The Allen Brothers' 1836 Newspaper Advertisement

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Questions and Answers

How many people are served by Houston Public Works?

2.0 billion

5.0 million

5.0 billion

2.3 million (correct)

How many gallons of water are treated per day?

2.3 million

5.0 billion

2.3 billion

449.0 million (correct)

The majority of this water is used for _________ purposes.

Farming

Industrial manufacturing (correct)

Astroworld Water Parks

Fishing

What percentage of the City's water supply comes from surface water resources?

86% Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of the City's water supply comes from ground water resources?

14% Signup and view all the answers

How many miles of pipeline distribution system are used for water supply?

7,000 miles Signup and view all the answers

How many billion gallons of water are treated annually?

146 billion Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of Houston's water supply comes from surface water?

86% Signup and view all the answers

What is the total square miles of the City of Houston's service area?

671 square miles Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of source water protection?

To reduce pollutants and chemical contaminants in water resources Signup and view all the answers

What can commercial, industrial, and residential development of a lake's surrounding habitat lead to?

Runoff of chemicals, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and human waste Signup and view all the answers

How many dedicated public servants work together in Houston Public Works?

4,000 Signup and view all the answers

What is the volume of Lake Conroe when it is full?

1.4E11 gallons Signup and view all the answers

What is the rating of the City of Houston drinking water system?

Superior Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of establishing best-management-practices (BMPs) in areas surrounding lakes?

To protect water resources Signup and view all the answers

Where is Lake Conroe primarily located?

Montgomery County Signup and view all the answers

What is the surface elevation of Lake Conroe?

201' Signup and view all the answers

How many counties are part of the San Jacinto River watershed?

7 Signup and view all the answers

What was a necessity for a thriving community according to the Allen brothers' 1836 newspaper advertisement?

Access to a plentiful supply of pure, potable water Signup and view all the answers

Where was the source of 'pure, cold, and wholesome water' that was delivered to Houstonians?

Beauchamp Springs Signup and view all the answers

How much did a 30-gallon barrel of water cost in Houston?

75 cents Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the organization mentioned in the content as the largest and most diverse public works organization in the country?

Houston Public Works Signup and view all the answers

What was the mode of transportation used to deliver water to Houstonians?

Wagon Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the area now known where Beauchamp Springs is located?

The Heights Signup and view all the answers

What was the tone of the Allen brothers' 1836 newspaper advertisement?

Delightful and glowing Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the story of water in Houston as it unfolded over the ensuing decades?

It became more complicated than expected Signup and view all the answers

What is the process of making saline water into freshwater called?

Desalination Signup and view all the answers

What happens to salt molecules during the reverse osmosis process?

They are blocked by the semi-permeable membrane Signup and view all the answers

What is the concentration of dissolved salts in seawater?

About 35,000 ppm Signup and view all the answers

What is the category of water with a concentration of 5,000 ppm of dissolved salts?

Moderately saline water Signup and view all the answers

What is the salt content of the Dead Sea?

Higher than 35,000 ppm Signup and view all the answers

Why is desalination important?

It provides people with needed freshwater Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the semi-permeable membrane in reverse osmosis?

To filter out dissolved salts Signup and view all the answers

What is the unit of measurement for the concentration of dissolved salts in water?

Parts per million (ppm) Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of Perth's freshwater comes from the sea?

45% Signup and view all the answers

How many billions of liters of seawater are converted into freshwater per year in Perth's desalination plants?

128 Billion Liters Signup and view all the answers

What is the main goal of managing energy needs in Perth's desalination plants?

To sustainably manage energy needs through improving energy efficiency and focusing on renewable sources Signup and view all the answers

What is the environmental concern associated with brine disposal from desalination plants?

It has a much higher salt concentration compared to seawater Signup and view all the answers

What is a threat to marine life in desalination surface water intakes?

Mature fish, larvae, and other marine life Signup and view all the answers

What is a limitation of desalination as a strategy to bolster regional water supplies?

Both A and B Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of Australia's total electricity generation comes from renewable energy sources?

21% Signup and view all the answers

How much ocean water is required to produce one gallon of freshwater through desalination?

Roughly two gallons Signup and view all the answers

What is the estimated cost of ocean-water desalination compared to other water sources?

2-4 times more expensive Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of using diffusers to discharge brine from desalination facilities?

To stimulate brine mixing with ocean water Signup and view all the answers

What is the salinity level of the Dead Sea?

280,000 ppm Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of distillation in water treatment?

To remove minerals and salts from the water Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the process that forces water through a semipermeable membrane to remove salt molecules?

Reverse Osmosis Signup and view all the answers

How many people are served by desalination plants worldwide?

300 million Signup and view all the answers

Which country is one of the largest users of desalinated water?

Saudi Arabia Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary drawback of desalination?

It is too expensive Signup and view all the answers

Where is the largest inland municipal desalination plant located?

El Paso, Texas Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate cost of producing 326,000 gallons of desalinated water from brackish groundwater in Texas?

$357 to $782 Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of desalination in water treatment?

To remove impurities from the water Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the city in Australia known for its desalination plants?

Perth Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Early Houston and Water Supply

In 1836, the Allen brothers advertised Houston as a promising town with an abundant supply of pure water from the Buffalo Bayou.
The story of water in Houston proved to be more complicated than the brothers' advertisement suggested.

