Tarrant Regional Water District, Texas, USA – Operating Reservoir Augmentation, large wholesaler supplying around 2 million people in North Texas
The Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) is a large wholesale raw water provider to the western side of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and a pioneer in using wetlands to clean water. TRWD currently provides raw water to over 2 million people in 11 counties or more than 90 customers.
TRWD’s George W. Shannon Wetlands Water Reuse Project is another way it is extending its current resources to meet a rapidly growing population. TRWD’s 1,900 acre George W. Shannon Wetland Water Reuse Project was built in coordination with Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) and is located on TPW’s Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area on the Navarro-Freestone County line.
The Shannon Wetlands was completed in 2013 and currently provides up to 89 million gallons a day (339 million litres a day) of water supply. It consists of a series of sedimentation ponds and man-made wetland cells that naturally filter highly treated recycled water diverted from the Trinity River, which is then put it back into Richland-Chambers Reservoir for use as water supply. In the critically dry summer months this wetland project has the ability to provide 90 million gallons (340 million litres) a day, or 40% of the water coming from Richland Chambers, helping the region cope with the severe drought conditions affecting the North Central Texas area. Operation of the Shannon Wetland systems is closely coordinated with TPW biologists to maximise the wildlife benefits that a project of this nature can provide.
TRWD is already working on another 3,000 acre wetland facility which will be an additional supply to Cedar Creek Lake. This 2nd wetland project has the potential to provide an additional 57 billion gallons (215 billion litres) per year, or 156 million gallons (590 million litres) a day to TRWD’s supply. Once both are fully operational, these wetlands will provide TRWD with enough water supply to serve over 1.5 million people annually.
