Columbia utility planning project to increase its water supply from Duck River – WSMV

Report on the Proposed Duck River Water Intake Project

Executive Summary

Columbia Power and Water Systems (CPWS) has proposed a $520 million infrastructure project to enhance water security for its customers by relocating and expanding its water intake facility on the Duck River. This initiative aims to address immediate water supply challenges driven by population growth, directly engaging with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The project is proceeding amidst a broader, state-level effort by the Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership to establish long-term solutions for the river’s sustainability.

Project Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The project’s primary objective is to ensure a reliable supply of clean water, a cornerstone of SDG 6. It seeks to achieve this through strategic infrastructure upgrades.

• Increased Water Availability (Target 6.1): The plan involves increasing the daily water intake capacity from 20 million to 32 million gallons to meet the needs of current customers and accommodate regional growth.
• Integrated Water Resources Management (Target 6.5): The proposed intake location is downstream, a strategic choice to capitalize on inflows from multiple tributaries and clean water discharge from treatment facilities. This approach reflects an integrated management strategy to maximize available water resources.
• Addressing Water Scarcity (Target 6.4): By securing a more resilient water source, the project serves as a near-term measure to mitigate the risks of water scarcity for a population of over 250,000 people who depend on the river.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The CPWS initiative is a direct response to the need for resilient infrastructure to support growing communities, a key component of SDG 11.

• Resilient Infrastructure: The project, which includes a new water treatment facility, is designed to fortify the region’s water supply system against the pressures of population growth and potential drought conditions.
• Financial Sustainability and Affordability: The project’s financial model aims for sustainability while attempting to minimize the burden on consumers, which is crucial for ensuring equitable access to basic services.

1. Primary Funding: Approximately 80% of the $520 million cost is secured through state and federal loans.
2. Secondary Funding: The remaining 20% may be covered by phased rate increases, subject to approval by local governments, with a stated commitment to keeping increases minimal and gradual.

SDG 15 & SDG 17: Life on Land and Partnerships for the Goals

The project exists within a complex framework of environmental stewardship and multi-stakeholder collaboration, reflecting the principles of SDG 15 and SDG 17.

• Partnerships for Sustainable Solutions (SDG 17): The Governor-appointed Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership exemplifies a collaborative approach to resource management. This body is tasked with developing long-term, holistic solutions for the entire watershed, including options like constructing a pipeline from the Tennessee River or raising the Normandy Dam.
• Environmental and Equity Concerns (SDG 15): Conservation stakeholders, including the Duck River Conservancy, have raised significant concerns about the project’s impact on the fragile river ecosystem. The debate highlights the tension between meeting human water needs and protecting biodiversity. Concerns also focus on the equitable distribution of water resources among the seven counties that rely on the river, questioning whether a single utility’s expansion serves the collective good of the watershed.

Conclusion and Path Forward

The CPWS project represents a significant, near-term effort to ensure water security in alignment with SDG 6 and SDG 11. It is designed to provide an immediate solution while the Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership completes its comprehensive recommendations for the long-term, sustainable management of the river. The final outcome will depend on balancing the immediate needs for water infrastructure with the broader goals of environmental protection and equitable resource allocation for the entire region.

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• The entire article revolves around ensuring a stable and sufficient supply of drinking water for a growing population. It discusses water infrastructure, water scarcity (“the river will run dry”), and the management of water resources from the Duck River, which supplies water to over 250,000 people.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• The article details a major infrastructure project: a “$520 million project” by Columbia Power and Water Systems (CPWS) to build a new water intake and a new water treatment facility. This is a direct investment in resilient infrastructure to support community needs.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The project is a response to population growth and the need to provide essential services, like water, to a growing community. The article mentions the need to “prepare for reasonable levels of growth over the next couple of decades” and prevent a water crisis, which is crucial for making the community resilient and sustainable.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Concerns are raised about the ecological health of the Duck River, a freshwater ecosystem. The Duck River Conservancy’s president describes the river as “fragile” and worries about the impact of CPWS “taking an additional 12 million gallons of water per day,” highlighting the tension between human water needs and ecosystem preservation.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article highlights the formation of the “Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership,” a multi-stakeholder group created by the governor. This partnership includes government officials, utility companies (CPWS), and civil society organizations (“President of the Duck River Conservancy and member of the Planning Partnership”) working together to find long-term solutions.

