I am part of the Scientific Marksmen, SciMark for short, at my school. The SciMark is a magazine that is published at the end of the year that covers local issues within the realm of science. I was fortunate enough to not only contribute three stories (two water stories and a habitat loss story), but to also be selected as Creative Director. I want to give a snippet of the final magazine, so here are the three stories I contributed:
Global Health Crisis: Is Dallas’ Water Safe?
Over the years, there have been a number of water issues throughout the United States, including issues in Flint Michigan with lead contamination, and issues in Austin Texas, where poor infrastructure allowed sewage to seep into the clean water. These issues around the United States raise worry about whether or not Dallas will have similar issues to the water quality. Understanding what Dallas does to treat its water and the quality of Dallas’ water can help bring a sense of security to Dallasites about the water’s safety.
DWU, or Dallas Water Utilities, is the company that supplies Dallas with fresh, clean water every day. Not only does DWU supply water to the Dallas area, but the company also treats the water and ensures excellent water quality in Dallas.
Denis Qualls and Alicia Lee help Dallas with the water supply. Denis Qualls has been the superintendent of DWU for almost twenty years, and Alicia Lee helps create and lead conservation efforts for DWU. After talking with them over the summer and asking them some questions, which they answered quickly and succinctly it seems like Dallas is doing a great job providing safe and clean water to its residents.
Dallas’ water is treated using settling, filtering, and ozone disinfection. The first part of the water treatment process involves removing suspended solids. DWU does this using the help of lime and iron sulfate, which also help with corrosion control. After removing the solids, the water is then filtered through various materials including gravel and sand.
Once the water is completely filtered, DWU disinfects the water using chloramine and ozone. The reason that DWU uses chloramine (chlorine + ammonia) instead of chlorine by itself is because chloramine is less hazardous than chlorine. Ozone is also used to help disinfect the water. Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent and when dissolved into water releases a broad spectrum biocade which kills all diseases and viruses as well as bacteria and cysts. Using ozone in water treatment has been a widespread practice since the early 1900s.
Fluoride is then added to the water. Per the ADA (American Dental Administration) and the CDC (Center for Disease Control), adding fluoride to the water has proven to reduce tooth decay. Finally, activated carbon is used to control the taste and odor of the water.
Dallas’ water is considered a “Superior” water system, which is the highest award for water quality given by the State of Texas. Dallas’ water also meets or exceeds all requirements and recommendations given by the state and federal government as well as the EPA.
Dallas Water Utilities’ website outlines the positive effects of their treatment process, “The combination of our treatment processes and the non-corrosive nature of Dallas water results in exceptionally high quality, safe drinking water. In fact, in 1991, DWU won the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 6 Environmental Excellence Award for Public Water Supply. Recently, Dallas was notified that it will again receive this prestigious award. That means that Dallasites are drinking some of the best water in five states: Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico.”
Dallas’ water is tested around 45,000 times per month, or almost 63 times per minute. These tests meet all of the testing requirements set by the FDA and the city also exceeds these requirements by doing extra testing for other toxins and chemicals that are not on the FDA’s list. Dallas’ water is the highest quality in the region.
There are lots of risks to any water supply, but even though Dallas has a great water utility system, there are still some risks that could threaten Dallas’ water in the future
Most of Dallas’ infrastructure is over 30 years old, and despite continuous efforts to maintain, repair, and replace various facilities, it is unclear whether there is sufficient budget or whether the pace of repairs and upgrades is sufficient to stave off future issues.
As Dallas continues to construct more infrastructure, especially as projects like the IPL are being completed, the operating budget must increase to cover new maintenance costs. It is unclear how much the budget is slated to increase.
As the climate continues to get warmer, evaporation increases, taking water from Dallas’ supply, and as rainfall could potentially decrease, other threats of our current climate to the supply of water remain unclear.
As more information is being discovered about new chemicals, there could be unknown harmful effects on humans caused by chemicals currently used to treat water.
Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, are resistant to breaking down in the environment. Found in nonstick cookware, food packaging, and firefighting foam, they are prevalent in most areas of the world. The biggest issue with these forever chemicals is that they can cause sickness, including cancer, liver damage, and developmental issues when in high concentrations. These chemicals have found their way into virtually every water supply around the world, and if there is no effort to slow the production of these chemicals or remove these chemicals from the water supply, the concentration of these chemicals will perpetually increase.
Though forever chemicals are a threat to water supplies around the nation, Dallas has done a great job of limiting the number of these chemicals that are in the water supply. Denis Qualls, superintendent of DWU explains that there is currently 1 part per trillion, or “1 drop in 500,000 barrels” he said.
Events like natural disasters, pandemics, and other large events could harm the water supply. Infrastructure could get destroyed in a natural disaster, and people might not be able to work due to a pandemic, putting at risk the ability to source Dallas with a sufficient amount of safe water.
