Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport and Area Cities Develop Water Conservation Project

By Max B. Baker, Star-Telegram

ARLINGTON — Several area cities and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport are considering joining forces in a multimillion-dollar conservation project to irrigate parks, golf courses and highway medians using highly treated water from a Fort Worth wastewater treatment plant.

The Arlington City Council is expected to consider joining a regional partnership next month that would use reclaimed water from the Village Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant at the Ditto Golf Course, J.W. Dunlop Sports Center and the city landfill.

And D/FW and Euless are considering joining a program developed by Fort Worth to sell the plant’s effluent — which is suitable for industrial uses but not drinking — and cut back on using costly drinking water from East Texas reservoirs.

Officials are increasingly taking a regional approach to providing water and fighting drought. Last week, the Tarrant Regional Water District, which is the area’s major raw water supplier, said enhanced water restrictions may be necessary by summer if conditions don’t improve.

“It is a money-saving venture because you are keeping water that is already in the area and using it again after it is processed,” said Julia Hunt, director of Arlington’s Water Department. “It allows us to offset or reduce the amount of water that is brought in from East Texas.”

On Feb. 17, the Arlington council will be asked to consider joining the partnership and spending $358,000 to design the first phase of the pipeline. The city hopes the pipeline, which may cost about $4.4 million to build, will be operational by 2010, said Terry Benton, assistant director of water utilities.

Eventually, it could be extended to the entertainment district for use at Six Flags Over Texas, the new Cowboys Stadium and the Texas Rangers ballpark, he said.

While the water is not suitable for drinking, it can be used for irrigation, gas well drilling and other types of industry, said Mary Gugliuzza, spokeswoman for the Fort Worth Water Department.

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Source: Star-Telegram.com