GCWA Year In Review 2022

Gulf Coast Water Authority Year In Review

About GCWA

Gulf Coast Water Authority (GCWA) maintains an extensive system to deliver up to 200 million gallons of water a day from the Brazos River, our primary water source, to wholesale customers across Brazoria, Galveston, and Fort Bend Counties.

Since established as a water utility by the Texas Legislature in 1965, we've continued to grow to meet the ever-changing needs of the communities and businesses we serve.

Learn more about GCWA at: www.gulfcoastwaterauthoritytx.gov

General Manager's Message

Under the strategic leadership of Gulf Coast Water Authority's Board of Directors, 2022 was a year of successes, challenges, and opportunities to further GCWA's mission, to Reliably Deliver Water to Our Customers. The year included a brush with drought, the completion of new facilities, a focus on planning for future water source resilience, and a continued push to update our infrastructure.

Drought is always a significant threat to any water system, and 2022 was a primary example. The summer of 2022 brought a statewide drought, including the Brazos River Basin, the source of our water. Over the past few years, we developed and enhanced operational strategies that ensure the successful management of our source water during the drought. For 2023 and beyond, continued rainfall in the Brazos River Basin and taking the appropriate conservation measures are essential.

As promised in our 2021 Year End Review, we have completed and moved into our new GCWA Headquarters on the Emmett F. Lowry Expressway in Texas City. We also acquired a new Operations Facility on East Highway 6 in Alvin. It has been named in honor of David Sauer, one of our recently retired, long-term ed operations for the GCWA for over 40 years. These and other facility improvements pace for the GCWA Team to continue to achieve success. y beyond the Brazos River is essential for future water sources and drought on of the Board of Directors, we started an aggressive plan for other water sources, unities for desalination. These plans include ensuring that our existing infrastructure 2023, we are building on a firm foundation to continue to Reliably Deliver Water to

Brandon Wade, PE General Manager and CEO

Mission and Vision

MISSION

GCWA Board of Directors

At-Large

Brad Matlock, PE

Bennie Jones Jr.

President Galveston County

Treasurer Brazoria County Industrial

Cliff Mock Vice President Brazoria County Agricultural

Jimmy Laurito Director Galveston County Industrial

Jody Hooks Director Galveston County Municipal

GCWA is governed by a 10-member Board of Directors appointed by the Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Galveston County Commissioners’ Courts to represent industrial, municipal, and agricultural interests in our service area.

Kevin D. Moore Secretary Galveston County Industrial

Trisha Frederick, PE Assistant Secretary Fort Bend County At-Large

Allen Bogard Director Fort Bend County Municipal Duane Cole Director Galveston County At-Large

John McDonald Director Municipal Brazoria County

Municipal

Bacliff MUD

Bayview MUD

City of Galveston

City of Hitchcock

City of La Marque

City of League City

City of Texas City

GC FWSD #6 (Tiki Island)

GC MUD #12 (Bayou Vista)

GC WCID #1 (Dickinson)

GC WCID #12 (Kemah)

GC WCID #8 (Santa Fe)

San Leon MUD

City of Missouri City

City of Pearland

City of Sugar Land

Fort Bend County WCID #2

Pecan Grove MUD

GCWA Overview

Gulf Coast Water Authority provides water for industry, agriculture, and municipalities in Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Galveston County. The system includes three main subsystems; canal, industrial, and water treatment.

The beginnings of the Gulf Coast Water Authority can be traced back to 1908 with the creation of the Cane and Rice Belt Irrigation Company and the construction of a pump station in Fort Bend County. In the early 1930s, additional pump stations and relift stations on the system were added as well as extensions to the canal system, eventually running through Brazoria County and reaching into Galveston County. In 1940, the Briscoe Irrigation System consisting of an additional pump station on the Brazos, and more canals were established. The Brazos River Authority purchased the two original systems in 1966 and 1967. In 1988, GCWA purchased the Canal Division from the Brazos River Authority. This allowed the GCWA to provide water supply for industry, irrigation, and municipal use in the three-county areas of Brazoria, southern Fort Bend, and Galveston. In 2006, GCWA purchased the Chocolate Bayou Water Company, aka Juliff Canal System, which included another pump station, referred to as the May Pump Station, on the Brazos River, and pump stations on Chocolate and Mustang Bayous in Brazoria County.

