9/30/2018

Water Supply &

Resource Management
OCTOBE R 1, 2018
ECI 40: INTRODU C T I ON TO ENVIRONMEN TAL ENGINE ERING
PROF. COLLEEN BRONNER

Announcements
Engineers Without Borders (EWB)
◦ October 8: General Meeting: 6 pm – 7 pm in Ghausi Hall 3102B
American Water Works Association (AWWA)
◦ October 4: Dinner and Intern Talks - eat dinner and listen to undergraduate
and graduate students share their summer intern and research experiences (6
pm – 7 pm Ghausi Hall 3102B)
UC Davis Bio-inspired Design-a-thon (October 13 & 14)
◦ https://www.facebook.com/events/179844532662793/

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Agenda
Lesson Objectives
Water supply brainstorm
Water resources management case studies
Hetch Hetchy Case Study
Daily Assignment
Module #1

Lesson Objectives
Identify factors that determine where communities locate water supplies
Identify common advantages and challenges of using reservoir systems to
supply large cities (general answers, not specific to single system)
Describe global differences in current attitudes towards large dams and
water supply
Explain the history and controversies surrounding the Hetch Hetchy Dam
& possible restoration of the valley
Identify techniques used by Muir & Pinchot to persuade public and
understand when (or on who) techniques would be most effective

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Identifying sources for water supply

You wake up tomorrow to find that Davis no longer has enough
water to supply the city. The city decides it needs a new water
source.

What type of criteria do we use to determine our best water source

alternative?

Key factors to consider when selecting

water supply sources
Groundwater vs. surface water
Is water treatment needed? (related $$$)
How far does water need to be transported? ($$$)
Who owns the land and/or water? ($$$)
How much water is needed? What is water needed for?
System security/resilience
Competing uses
Others?

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Let’s look at a few historical case studies

of large water resources projects

#1: New York City Water Supply

1677: First public well
1776: System of reservoirs, wells,
pumps, and pipes within Manhattan
◦ Pipes made out of hollowed out logs
1830: New pipes made of cast iron

Growing population requires finding

another water source

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NYC Reservoir System

Three systems
◦ 1842-1893: Croton River Reservoir System (10%)
◦ 1915-1928: Catskills System (40%)
◦ 1928-1964: Delaware River System (50%)
Construction required
◦ Seizure of lands & relocation of 2,000 people
◦ Winning a U.S. Supreme Court Case against New Jersey
Complete System
◦ 19 reservoirs & 3 controlled lakes
◦ Storage capacity: 580 billion gallons
◦ 95% of water delivered by gravity (non-drought conditions)

NYC Reservoir System

Alternative available: Hudson River water
◦ Why didn’t they choose it?
Reservoir water needed minimal treatment
◦ 1.1 billion gallons/day of relatively clean water delivered to 9
million customers
◦ Majority of water only requires addition of chlorine
(disinfectant) and fluoride
◦ Croton system requires filtration
Relationship between NYC & rural communities
◦ Initially one-sided
◦ Changed with environmental movement of 1970s
1997 Watershed agreement
◦ Urban-rural accord that enabled NYC to avoid construction of
multi-billion dollar filtration plant

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#2: Three Gorges Dam (China)

World’s largest hydroelectric Dam*
◦ Along Yangtze River
◦ Construction 1994-2003
Purpose
◦ Provide renewable power
◦ Prevent floods
Details
◦ Cost: $24 billion
◦ Crosses geologic fault lines
◦ Heavily populated area
◦ Location with threatened animal and plant species

Three Gorges Dam

Human Rights Concerns
◦ 1.2 million people relocated, some with little
compensation
◦ May have to move again due to landslides
caused by Dam
Engineering Concerns
◦ Landslides caused by increased pressure on
surrounding land
◦ Rise in waterborne disease
◦ Decline in biodiversity

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#3 California Aqueducts
Water and people are not centered in
same locations

Federal, state, and local projects

transport water

Vulnerabilities of
Reservoir and
Aqueduct Systems?

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Hetch Hetchy Valley

John Muir (1838-1914)

Naturalist & Explorer
◦ Sierra Nevada, Alaska, World-wide
Preservationist
◦ Writings influences U.S. conservation and
preservation efforts
“Father of the National Parks System”
◦ Reason for several national parks (including
Yosemite)
Founded the Sierra Club

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John Muir Hetch Hetch’s Valley?

1. What data/evidence/logic does he use as
the foundation of his argument?
2. What tools/techniques did Muir use to
persuade his readers?
3. What was the most interesting (to you)
part of the essay?
4. What are the strengths and weaknesses
of his argument?
5. Would his argument be more, less or
equally effective today?

