to cover one major downpour to the next (Kim et al. Texas is well provisioned with underground water. However, some aquifers such as in Austin is saline due to the activities on of them excessively draining from this finite source. Tapping underground aquifers thus call for coordination and integration (Hoff Jr & Dutton, 2017). Geology has well mapped the trace of these aquifers which should improve their coordination. Thus, water can be managed through restriction of drilling boreholes in certain locations and coordination of the utilization of some aquifers (Doyle, 2016). This source ranks highest due to the dire condition as well the affordability of its access.

Rainfall is the current source whose alternative is being sought. Although it is ranked as a third category, it is only the harvesting act that is stressed more as opposed to reliance on the current rainfall patterns. Rainfall has changed due to environmental degradation which has resulted in lower precipitation levels (Trenberth et al. However, underground aquifers can be replenished through in icecap melts or other underground seepage even far away. Discuss the environmental, social, and political (without bias) impacts associated with this first-ranked alternative, including cost-benefit considerations. The integration and coordination exploitation of aquifers has some impacts on the environment. Accessing underground water is a good way of achieving water security. However, overexploitation can result in their depletion which impairs their capacity.

Water aquifers are superior because they have the capacity to hold clean and potable water (Gallegos et al. This calls for the coordination of the water tables through integrated drilling. This will prevent over depletion of water in one locality which may result in the shortages in another (Jakeman et al. Although water is unrestricted in Texas, its underground sources can hamper the efforts if a few have unrestricted access to the source. The other socials impact is the control of pollution. Although eyesore dumpsite is caused enough for social outcry on population, less attention is paid for underground water. Therefore it is political lobbying should be closely monitored to direct the efforts. On the other hand, environment control may severely affect the exploitation of underground aquifers.

The lack of effort to salvage our environment will result in a more severe drought. Lack of vegetation is severe as it results in a lot of floods and little seepage of runoff water to replenish the aquifers. This will results in less water after every downpour. Most of this is done through legal limitation which would not only deter but call attention to the finite sources that have a chance for our future water access. After the availing of information, this water should be taped for future use. This is to ensure that it is well utilized for the purposes direst with a generous measure of the current replenishment rates. Thus, alternatives should be sought for industrial usage as well as irrigation while the more potable underground water is left for domestic use.

Also, recycling, as well as another measure of water conservations, should be encouraged through the raising of tariffs on water as well lowering of recycling systems as well as other measures. Human resources are also paramount in this effort. This includes access to various areas during the mapping stage. Qualified geologists will lead teams that are needed to update the mapping of the Texas underground water status. Also, experts would also be required to interpret the data to affirm the water security stance of Texas. Legal experts will also be needed to lobby as well as enforce sanctions on integrating the underground aquifers. Elsevier. Barrocu, G. Drought Management in Coastal Areas. In Handbook of Drought and Water Scarcity (pp. CRC Press.