2. Specific Targets Identified

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

1. Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
   • The project’s primary goal is to ensure a continuous supply of drinking water for the “growing number of customers” among the 250,000 people who rely on the river. The discussion about potential “rate increases on customers” to cover 20% of the project cost directly relates to the affordability of this water.
2. Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
   • The core issue is managing water withdrawals to prevent scarcity. The plan to “increase their intake from 20 million to 32 million gallons of water per day” is a direct response to demand, while the concerns that the “river will run dry” highlight the challenge of ensuring these withdrawals are sustainable.
3. Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.
   • The “Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership” is a clear example of an initiative for integrated water resources management, bringing together different stakeholders from multiple counties (“We got all these counties, seven counties, and they all deserve fairness”) to create a long-term plan for the entire watershed.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

1. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.
   • The “$520 million project” to build a new water intake and treatment facility is a direct effort to develop resilient water infrastructure. The CPWS President states the new location “puts us in a more resilient area of the Duck River,” aiming to create a reliable water supply for the community.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
   • The article explicitly mentions “drought concerns” and the worry that the “river will run dry.” The entire planning effort is aimed at preventing a water scarcity crisis, which is a type of water-related disaster that would affect the 250,000 people dependent on the river.

SDG 15: Life on Land

1. Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
   • The concern raised by the Duck River Conservancy about the river being “fragile” directly addresses the need for sustainable use of this inland freshwater ecosystem. The debate over increasing water withdrawal is central to balancing human needs with the conservation of the river.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
   • The “Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership” is a textbook example of this target in action. It is a public partnership (created by the governor) that includes public utilities (CPWS) and civil society (Duck River Conservancy) to address a shared challenge.

3. Relevant Indicators

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

1. Indicator for Target 6.1 (Implied): Population using safely managed drinking water services.
   • The article states that “More than 250,000 people rely on the Duck River to supply their drinking water,” and the project aims to continue serving a “growing number of customers.” This number serves as a baseline for measuring access.
2. Indicator for Target 6.4 (Explicit): Change in water-use efficiency over time.
   • The planned increase in water intake “from 20 million to 32 million gallons of water per day” is a direct, quantifiable measure of water withdrawal. This data can be used to assess the level of water stress on the Duck River.
3. Indicator for Target 6.5 (Implied): Degree of integrated water resources management implementation.
   • The existence and functioning of the “Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership” and its forthcoming recommendations serve as an indicator of progress towards integrated management.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

1. Indicator for Target 9.1 (Explicit): Total official international support (official development assistance plus other official flows) to infrastructure.
   • The article explicitly mentions the project’s funding: a “$520 million cost,” with 80% covered by “state and federal loans.” This financial investment is a direct indicator of infrastructure development.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Indicator for Target 11.5 (Implied): Number of people affected by disasters per 100,000 population.
   • The project’s success can be measured by its ability to prevent a water crisis for the “250,000 people” and a “growing number of customers” who would be affected by a severe drought or the river running dry.

SDG 15: Life on Land

1. Indicator for Target 15.1 (Implied): Extent of water-related ecosystems.
   • While not a quantitative metric in the article, the description of the river as “fragile” and concerns about the impact of increased water withdrawal imply the need to monitor the river’s health and flow rates as an indicator of the ecosystem’s status.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Indicator for Target 17.17 (Explicit): Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.
   • The article explicitly names the “Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership” as a multi-stakeholder body, indicating the existence of such a partnership to address the water crisis.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wsmv.com