Water Delivery in Houston

As the town expanded, residents relied on multiple water sources, including Beauchamp Springs, which provided "pure, cold, and wholesome water" at a cost of 75 cents per 30-gallon barrel.

Houston Public Works

Houston Public Works is the largest and most diverse public works organization in the country.
It is responsible for streets, drainage, producing and distributing water, collecting and treating wastewater, and permitting and regulating construction.
The organization has 4,000 dedicated public servants and serves 2.3 million people across a 671 mi² service area.
Houston Public Works is accredited by the American Public Works Association and is the #1 largest water/wastewater utility in Texas, treating 146 billion gallons of water annually.

City of Houston - Drinking Water Operations

The City of Houston drinking water system maintains a "Superior" rating, the highest rating for water quality issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The system serves approximately 2.2 million customers daily across a four-county service area, in excess of 600 square miles.
Notable projects include the Raw Surface Water System Expansion, Surface Water Purification Plant Expansion, and Wastewater Collection System rehabilitation.

Houston's Water Supply

Houston has sufficient water supplies for its wholesale and retail customers through 2050.
The city has 1.2 billion gallons per day of reliable surface water rights and 200 million gallons per day of available groundwater supplies.

Daily Water Supply Monitor

In 2017, Houston's Drinking Water Operations produced and distributed more than 160 billion gallons of water.
The city treated an average of 449 million gallons per day of water through a 7,000-mile plus pipeline distribution system.
The majority of this water is used for industrial and manufacturing purposes.

Reliable Surface Water Rights

The city's reliable surface water rights come from a combination of reservoir and run-of-river yield from Lake Livingston, Lake Houston, Lake Conroe, and the Lower Trinity River.
The City owns 70% shares of Lake Livingston, Lake Conroe, and the future Allen's Creek Reservoir, and 100% of Lake Houston.

Source Water Protection

Local lakes and rivers supply the City of Houston's surface water resources.
86% of the water supply comes from surface water, including lakes and rivers, and 14% comes from deep underground wells drilled into the Evangeline and Chicot aquifers.

Surface Water Protection

The city pipes or gravity-feeds surface water to one of three surface water purification plants for treatment and disinfection.
The water is tested and meets state and federal drinking water standards.

What Can People Do?

By 2050, Harris County's population is expected to exceed 5.5 million people, making it essential for citizens to use water wisely.
Citizens can help reduce pollution in water resources by using water efficiently, properly maintaining motorized equipment, and supporting best-management-practices (BMPs) in commercial, industrial, and residential development areas.

Lake Conroe

Lake Conroe is a 21,000-acre lake in Montgomery County, with most of the lake in unincorporated Montgomery County.
The lake has a surface elevation of 201', a volume of 0.1272 cubic miles, and can store approximately 1.4E11 gallons of water when full.

San Jacinto River and Its Watershed

The San Jacinto River and its watershed cover 4,500 mi² across Harris, Montgomery, Waller, Walker, Grimes, Liberty, and San Jacinto Counties.

Desalination

Desalination is the process of converting saline water into freshwater, which is essential for human consumption.
Desalination is becoming increasingly important worldwide to provide people with freshwater.

What is Desalination?

Desalination involves forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane to remove salt molecules, resulting in freshwater.
The movement of freshwater through the membrane is called reverse osmosis.

Salinity of Water

Water is considered saline if it contains significant amounts of dissolved salts, measured in parts per million (ppm).
Freshwater has less than 1,000 ppm, while highly saline water has 10,000-35,000 ppm.
Ocean water has approximately 35,000 ppm of salt.

Distillation

Distillation is a method of desalination that involves boiling water to produce steam, which is then cooled to produce freshwater.
Distilled water is free of minerals and salts, making it safe to drink but tasteless and flat.
Distillation is an ancient desalination method still used today.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis is an effective method of desalination that uses a semi-permeable membrane to remove salt molecules from water.
However, reverse osmosis is an expensive process.

Desalination Facts

In 2015, there were 18,426 desalination plants operating worldwide, producing 22,930 million gallons per day (MGD) of freshwater.
Desalination plants provide water for approximately 300 million people worldwide.
The Middle East is the largest user of desalinated water, with 70% of worldwide capacity.
The United States is also a significant user of desalinated water, particularly in California and Florida.

Texas Desalination Facts

Texas has a municipal desalination capacity of approximately 142 MGD.
There are 85 MGD of brackish groundwater desalination and 54 MGD of brackish surface water desalination in Texas.
The largest inland municipal desalination plant in the world is located in El Paso, Texas, with a capacity of approximately 27.5 MGD.

Perth, Australia's Desalination Plants

Perth, Australia's desalination plants produce 45% of the city's freshwater from seawater.
The plants have a capacity of 128 billion liters of freshwater per year, equivalent to approximately 34 billion gallons.

Negatives of Desalination

Brine water, a hyper-saline slurry, is a disposal challenge and can harm the environment if not mixed with other water sources.
Desalination is energy-intensive and can increase fossil fuel dependence, contributing to environmental harm.
Surface water intakes used in desalination can harm marine life, such as fish and larvae.
Desalination is an expensive and inefficient process, making it a costly strategy to bolster regional water supplies.

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Description

Learn about the enticing advertisement by the Allen brothers in 1836, highlighting the benefits of settling in Houston, Texas, including access to pure water along the Buffalo Bayou.