THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1979
Page 7
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Under the earth
Wells have ample water for Bryan-Callege Station
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By DOUGLAS F. GRAHAM
Battalion Staff
Aggies have never been known as
harborers of radical sentiment, but
Texas A&M University does have an
underground water supply.
Like most of Brazos County, the
University uses wells to supply itself
with water.
Wells are an important source of
water in Texas, supplying almost all
the water for places ranging in size
from San Antonio to Snook.
Because wells are so important in
Brazos County, they merit a close
look from the people they supply
with fresh water.
They are drilled to depths ranging
from just 30 or so feet, to more than
several thousand feet deep. The
water is under natural pressure, but
pumps are often used to supply
additional pressure and to draw out
additional water. Wells always tap
into geological formations known as
aquifers, which also bear some ex
amination.
Aquifers, at their simplest, are a
layer of sand, or other porous soil,
sandwiched between two layers of
impervious rock. Water does not
penetrate the bottom layer of rock
and is sponged up to the sand layer.
Since these formations slope down,
water drains deeper and deeper,
causing tremendous back-pressure,
which forces water up through the
wells.
The aquifers are replenished by
water which soaks down through the
soil. When more water is drawn off
than is replaced by nature, the
water table begins to sink.
At first glance, it seems strange
that the Brazos River is ignored and
people drill for water. The decision
is not based on ease of extraction,
however, but on the quality of the
water.
Many people agreed with Dr.
Jack Runkles of the Texas Water Re
sources Institute at Texas A&M
University, who said ground water
is generally organically purer than
surface water — rivers, lakes, and
reservoirs. The earth acts as a filter
for bacteria and other organisms.
it. Irons or other minerals some
times need treatment, too, but it’s
generally better.”
The sodium salts can be harmful,
Runkles said. He cited work done
by another Texas A&M professor,
Harold Wolf, which indicates that
excess sodium may lead to heart
trouble.
Sodium’s effect on agriculture can
also be serious, said Dr. B.L. Har
ris, a soil and water specialist with
the Texas Agricultural Extension
But in addition to organic problems,
the Brazos water has a fairly high
amount of sodium and other salts in
it, he said.
“Ground water is generally better
in quality than surface water ” Runk
les said. “Generally you have to
chlorinate it, sometimes flouridate
Service. Sodium can render soil
saline and unsuitable for crops, he
said.
“Sodium has an effect on soils,
and it is relatively abundant here.
By the latter part of summer,
sodium builds up and cuts irri
gation’s effectiveness. Luckily, rains
fall late in the year and washes the
built-up sodium away.”
Another benefit of ground water
is access. A well can be drilled any
where without the expense of laying
long pipelines.
In addition, wells are not subject
to state control, except in western
parts of the state. All surface water
sources are under control of the
Texas Department of Water Re
sources (TDWR). “Unless you are
out west where they have some
rules such as spacing of wells, you
can sink a well anywhere you want,”
Jerry Boyd, a section chief in the
permits division of the TDWR, said
Such regulation is supposed to
protect aquifers from depletion, but
that is not a problem in the Bryan-
College Station area.
Carl Ryan, founder of a local
father and son water drilling com
pany, said the water level in the
Brazos area is holding steady.
“I checked a pump the other day
in a well I drilled 14 years ago,” he
said. “The water level used to be 59
feet; now it is 60.”
Runkles said there is no short
term basis for worry about the local
water supply.
“When they begin to mine lignite
in the Carrizo-Wilcox outcropping
near FairField,” he said, “we will
have to start watching for contami
nation. He said if there is contami
nation, it will occur gradually.
The Wilcox-Carrizo layer, which
is between 2,700 and 4,000 feet
deep, and the shallower Sparta Sand
Strata, which is 600 feet deep, are
the two aquifer layers tapped by
Bryan-College Station.
Micheal Collins, an assistant at
Bryan’s water pumping station, says
his station pumped over 211 million
gallons of water in January.
“If you think that’s a lot, most big
cities run through that much water
in a day,” he said.
Summer consumption will climb
to more than twice that figure, he
said.
And very little of that water will
be used for drinking, Harris said.
“You use two quarts a day for drink
ing,” he said. “And you use 5 gallons
every time you flush the toilet.”
Yet, even though little water is
used for drinking, it all must be pot
able. A.C. Allen with the Brazos-
Bryan Health Unit is the sanitarian
who enforces water purity in the
area. According to Texas statutes for
the health department for which he
works, 45-50 water samples are
taken at various times each month.
Though Allen said some of the
smaller municipal water supplies
have experienced problems, “we
haven’t had a bad test in years.”
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Program. Modern buildings and labs with over 1500
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Students are requested to apply directly to the
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Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
1
Cancer research funds in Texas
losing ground to disease. House told
United Press International
AUSTIN — An associate adminis
trator of the M.D. Anderson Cancer
and Tumor Institute in Houston
Wednesday said cancer patients are
increasing in Texas while research
kinds are becoming more scarce.
Richard Fayette told a House
Ways and Means subcommittee
Texas population increased 9 per
cent during 1969-76 but cancer pa
tients increased 26 percent during
the same period, making cancer the
No. 2 cause of deaths in the state.
Almost 20,000 Texans die each year
from the disease.
He said in the past five years,
funds for cancer research have in
creased 30 percent at M.D. Ander
son, but the money is not buying as
much research as in the past.
Fayette testified in support of a
bill by Rep. Betty Denton,
D-Waco, which-would dedicate $1
of the tax collected on every 1,000
cigarettes to a Cancer Research
Fund, which would be administered
by M.D. Anderson. The fund would
receive $33 million in 1980 and
would increase to almost $40 million
during 1984. Currently, the state
collects $307 million yearly from the
cigarette tax.
“Our research funds are flattening
out,” Fayette said. “We have more
dollars being allocated, but what
they are buying in research is erod
ing.”
He also said that many potential
Consol chooses three candidates
Ifor superintendent job interviews
avenues of research are being ne
glected because of lack of funds.
Fayette said current funding only al
lows the M.D. Anderson staff to
pursue 30 percent of the possible
avenues of research.
“Prevention is one major avenue
where research has not been
enough,” he said.
Curt Reimann, executive director
of the state chapter of the American
Cancer Society, said the research
fund would encourage more work at
M.D. Anderson, which is now con
sidered the top paneer research cen
ter in the world.
“But we’ve just never have had
enough money for research,” he
said.
50 to 70%
OFF
ALL FALL AND WINTER
FINAL CLEARANCE
696-9626
Vi]
Three candidates for the superin
tendent position of A&M Consoli
dated School District have agreed to
be interviewed, said Board Presi
dent Bruce Robeck at a hoard meet
ing Wednesday.
The candidates will he inter
viewed next week. They are Dr. H.
Richard Burnett, assistant superin
tendent of instruction of A&M Con
solidated; Dr. Bruce R. Anderson,
superintendent of schools at
Richfield, Minn.; and Dr. Bill Ken
nedy, superintendent of schools at
Cedar Hill, Texas.
Interview dates are next Monday,
Tuesday and Thursday. They will he
held in executive session, Robeck
said.
He added that more candidates
may be interviewed later.
Fred Hopson, the present
superintendent of A&M Consoli
dated, resigned last week to take the
superintendent position at Leander
Independent School District. The
resignation becomes effective
March 1.
Burnett will become acting
superintendent on that date.
The hoard also continued its re
view of personnel contracts and ex
tended those of Naomi Shannon, di
rector of elementary curriculum,
and Judy Caskey, director of secon
dary curriculum, “pending reas
signment by the new superinten
dent and approval of the school
board.”
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