Water Use in theTennessee Valley

River Operations & RenewablesAmanda K. Bowen

Water Use in 2010 and Projected Use in 2035

Alabama Water ResourcesConference & Symposium

Orange Beach, AlabamaSeptember 5, 2013

Presentation Topics

• Why does TVA do a Water Use Report?

• What are the results of the 2010 Study?

• What are the results of the 2035 Projections?

“The principalwater problem in the

early twenty-first centurywill be one of

inadequate and uncertainsupplies…”

—National Research Council

Reference: National Research Council (2001)

Why the concern?

Why the concern?

• The quality of life in our region depends upon ample water for homes, businesses, farms, meeting places, and recreational activities

• Dependable water is as fundamental to the economic growth of the region as is dependable, low-cost electricity

• It is anticipated that water supply and water-quality issues, coupled with emerging water-use conflict over a fixed supply, will continue to increase across the southeast

1990Population

2010Population

GrowthRate

(percentage)

GeorgiaNorth CarolinaTennesseeVirginiaU.S. AverageAlabamaKentuckyMississippi

6,478,1496,632,4484,877,2036,189,197

248,790,9254,040,3893,686,8922,575,475

9,687,6539,535,4836,346,1058,001,024

308,745,5384,779,7364,339,3672,967,297

5044302924181815

Source: U.S. Census

Population Growth Rate 1990-2010

Can the Tennessee Rivercontinue to meet

the increasingwater-supply demands

throughout the watershed for the short- and long-term?

The BIG Question

7

The Tennessee River System• 49 Dams for Integrated River Management

– 29 Hydroelectric Dams– 19 Non-Power Dams– 1 Pumped-Storage Plant

• 800 Miles of Navigable Waterway

Intakes and Discharges

9

• 4 Non-Power Dams • Bear Creek• Upper Bear Creek• Little Bear Creek• Cedar Creek

The Tennessee River System in Alabama

• 3 Hydroelectric Dams• Guntersville• Wheeler• Wilson

• 6 Locks Serve ~60 Alabama Ports and Terminals• 3 Main Locks and 3 Auxiliary Locks (1 each at each dam)

• 25 Municipalities and 11 Industries Withdrawal Water

Water Use Report Timeline

Water Use Study Initiated with

2000 Water Use Estimates and

2030 Projections

Validates estimates from

the 2000 Report and verifies

projections to 2030

Validates estimates from

the 2000 Report and increases projections to

2035

2000 2005 2010

Water Use in 2010

Reference: Bohac and Bowen (2012)All Units in mgd

2010 Water Use

Withdrawal:11,951 mgd

Return:11,480 mgd

(96.1% of WD)

Consumptive Use:471 mgd

(3.9% of WD)

Reference: Bohac and Bowen (2012)

Comparing 2010 Water Use in Alabama to Valley States

Drainage Area(percentage)

Withdrawals(mgd)

Consumptive Use

(mgd)Alabama 17 5485 (45.9%) 147 (31.2%)Georgia 4 19 (0.2%) 15 (3.2%)Kentucky 2 31 (0.3%) 30 (6.4%)Mississippi 1 3 (0.02%) 2 (0.4%)North Carolina

13 420 (3.5%) 48 (10.2%)

Tennessee 55 5949 (49.8%) 212 (45%)Virginia 8 44 (0.4%) 13 (2.8%)

2010 Water Use in Alabama

Thermoelectric Industrial

W/D RT CU W/D RT CU

5066 5048 18 213 193 20

Public Supply Irrigation

W/D RT CU W/D RT CU

193 97 96 13 0 13

Total

W/D RT CU

5485 5338 147

All units in MGD

Projected Water Use in 2035

1995(mgd)

2000(mgd)

2005(mgd)

2010(mgd)

2030*(mgd)

2035(mgd)

Estimated% Change

by 2035

TotalWithdrawal 10,008 12,211 12,437 11,951 13,990 9,449 -21%

Thermoelectric 8,010 10,276 10,531 10,046 11,401 6,963 -31%

Industrial 1,030 1,205 1,179 1,148 1,573 1,502 +31%

Public Supply 574 662 684 723 694 938 +30%

Irrigation 48 69 43 34 94 46 +35%

Consumptive Use Unknown 649 432 471 980 712 +51%

Consumptive Use as % of WD 5.3% 3.5% 3.9% 7.0% 7.5%

*This is the projected information utilized in the Reservoir Operations Study using 2000 data.

Reference: Bohac and Koroa (2004); Bohac and McCall (2008); Bohac and Bowen (2012)

References

• Bohac, C. E. and Bowen, A. K., 2012, Water Use in the Tennessee Valley for 2010 and Projected Use in 2035, River Operations and Renewables, Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, Tennessee, July.

• Bohac, C. E. and McCall, M. J., 2008, Water Use in the Tennessee Valley for 2005 and Projected Use in 2030, River Operations, Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, Tennessee, November.

• Bohac, C. E., 2009. Water Supply and Demand in the Tennessee River Watershed, River Operations, Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, Tennessee, May

• Bohac, C. E., and Koroa, M. C., 2004, Water Supply Inventory and Needs Analysis, River Operations, Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, Tennessee, November.

• National Research Council, 2001, Envisioning the Agenda for Water Resources Research in the Twenty-First Century, Washington D.C.

“When the well is dry, we’ll know the true

worth of water.”– Benjamin Franklin

Questions?For a copy of “Water Use in the Tennessee Valley for

2010 and Projected Use in 2035” please go to http://www.tva.com/river/watersupply/index.htm