Our History

In January of 2022, GCWA distributed our newly published book Gulf Coast Water Authority: A History of Reliable Water Delivery. The books were distributed to customers, local leaders, legislative representatives and many others. The content provides valuable information related to our history, obstacles that we have overcome, and our humble beginnings in agriculture. These seeds have grown into the dynamic organization we have become that now provides water to agricultural, industrial, and municipal customers. If you would like to receive a copy of our history book, please email swiora@gcwatx.gov.

Infrastructure Improvements

The Chocolate Bayou Pumping Plant is located in Brazoria County, south of Alvin, and it provides water to agricultural and industrial customers in southern Brazoria County. It was renovated and fully commissioned in January.

The Chocolate Bayou Pumping Plant

Operational Improvements

In 2022, we improved existing infrastructure, procured new facilities, and completed 63 Capital Improvement Projects (CIP).

The projects totaled $28.8M and will assist us in achieving our mission of reliably delivering water to our customers.

Sauer Operations Center

The David A. Sauer

Center was procured in January. The facility is on roughly 30 acres of property and has approximately 15,000 square feet (SF) of office space, and 39,350 SF of warehouse space.

Operations

Administration Building

The Administration building was completed in November. The 20,000-square-foot facility provides ample office and meeting spaces for our GCWA team, board members, and guests.

R li bl D li

2022 was the 8th driest year in the past 128 years. Drought continues to be a significant threat, and the GCWA team is preparing for it. Lessons learned during drought conditions assist us in creating operational strategies for water resource planning. These strategies provide the framework for our team to reliably deliver water to our customers. Securing proper water flows in the Brazos River is immense as it requires coordination among many entities. The GCWA team continues to do an excellent job ensuring the successful management of water in the river.

Planning

To meet the future growth demands in our 3-county service area, we are developing water resource and infrastructure plans in coordination with our customers' needs. Prioritizing major capital projects to replace aging infrastructure and seeking ways to diversify our water resources beyond the Brazos River Basin in accordance with our strategic plan are our primary goals.

The Shannon Pumping Plant was damaged during Hurricane Harvey, and GWCA received a $40 million FEMA grant to replace the intake structure this year. Construction should begin in 2024 and upon completion, the Shannon Pumping Plant will be a state-of-the-art facility.

Community Outreach

Community outreach is a priority for the GCWA team. In 2022, GCWA managed programs and formed partnerships to engage and educate people in the community.

Bay Day Foundation educational opportunity

Tours were given to Texas A&M Galveston (TAMUG) and the Texas Rural Water Assocation (TRWA)

Safety Culture

Safety is a core value of the GCWA culture. The decline in the COVID-19 pandemic allowed us to re-establish hands-on and inperson training, and Employee Safety Advisory Committee meetings. The following items were created or modified to increase safety awareness with the collaboration of all departments.

Employee Safety Advisory Committee

Use of Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and American Water Works Association (AWWA) safety standards for the type of work being performed at various locations

Vehicle dash cameras and vehicle locators installed in all GCWA vehicles

Automated External Defibrillators (AED), hearing protection, and air quality monitors installed throughout facilities

Employee Excellence

In May 2022, many of our team members participated in the Heavy Equipment Operator Challenge at the APWA "Roadeo." Four people from the GCWA Team earned awards, and three will attend the state finals in February 2023.

1st place: Moe Villanueva (far right)

2nd place: Cory Clark (second from the right)

3rd place: Marshall Stallings (2nd from the left)

9th place: Jacob Sawyer (far left)

Jon Palomeque (above), hand drew the painting and entered it into a contest at the American Public Works Association (APWA) Texas Chapter Southeast section picnic and BBQ Cook-Off and Equipment "Roadeo" in May.

Our Team

The hard work and dedication of the entire GCWA Team allows us to reliably deliver water to our customers. Our employees provide a diverse skill set and collaborative mindset that assures we meet our mission.