After talking to Denis Qualls and Alicia Lee from DWU, it seems like that many of the issues are either already resolved or plan to be resolved in the near future. They even shared Dallas’ 500-page water supply plan titled 2014 Long Range Water Supply Plan detailing Dallas’ goals to “preserve the quality and quantity of Dallas’ water for now and for future decades”-Alicia Lee. It is great to know that DWU’s leaders have the citizens’ daily necessities as their top priority.
The future of Dallas Water
Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) gets its water from seven sources, included are six lakes, also called reservoirs (Lake Grapevine, Lake Lewisville, Lake Ray Hubbard, Lake Ray Roberts, Lake Fork, Lake Tawakoni) and one river system (Elm Fork of Trinity River). Of all of these, Lake Ray Hubbard is the only reservoir that the City of Dallas owns and operates. Dallas and other municipalities share the rights to extract water from the other six places.
Water supply is measured in million gallons per day (MGD), and Dallas’ water supply capacity is 502 MGD. As of right now, Dallas residents in total are using 470 MGD throughout the day or around 145 gallons per person per day.
Dallas’ yearly 38.3 inches of rainfall is essential to Dallas’ water supply. Rainfall fills the reservoirs, and after a wet 2021, almost all of the reservoirs are all above 85% capacity, except one, due to repairs on the dam. Dallas is very lucky to have a predictable amount of yearly rainfall.
As climate change continued over the past few decades, the western part of the United States has become dryer, while the eastern part of the United States has become wetter. Dallas is right in the middle of United States, and the city has maintained a seemingly predictable amount of yearly rainfall for the past 150 years. The seven lakes/rivers and annual rainfall allow Dallas to continue to have a consistent water supply.
Dallas’ thousands of miles of piping carry water miles to its various destinations. Dallas has a total of 12,000 miles of piping. Within these 12,000 miles, there are three types of pipes: water mains, wastewater mains, and storm pipes. Most of these pipes range between 4” and 120” in diameter and carry water to different parts of the city.
However, to pump water to these places, Dallas uses pump stations to pump water through these pipes. Some of Dallas’ pump stations are from the 1930s and can pump 50,000 gallons per minute. The newest pump stations can pump upwards of 900,000 gallons per minute. This equates to 72 and 1,200 MGD respectively. The water from these pump stations goes into the water pipelines and to DWU’s customers to be used.
Because of rising water demand driven by population growth, Dallas’ current lakes and reservoirs will not be able to sustainably supply the city with water past 2030. The City of Dallas has approved, funded, and is currently working on connecting three more water sources and building a reservoir to extend its water supply through 2070. Dallas will do this through four main projects: The Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL), Indirect Reuse through a Balancing Reservoir; a connection to the Neches River; and a connection to Lake Columbia. These projects and are projected to increase the water supply to 850 MGD (a 350 MGD increase) and keep Dallas’ water sustainable even as the population doubles by 2070.
Dallas’ first of four projects is the Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL). The IPL is the construction of over 150 miles of pipelines, three new intake pump stations (two of which will be used in future projects), and three booster pump stations (to help pump water through the 150 mile pipeline). The 9-foot (diameter) pipe will connect Lake Palestine to the current water supply. This project will provide Dallas with an additional 102 MGD, and it will help Dallas meet demand through 2050. The IPL, according to Denis Qualls, superintendent of DWU, is still slated for a 2027 completion.
The second project is called Indirect Reuse through a Balancing Reservoir where Dallas will construct a reservoir to store discharged non-potable water from the wastewater treatment plants. This reservoir will allow Dallas to treat the water and then use the water as needed. This project will be completed by 2050, and it will increase Dallas’ water supply by 102 MGD.
The third project is the connection to the Neches River. The Neches River runs south out of Lake Palestine, and the intake pump station, created in the IPL, will pump water into the same pipeline created in the IPL where it will head to Dallas. This project will supply an additional 42 MGD.
The final project slated to be completed before 2070 is the connection to Lake Columbia. Lake Columbia is located 20 miles east of Lake Palestine. Similar to the Neches River connection project, an intake pump station will pump the water from Lake Columbia to Lake Palestine and then into the same pipeline created in the IPL, where the water will head to Dallas. The project will supply an additional 42 MGD, bringing Dallas’ water supply capacity up to almost 850 MGD.
Here is a visual showing how these projects will increase the water supply:
Sourced from: https://www.dallascityhall.com/departments/waterutilities/DCH%20Documents/2014_LRWSP_Final_Report_all_11302015.pdf
Dallas will spend a total of $3.914 billion on DWU’s water projects between 2020 and 2070. The four main water supply projects mentioned above will cost a total of $1.851 billion ($1.097 billion for the IPL, $675 million for the Balancing Reservoir, $227 million for the Neches River Connection, and $160 million for the Lake Columbia connection). Not only is DWU executing the above four projects, but DWU is executing sixteen other projects, between 2015 and 2070, to improve existing infrastructure. These projects will cost $2.063 billion, and plan to execute expansions to existing water plants, expansions to an existing balancing reservoir, and improvements to the filters at the water plants.
