AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE June 10, 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 1. Approve the meeting minutes from the Regular Called Task Force meeting on April 8, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Update on Lower Colorado River and Highland Lakes water supply conditions 3. Presentation of Q1 Water Management Strategy Implementation Report 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.
Water Management Strategy Implementation REPORT First Quarter 2025, January – March Water Forward Task Force June 10, 2025 Contents 2 First Quarter Summary Notes Regarding Data Water Conservation Updates Water Loss Reduction Updates Reclaimed Water and Onsite Reuse Updates Conservation Outreach Updates Water Use and GPCD Water Supply Project Updates First Quarter Summary The sustainability of Austin’s water supply is critical to the City’s future. This is the first quarterly report on implementation of water management strategies in the 2024 Water Conservation and Water Forward Plans. Austin Water has committed to this regular reporting to provide the latest information for stakeholders to understand our progress. In the first quarter of Calendar Year 2025, Austin Water initiated many bedrock tasks of water management strategies, including this new process of reporting. Notes Regarding Data Quarterly reporting of strategy implementation is a groundbreaking effort undertaken by Austin Water. Several important metrics require both explanation and development. Some metrics will be available in future quarterly reports. Quarterly Data – All quarterly data should be considered preliminary and draft, subject to adjustment and revision at the end of the year and included in the annual report. Historical Data – Where possible, 2024 quarterly metrics are included for reference with the 2025 first quarter metrics. Not all metrics have historical data. Yield of Strategies – Estimated volumetric yields from strategies are included in the Water Conservation Plan (2029 and 2034) and the Water Forward Plan (2030). Austin Water is working to identify the volumetric yields of strategies as they are being implemented and report them in future reporting. 4 Water Conservation Updates New single family residential irrigation inspections started in October 2024 3 Commercial/Institutional water audits conducted with pre-approved Bucks for Business applications Commercial water audit training: 2 staff members were certified and local utilities are working to bring the training to Central Texas WaterWise Landscape and Rainscape applications increased by 900% and 350% respectively between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025 5 Water Conservation Metrics Residential Rebate Programs Approved Rebates 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 6 Drought Survival Tools Irrigation Upgrades Other Residential Programs Rainwater Harvesting Rebates WaterWise Landscape WaterWise Rainscape Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 2024 Q1 2025 Water Conservation Metrics Commercial Rebate Programs Approved Rebates Approved Rebates 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 …
Update on Lower Colorado River and Highland Lakes water supply conditions Average 1942 - Present Average 2008 - 2015 2024 Jan.-May 2025 Highland Lakes Inflows Highland Lakes Inflows t e e F - e r c A 250,000 225,000 200,000 175,000 150,000 125,000 100,000 75,000 50,000 25,000 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Lakes Buchanan & Travis Combined Storage Combined Storage of Lakes Buchanan and Travis January 1, 2005 through June 1, 2025 2.0M ac-ft Full Storage 1.4M ac-ft, DCP Stage 1 0.9M ac-ft, DCP Stage 2 0.75M ac-ft, DCP Stage 3 0.6M ac-ft, DCP Stage 4 t e e f - e r c a , e g a r o t S 2,200,000 2,000,000 1,800,000 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 U.S. Drought Monitor NOAA 3-month Outlook: July – Sep The seasonal outlooks combine long-term trends, soil moisture, and El Nino/Southern Oscillation. NOAA El Niño/Southern Oscillation Forecast ENSO-neutral is favored through the Northern Hemisphere through the Summer of 2025. 74% chance of ENSO- neutral in June-August 2025, chances exceeding 50% through August- October 2025. Lakes Buchanan & Travis Combined Storage Projections Questions?
Water Forward Task Force (WFTF) Water Forward 2024 Implementation Working Group May 13, 2025 Meeting Notes Teams Meeting, 12:00 pm Attendees: Paul DiFiore, WFTF Hani Michel, WFTF Marisa Flores Gonzalez, Austin Water Emily Rafferty, Austin Water Jennifer Walker, WFTF Water Forward 2024 Water Management Strategies Update ASR Update Marisa Flores Gonzalez provided an update on the Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project and recapped related Legislative updates. Marisa went over the original planned timeline for the ASR project. • Phase 1a - Desktop Study to identify most viable location for the project (2021-late 2023) • Phase 1b – Exploratory drilling and field testing. Will involve drilling test wells and conducting water quality testing in a laboratory setting. (Not started) • Phase 2 – Pilot ASR testing. Will involve injecting drinking water into a well to test water quality, operational, and other parameters. (Not started) • Phase 3 – Full scale ASR design and construction. (Not started) Marisa shared that AW completed the preliminary analysis desktop study analysis in late 2023. The team identified a potential location for field testing. Austin Water had begun initial community engagement regarding the proposed ASR project in 2022. Following feedback, outreach was paused in late 2023 to ensure communication proceeded in appropriate stakeholder order. In December of 2024, House Bill 1523 was filed by Representative Stan Gerdes that would prohibit an Austin Water ASR project within the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District jurisdiction. A working group was created by Representative Gerdes that included City of Austin and Bastrop stakeholders, including Bastrop County officials, City of Bastrop officials, utility providers, and the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District. This group began meeting on April 7th to discuss creating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and share technical information related to the desktop study and the City of Austin’s plans for field testing. Marisa shared that there will be another working group meeting on May 19th to continue to discuss the MOU and partnership framework. The priorities of these discussions include safeguarding the aquifer and learning about desired community benefits in Bastrop County. A public hearing was held on April 23, 2025 regarding HB 1523. Austin Water Director, Shay Water Forward 2024 Implementation Working Group Meeting May 2025 Water Forward Task Force (WFTF) Water Forward 2024 Implementation Working Group May 13, 2025 Meeting Notes Ralls Roalson provided testimony. Stakeholders from Bastrop County also provided testimony. Austin Water provided a markup …
