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<br />00 <br />C\I <br />~ annually. Operation studies of the Rio Grande reservoir system <br />~ for the 70-year period 1900-1970 indicate water shortages for the <br />~ 740,000 acres of land alloted irrigation water rights by the court <br />,-, <br />~ order arising from the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Case would <br />occur 70 percent of the time, although substantial shortages would <br />occur less than 30 percent of the time. An average annual shortage <br />of 253,000 acre-feet would occur with full irrigation of the adjud- <br />icated acreage. Thus maintaining the current level of irrigated <br />agricultural acreage in the Valley, as well as providing vitally- <br />needed supplies for additional prime irrigable lands,. requires . <br />supplemental supplies over and above Rio Grande supplies which are <br />"fixed" by International Treaty and court adjudicated decree. Ad- <br />ditionally, existing water quality problems, storage and conveyance <br />systeIO i,flCl9-eq\!,aciesanci draina~~jlr()b1eIll",-!"ust be resolved. <br /> <br />Problem Area 4, ABA 1302 (Texas). 1303, and 1305. Water Supply <br />and Quality Problems in Small Cities and Rural COImllunities as a <br />Consequence of Implementing the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act (P.L. 93- <br />523) <br /> <br /> <br />An assessment was made by the Texas Water Development Board of <br />all of Texas' public water systems which could not comply with the <br />Environmental Protections Agency's (EPA's) Interim Primary Drinking <br />Water Standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, (P.L. 93-523). <br />This assessment used water quality information obtained from the <br />records of the Texas Department of Health Resources as of May 14, 1976. <br />Results of the assessment indicated that a total of approximately' <br />600 public water systems in the State will be in violation of the <br />EPA Interim Primary Standards with the majority of these being unable <br />to meet the maximum standards set for the contaminant fluoride with <br />many in noncompliance due to excessive nitrates or both. Compliance <br />with the EPA Interim Primary Standards is mandatory and many of the <br />water systems will encounter financial difficulties in providing and <br />operating the necessary treatment facilities or alternative sources <br />of supply to meet the proposed standards. <br /> <br />A significant portion of the population of Texas (an estimated <br />6 percent or 734,000 persons) resides in areas where thecurtent <br />water supply system cannot meet the EPA Primary Standards of the 1974 <br />Safe Drinking Water Act. These areas vary in density from a few <br />people per residence to somewhat higher concentrations. <br /> <br />The relatively small size of these systems and the low density <br />of customers create financial problems of recapturing fixed costs <br />of the investiments in facilities required to meet the new standards. <br />In addition rising costs of electricity, labor and other impacts have <br />significantly increased overall plant operating costs and will continue <br />to impose sometimee insurmountable obstacles in meeting the new federal <br />standards. <br /> <br />30 <br /> <br />