4 - OWRS and Benchmarking Programs Overview — original pdf

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Update on Benchmarking and OWRS Programs July 12, 2022 WATER FORWARD CONSERVATION & REUSE IN THE LDC • Austin Water received Council direction in May of 2019 to include Water Forward regulations into the LDC Revision • AW was specifically asked to address code changes for large commercial developments ≥250,000 SF • Multiple public stakeholder meetings were held on these code changes, but the LDC Revision did not move forward LDC Amendments in 2021 WATER BENCHMARKING RECLAIMED WATER ONSITE WATER REUSE Effective Dec. 1, 2021 Effective Dec. 1, 2023 WATER BENCHMARKING REQUIREMENTS  All commercial and multi-family site plan applicants complete an online survey to assess how water will be used within their development projects and identify water reuse/water conservation opportunities before construction begins.  Projects with 250,000 or more square feet of gross floor area are required to meet with Austin Water to discuss water reuse and conservation strategies and requirements. WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATION Water Benchmarking Summary Q3 of FY2022  59 applications  14 > 250,000 SF • Very positive feedback to date on the process • Developers or owners have been coming to the required meeting and asking great questions • Lots of interest in Bucks for Business rebate • Multiple inquiries about making it easier to use rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation Onsite Water Reuse System (OWRS) Program Phase I went into effect December 2020 Phase 2 to take effect December 2023 Voluntary* OWRS Program  New OWRS regulations in Title 15 (Utility Regulations) for the design, permitting and operation and maintenance of multi- family & commercial systems  Encourage voluntary adoption of OWRS in new development to test out the new regulatory framework with pilot incentive *Mandatory for 100 ton+ cooling towers Mandatory OWRS Program  Mandatory installation of OWRS for commercial and multi-family developments >250,000 sq. ft. in Title 25 (Land Development Code)  Rules will be posted on the applicability for the mandate along with provisions for enforcing the mandate Voluntary OWRS Program Summary All of FY2022  4 OWRS applications  1 cooling tower system approval  2 pilot incentive applications  2 incentive applications approved • New regulatory framework needs to be learned by local engineering community • Outreach on incentive program has been successful with projects already planned for • Confusion surrounding rainwater harvesting for stormwater treatment for discharge to environment vs. rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation ACC Highland Campus Tesla Gigafactory Potable Water Savings: 1.8M gallons per year Funding Level: $250,000 Source: Rainwater Use: Spray Irrigation Treatment: TBD Potable Water Savings: 14M gallons per year Funding Level: $500,000 Source: Rainwater Use: Cooling Tower Makeup Treatment: Filtration, UV Reactor Key Takeaways From Public Input On Mandatory Program 1 2 3 4 Concerns about system costs and effects on affordability Would like to see developer incentives to offset costs Want to avoid increasing project review time due to new regulations Need for clarification on mandatory installations OWRS and Housing Affordability in LDC  On or before September 28, 2023, the City Manager shall provide a report and possible actions for council consideration concerning the impact of the requirements for an Onsite Water Reuse System and the expansion of the current Reclaimed Water Connection mandate on housing affordability. What are the costs? Capital Costs (one time) Treatment system Dual distribution plumbing Dual drainage plumbing Capturing water supply costs Plumbing Electrical Flow meters Signage Engineering design (WB calc + owrs app + engineering report) Engineering design (implementation plan) Design fees Architectural design Legal (encroachment agreement) Contingencies Fees AW- SSD Fees WPD (by pass needs, SCM) Fees AW-OWRS Fees AW – SSD Cross connection test vendor Design permitting Fees ORES Installation Operating Permit $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Operational costs (annual) Regular reporting and Monitoring AW – OWRS (Annual permitting fee) Annual cross connection test (AMOC) Fees AW – SSD Treatment System Manager Licensed Operator Repair Chemicals Testing contract Testing Fees Labor Materials Testing Energy bills $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ • Cost data from • Projects throughout U.S. • Applicants applying for PIP • City Permitting costs • Dual plumbing study Developer Incentives or Cost Mitigation  In the current voluntary phase • Pilot incentive program of up to $500,000  In the mandatory phase • Reduced impact fees • Utility bill savings Other Potential Cost Mitigation • Stormwater quality volume credit &/or reduced fees in lieu  Watershed Protection  Texas PACE Authority • Long term financing for projects incorporating water & energy saving measures, where project always has a positive savings to investment ratio  Housing & Planning • Gross floor area calculations, density bonuses Mandatory OWRS Systems ? ? How much? What sources? What demands? ? ? Using Building Typologies to Model Mandatory Systems Mixed Use Multi-family Commercial • Building structure • Building use Variables: • Source • Non-potable demand • Typology Objectives: • Maximize potable demand offset • Minimize costs of systems • Keep it as simple as possible Mandatory OWRS Regulations San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Ordinance 2015 2021 Austin’s Ordinance Will Reflect Local Conditions Required Alternative Water Sources Required Non-potable Uses Commercial Rainwater and A/C Condensate Residential and Mixed Use Rainwater and A/C Condensate or Graywater Toilet and Urinal Flushing Irrigation Cooling Toilet and Urinal Flushing Irrigation Laundry Similar to San Francisco: Graywater not a significant source in commercial developments Unlike San Francisco: Rainwater is a significant source throughout the year Blackwater has significant regulatory barriers to reuse Austin has large developments with multiple buildings Onsite Water Reuse Operator Certificate Certificate program with exam expected to launch early 2023 • Exam will be developed in 2022 with subject matter experts from • Compatible reference/study material is being developed by project the industry consultant • Two levels of certification with no hands-on experience needed Level I: Rainwater and condensate systems Level II: Graywater and blackwater systems Next Steps Internal Work and Program Development • Continue typology assessment • Establish metering and billing for OWRS • Fully integrate into COA permit review • Stormwater quality control overlap/credit for process RWH systems • Affordability Impact Statement/Report Ordinance or Rule Set Development • Draft ordinance or rule set with Law Dept. • Update guidance materials on new requirements • Public outreach on new requirements • Council adoption or approval Permitting and Development Center Demonstration Project Up and Running Lessons Learned So Far The Good  Successfully treating blackwater and meeting TCEQ permitting requirements  Experimenting with dye injection for toilet flushing  Lots of public interest for tours  Remote operations implemented The Bad  Supply chain issues for replacement parts  Couldn’t find contractor willing to perform cross connection test for CLARA  Plumbing for cross-connection test needs improvement  OSCAR design needs improvement