AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE April 8, 2025 --12:00pm Hybrid Regular Called Meeting Waller Creek Center, Room 104 625 East 10th Street Austin, Texas 78701 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live For more information go to: Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. The first 10 speakers to register will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns not on the agenda. To register, contact Emily Rafferty at emily.rafferty@austintexas.gov. The information required is the speaker’s name, item number(s) they wish to speak on if applicable, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). CURRENT TASK FORCE MEMBERS: Voting Members: Bill Moriarty Sarah Faust Hani Michel Perry Lorenz Todd Bartee Robert Mace, Vice Chair Paul DiFiore Madelline Mathis Jennifer Walker, Chair Ex Officio Non-Voting Members: Austin Water: Kevin Critendon Austin Energy: Kathleen Garrett Austin Resource Recovery: Donald Hardee Housing: Chase Bryan Innovation Office: Daniel Culotta Office of Climate Action and Resilience: Zach Baumer Parks and Recreation: Liana Kallivoka Watershed Protection: Ramesh Swaminathan AGENDA CALL TO ORDER – PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Ex Officio Member introductions 1. Approve the meeting minutes from the Regular Called Task Force meeting on February 11, 3. Update on Lower Colorado River and Highland Lakes water supply conditions 4. Water Forward 2024 Water Supply Project Update FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURN The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force Liaison, Emily Rafferty at 512-972-0427, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force, please contact Emily Rafferty at 512-972-0427 or emily.rafferty@austintexas.gov.
Update on Lower Colorado River and Highland Lakes water supply conditions Highland Lakes Inflows Lakes Buchanan & Travis Combined Storage U.S. Drought Monitor NOAA 3-month Outlook: May – July The seasonal outlooks combine long-term trends, soil moisture, and El Nino/Southern Oscillation. NOAA El Niño/Southern Oscillation Forecast A shift from La Niña conditions to ENSO-neutral is favored to develop in the next month and persist through the Northern Hemisphere summer 62% chance of ENSO- neutral in June-August 2025) Lakes Buchanan & Travis Combined Storage Projections Questions?
Water Supply Project Update April 8, 2025 Agenda Overview of Indirect Potable Reuse and Lake Walter E. Long Strategies Overview of Consultant Support Work to date on Indirect Potable Reuse planning Next steps on big picture water supply strategy evaluation and related work Water Forward 2080 Portfolio Utility-Side Water Loss Control • Production meter improvements • Expanded active leak detection programs • Additional analysis of smart meter data Customer Side Water Use Management • Expanded customer incentives for conservation • Use of smart meter data for customer-side leak identification, education, and outreach • Water use budgeting Native & Efficient Landscapes • New landscape ordinances & incentives • • Irrigation efficiency incentives Landscape conversion programs Non-Potable Reuse • Onsite Water Reuse Systems • Decentralized Reclaimed • Centralized Reclaimed Water Supply Storage Aquifer Storage and Recovery Use of Lake Walter E. Long Potable Reuse Indirect Potable Reuse New Water Supplies Brackish Groundwater Desalination Strategies reliant on Colorado River and LCRA supplies 3 Indirect Potable Reuse (Drought Emergency Strategy) Annual Yield Targets (acre feet per year) 2030 *** 2040 *** 2050 22,400 2060 22,400 2070 22,400 2080 22,400 Capital Cost of Infrastructure Capital Cost including Contingencies and Land Acquisition Annual Cost O&M and Debt Service ($ per year) Total Annual Cost ($ per acre foot per year) $114,104,000 $180,486,000 $19,710,000 $880 Five Year Implementation Actions • • • Develop IPR schematic design, design criteria, technical specifications (2024) Begin design-build procurement process and, pending Council approval, issue design-build contract (2025) Preliminary target for substantial completion of IPR project construction (2028) 4 Use of Lake Walter E. Long Annual Yield Targets (acre feet per year) 2030 0 2040 18,300 2050 18,300 2060 18,300 Annual Storage Targets (acre feet) 2030 0 2040 6,100 2050 6,100 2070 18,300 2060 6,100 2080 18,300 2070 6,100 Capital Cost of Infrastructure Capital Cost including Contingencies and Land Acquisition Annual Cost O&M and Debt Service ($ per year) Total Annual Cost ($ per acre foot per year) $331,634,000 $518,117,000 $55,507,000 $3,033 Five Year Implementation Actions • • • Complete feasibility report to evaluate off-channel reservoir configurations and recommend a preferred configuration (2025) Begin water quality sampling of Lake Walter E. Long (2025) Begin preliminary engineering of a conceptual project layout for the preferred strategy configuration, including Colorado River infrastructure, improvements to the intake pipeline, water treatment plant infrastructure, intake infrastructure, and distribution system integration. (2026) 5 IPR …
Water Forward Task Force (WFTF) Water Forward 2024 Implementation Working Group March 11, 2025 Meeting Notes Teams Meeting, 12:00 pm Attendees: Bill Moriarty, WFTF Marisa Flores Gonzalez, Austin Water Paul DiFiore, WFTF Emily Rafferty, Austin Water Hani Michel, WFTF Kevin Kluge, Austin Water Jennifer Walker, WFTF Water Forward 2024 Water Management Strategies Update - Kevin Kluge shared implementation updates on conservation strategies, including the following: o Continuing to expand commercial incentive programs o Brought on 2 interns in February to classify commercial customer accounts Implemented irrigation inspections for residential usage o There was discussion regarding the data inspectors are finding in their inspections. Kevin shared that when irrigation systems do not pass inspection, the reasons are documented. He also shared that when they began inspections, they found a lot of systems that failed inspections, but over time there are more passing systems than failing. Jennifer Walker suggested using the data collected through these inspections to incorporate into Quarterly Reporting to Council, for example, the top 5 weak points identified when systems are failing inspection. o Update on Quarterly Reports timeline and framework - Marisa Flores Gonzalez gave update on the implementation of supply strategies, including the following: o IPR – Austin Water is working with a consultant to evaluate three potential different configurations of IPR. All three configurations could take water from South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and treat the water to reclaimed water quality, including potential additional treatment. The water would be discharged upstream of Longhorn Dam. A new intake downstream of Tom Miller Dam would convey water to Ullrich Water Treatment Plant to treat for potable uses. These options are being compared using cost estimates. Bill Moriarty requested to see a written schedule for this project. Water Forward 2024 Implementation Working Group Meeting March 2025 Water Forward Task Force (WFTF) Water Forward 2024 Implementation Working Group March 11, 2025 Meeting Notes o ASR – Finishing up evaluation of protentional locations for field testing, need to do field testing before piloting. - Paul DiFiore discussed the cost-of-service study and asked why inclining block pricing is only used for residential customers and not commercial customers, and if this is considered best practice among other cities. Paul suggested that Austin Water investigates how this rate structure could be expanded to commercial customers. Water Forward 2024 Implementation Working Group Meeting March 2025