While Dallas’ infrastructure is effective, almost two thirds of it is over 30 years old. Dallas is trying to solve its number one problem, aging infrastructure, by constantly replacing old parts of the water system. Dallas is also renovating and replacing various essential infrastructure, including the water/wastewater treatment plants, the pump stations, the storage tanks, and piping.
As Dallas continues to supply clean water to its residents, something that is extremely comforting is DWU’s priorities. DWU prepares for the “worst-case scenario,” said Denis Qualls. However, it is evident that Dallas has the water supply situation completely under control and is working on increasing the city’s water supply to exceed projected demand through 2070.
Environmental Destruction
As issues regarding the environment and climate change continue to gain popularity and become a bigger and more imminent threat, it is important to understand some of the causes of these issues. Habitat loss is a major cause of the climate crisis, and while it may be hard to completely stop habitat loss, there are ways to help slow the process down.
Habitat loss is the destruction, degradation, or fragmentation of natural habitats, such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, and other ecosystems. Habitat loss can occur due to a range of activities, including agriculture, urbanization, mining, logging, and infrastructure development. Another cause of habitat loss is climate change, as the changing climate makes it hard for some species to adapt and thrive. Each of these activities clear land, whether that is a forest, prairie, or other biome, to make room for human activities or for gathering resources.
Some of the effects of habitat loss include loss of biodiversity, fragmentation of habitats, disruption of ecosystem services, climate change, and human/wildlife conflicts. All of these effects are tied together—when habitats become fragmented or lose essential parts that allow them to function properly, the habitat will lose some of its diversity as certain species of plants and animals lost an essential part of their habitat. When habitats are not able to support all the life they are supposed to, ecosystem services—including water purification, air quality regulation, and carbon sequestration—stop occurring. Finally, closer contact between the habitats and humans causes more harm than good, as natural human occurrences degrade the environment.
According to Akash Munshi, who specializes in botany, habitat loss is extremely prevalent in Dallas, especially in the Blackland Prairie. “The prairie is sometimes called upside down forest because these roots go down more than 25 feet” Akash said. The prairie is an extremely important ecosystem that is slowing dying off. The native prairie grasses are essential to the prairie ecosystem because with the loss of native grasses, the topsoil will get blown away, exposing the ecosystem to harsh conditions and therefore making it harder for the ecosystem to survive.
Habitat loss is directly linked to climate change. “To link it all together…if you're removing habitat, you're removing large…carbon sinks” Akash said. This presents another issue with habitat loss: climate change. Plants act as carbon sinks, which mean that they soak up carbon dioxide in the air and output oxygen. Loss of these carbon sinks means that less carbon dioxide will be converted into breathable oxygen, which, in turn, worsens the climate change problem.
Akash presents one of the main causes of habitat loss in Texas: suburbia. “One of the worst things you can have in your yard, and this is everywhere, is have invasive grass, [like] Bermuda grass… It's just it's used to landscape everything,” he said. Instead of using native grasses, people usually opt for non-native grasses like Bermuda Grass, which is super lush and looks appealing, but is an invasive species that requires tons of water to landscape. On top of clearing land for suburbia, the land is being replaced with plants that require special attention and actually harm the ecosystem around them.
“What people need to do is switch to a native grass,” Akash said, “There's an example called buffalo grass. After you seed it, you have to water for about one month, and then you never have to water again, and you never have to mow it. And in my opinion, it looks much better,” he said. This is a great solution to help build up the environment while creating a yard for a home, as it is a win-win situation for both the environment and landscaping.
“Not really enough is being done,” Akash said, when asked about what is being done to protect the environment. However, he has taken it upon himself to help save the prairie ecosystem. Akash is passionate about helping the ecosystem, and his nonprofit helps restore the Blackland Prairie. He is working on restoring 14,000 square feet of the Blackland Prairie with native grasses with the hopes of helping reform the topsoil and restore the prairie. He recently held a service opportunity for St. Mark’s students to help restore part of the prairie over the past week by helping restore the native grasses and topsoil to parts that need it.
Akash and his non-profit have already planted three to four thousand plants. “We're going in [and] planting every weekend,” he said, “we’ve rescued chunks of prairie that are slated to be destroyed.” An interesting aspect of habitat loss is that it is sometimes caused by forestation. “One example of degradation of the prairies actually forestation on the prairies. I mean, these deciduous trees are coming in,” Akash said. An important part of retaining the habitat is making sure that separate biomes are not mixed in a way that one will get destroyed.
Even though all these habitat problems are plaguing the world, it is great to know that people in the St. Mark’s community are helping battle this giant environmental issue. It is also great to know that anyone can help, whether it is donating to his and other non-profits that help combat habitat loss, landscaping with native grasses, or even by planting or caring for a pollinator garden. Habitat loss is a global issue, but with everyone helping, the issue can and will get resolved.
Images sourced from: