A Texas Story

A large water utility in Texas identified the need for up to 20% more water in the next 30 years due to growth. The system already had begun diversification of its supply to include more than a single aquifer as its source. However, in a unique process, the system issued a request for proposals for what was, in effect, an operations agreement. The request asked teams to identify a way to provide the system with 50,000 ac-ft of water a year, design it, finance it, install it, and operate it for 30 years through an agreement that would pay the successful proposer an annual, set fee.Through a competitive process, the utility chose a team of local, national, and international companies and agencies to deliver the project. ...But when the project financier went belly up, the level of detail in the agreement provided solutions and paths for the utility and remaining team members to keep the project on track.