Gifford Pinchot (1865-1946)

First Chief of U.S. Forest Service (1905-1910)
Governor of Pennsylvania
Conservationist opposed to preservation for
sake of wilderness/nature
Emphasized controlled, profitable management
of natural resources for the government
◦ Fought commercial timber industry as well as
environmentalists at times

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Gifford Pinchot’s Essay

1. How does Pinchot define conservation?
2. What data/evidence/logic does he use as the foundation
of his argument for conservation?
3. What tools/techniques does Pinchot use to persuade his
readers?
4. What was the most interesting part of the essay?
5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of his argument?

Pinchot’s Principle of Conservation:

Development
Against the idea that conservation primarily
means saving for future generations
“Development of natural
◦ Indicates waste in neglecting the development of
certain natural resources resources and the fullest
“Use of natural resources now existing on this use of them for the
continent for the benefit of the people who live present generation is the
here now” first duty of this
Example: Coal generation”
Example: Water (power and navigable
waterways)

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Pinchot’s Principle of Conservation:

Development

Pinchot’s Principle of Conservation:

Preservation(or Prevention of Waste)
“Waste is not a good thing and that the attack on
waste is an industrial necessity”
◦ Preventing waste is a good business practice
Example Forest Fires
◦ “Today we understand that forest fires are wholly within the
control of men”
◦ Assumes only important use of forests is timber production
◦ Concerns
Role of humans & their relationship with nature
◦ “First duty of the human race is to control the earth it lives
upon”

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Pinchot’s Principle of Conservation:

Common Good
Public action for public benefit
Natural resources must be
Pinchot concerned about spreading developed and preserved
individual property rights for the benefit of the many,
Concerned that “the plain American and not merely for the
citizen” gets fair share of benefit from profit of a few
Nation’s natural resources
Greatest good to the greatest number for
the longest time

Conservation vs. Preservation

If John Muir represents a preservationist
perspective and Gifford Pinchot a conservationist
perspective, compare these philosophies
◦ Similarities
◦ Differences

Aside: Do you think Muir and Pinchot were

friends?

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Applying Theories
National Parks Service
◦ Preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and
values of the national park system for the enjoyment,
education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

U.S. Forests Service

◦ To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the
Nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of
present and future generations.
◦ Its motto is "Caring for the land and serving people."

Returning to Hetch Hetchy Valley

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How an earthquake can change things?

1903: San Francisco applies for use of Hetch Hetchy and turned
down by Federal government
1906: Earthquake in SF
1907: SF approved when applied for use
1913: Raker Act permitted SF to build Dam in Yosemite to supply SF
with water and energy
1916: National Park Service Act passed by Congress
1923: O’Shaughnessy Dam constructed and Hetch Hetchy flooded to
provide water for San Francisco

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Service Area

Water transported 160 miles by gravity to customers
in East Bay and San Francisco

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Hetch Hetchy: Two Tales

Long-lasting controversy
1987: Secretary of Interior suggests removal of O’Shaughnessy Dam and
Restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley
1988: Legislative funding to study restoration of Hetch Hetchy is defeated in
Congress
1994: Congressional proposal that San Francisco pay government $25 million per
year, since city generates an average of $38 million annually from selling
hydroelectric power from Hetch Hetchy to other municipalities. Did not pass.
1999: Restore Hetch Hetchy non-profit organization is formed
2004: Bush Administration proposed raising rent San Francisco pays from Hetch
Hetchy from $30,000 to $8 million per year. Rent had not changed since 1920
2006: California State government study confirms feasibility of restoring Hetch
Hetchy while meeting water needs of state. Study shifts debate from feasibility
to cost

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Restore Hetch Hetchy

2015: Restore Hetch Hetchy advocacy group files lawsuit against SF
◦ Claim: Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Reservoir violates California Law asserting value
of restoration greater than cost of diversion water system improvements

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Hetch Hetchy Current Status

2018: CA Appeals Court turns down lawsuit to drain Hetch Hetchy
(likely to go to CA Supreme Court)

UC Davis Study (2006) found

◦ Water could be stored in other reservoirs
◦ Loss of hydropower ($billions in losses)
◦ San Francisco would have to look for other water sources in dry years
◦ Water stored in other reservoirs would require filtration

What can we learn about water resources

management from these case studies?
What are the general themes?

What factors that we need to consider when evaluating water supply

sources?

How would you prioritize water needs and stakeholder perspectives?

What other lessons can we learn?

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Module #1 focus on Delta Tunnels

Project
Other names:
◦ Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
◦ California Water Fix
Overview
◦ Two 30-mile long tunnels to transport water
from Sacramento River and deliver it to pumps
near state and federal aqueducts
Stated Purpose
◦ Improve delivery to customers of the State
Water Project and federal government’s Central
Valley Project
Estimated cost: $15.7 billion

Assignment
Due Next Class (Wednesday Oct 3)
◦ Find 3 articles on the Delta Tunnel Projects that are primarily objective and
use evidence to present their case
◦ Bring these articles with you to class on Wednesday

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Posted or will be posted on Canvas

Oct 1 Lecture Notes
Module #1 Overview
Teams for Module #1 and #2

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