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A: No it does not. In fact, it relieves SJRA of the stress of having to ramp up now to much larger scales (to meet demands of a population tripling in the Greater Lake Conroe Region in 15 years), making it easier for SJRA to focus on phase 1 – 20,000 ac-ft/yr (about 1 ft drawn down of the lake per year) that they are just now mechanically completing. At their phase I capacity, they become the largest single supplier of drinking water in the county.

As with most engineering projects, the final size of SJRA’s phase I facilities may some spare capacity. This not to be confused with the portion of the capacity that is needed to deliver 20,000 ac-ft/yr of water.

A: Montgomery County population is projected to reach 1 million people (about 400,000 more than today) by 2030 – a short span of only 15 years. That presents an unprecedented challenge to every facet of Montgomery County’s resources, including water. Creating a huge water shortage (90,000 ac-ft/yr by 2030) by restricting groundwater use would at the least complicate development and could well result in severe slowdowns. Pursuing a crash effort to make up forwater supply deficiency will likely put enormous stress on Lake Conroe and could well lead to severe instabilities/drops in lake level.

A: Montgomery County’s aquifer system (Gulf Coast Aquifer) is currently healthy and full of water. Unrestricted use of our aquifers for at least the next 15 years (the time we need to get through the massive ramp-up in population) will have no measurable impact on the sustainable health and storage of our groundwater system.

We share the Gulf Coast Aquifer system with many counties, most notably Harris, Fort Bend and Galveston. The Texas Water Development Board estimates that the portion of this aquifer system directly under Montgomery County stores recoverable reserves of between 45 and 135 million ac-ft of water. Harris, Fort Bend and Galveston counties add between 157 and 393 million ac-ft to this reserve. The Gulf Coast Aquifer system remains full despite heavy use by Harris, Fort Bend and Galveston counties for the last 60 years. So aquifer system replenishment has been sufficient to keep up with use. Montgomery County’s unrestricted use over the next 15 years is not expected to produce a net measurable change in Gulf Coast aquifer system storage.

A: The people who live in the northern half of Montgomery County – the Greater Lake Conroe Region (GLCR) – Map – will be the most impacted. Their population is scheduled to roughly triple in a short 15 years.

According to Lone Star, it will take a total of 154,000 ac-ft/yr (approximately 137 gal/day/capita) to satisfy total county water demands for a population of 1 million. Pending 2016 Groundwater Restrictions will create a shortage in supply of 90,000 ac-ft/yr. Lake Conroe is likely to have to supply most of that shortage – and do so within the very short span of the next 15 years. That will put the lake under unsustainable stress. Citizens of the GLCR are likely to experience dramatic water level drops – likely larger than the 8 ft experienced in the 2011 drought. Drier weather or drought will only make things worse. At their phase I operations SJRA says they will draw down 1 ft of the lake per years (20,000 ac-ft/yr). At that rate, they become the largest single supplier of drinking water in the county.