Backup — original pdf

Backup

Water Forward 2024 Community Engagement Update Emily Rafferty 1/9/2024 Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 Community Engagement Schedule  Goal: To educate the community and get feedback on WF18 plan and WMS to inform WF24 plan update Timeframe Description September Began refining Equity and Affordability Roadmap history section to post on SpeakUp! Austin page October 3 2 0 2 Eblast to organizations working with marginalized communities to set up 1:1s regarding WF24 Eblast to Austin and Hill Country area environmental organizations about Colorado River Land Analysis project Launch survey to get community feedback regarding WMS for WF24 update November Began holding 1:1 meetings with organizations January Hold in person and virtual workshops with broader community 4 2 0 2 February Continue to hold 1:1 meetings with organizations March Review feedback from survey and meetings with organizations Community Organizations Austin Area Urban League Austin Community Foundation African American Youth Harvest Foundation Austin Justice Coalition Austin Latino Coalition Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Casa Marianella Central Health Community Powered Workshop Diversity, Awareness, Wellness, Action (DAWA) Go Austin Vamos Austin (GAVA) Green is the New Black El Buen Samaritano Equidad ATX Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Hispanic Advocates Business Leaders Austin (HABLA) Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas Huston-Tillotson University Las Comadres Lifeworks Austin NAACP UpTogether National Council for Negro Women St. David’s Foundation Young Hispanic Association Austin Community Organizations Purpose • To get community feedback regarding Water Management Strategies for WF24 update and Equity and Affordability Road Map approach • Organizations that work with marginalized Audience communities Responses • Positive, glad we are thinking about these issues and planning for solutions • Try to engage people in everyday places (grocery store, library, etc.) • More education campaigns • To get community feedback regarding Water Management Strategies for WF24 update Survey Purpose Audiences • Austin Energy sent to geographically statistically valid population in November, kept open for three weeks • Austin Water then added survey to SpeakUp! Austin page for another three weeks Responses • 101 responses from AE survey • 473 responses from SpeakUp! Austin page Survey Question 1 – Supply Strategies The following is a list of water supply strategies. Please rank these strategies in order of priority for implementation. 1 = Top priority 9 = Lowest priority ______Aquifer Storage and Recovery – storing potable drinking water underground in an aquifer during wet times for use in drought or emergencies ______ Reclaimed Water – increasing use of treated wastewater for non-potable uses such as irrigation and toilet flushing ______ Direct Potable Reuse – using a pipe to transport reclaimed water directly from a wastewater plant to a water plant to be treated to drinking water standards ______ Indirect Potable Reuse – during an emergency, transporting reclaimed water from a wastewater plant to add to lake storage so that lake water can be withdrawn and treated to drinking water standards ______ Additional Highland Lakes Supply – contracting for additional supplies from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) ______ New Off-Channel Reservoir – constructing a reservoir off of the of the Colorado River and storing water for use ______ Inter-basin Transfer - importing surface water supplies from another river basin using a pipeline ______ Brackish Groundwater Desalination – treating salty groundwater to potable drinking water standards ______ Seawater Desalination – treating water from the Gulf of Mexico to potable drinking water standards and transporting that water to the City of Austin Austin Energy Results SpeakUp! Austin Results Survey Question 2 – Demand Strategies The following is a list of demand management strategies. Please rank these strategies in order of priority for implementation. (For reference, descriptions start on page 12: Water Forward Integrated Water Resource Plan) 1 = Top priority 7 = Lowest priority ______ My ATX Water – using a customer portal to provide water usage data, leak alerts, emergency alerts, and water conservation tips ______ Fixing water pipe leaks and other system losses - reducing water lost from water system pipes and facilities ______ Ordinances to Reduce Outdoor Water Use – requiring drought tolerant and water efficient landscapes and increased irrigation system efficiency ______ Rebates to Reduce Outdoor Water Use - encouraging drought tolerant and water efficient landscapes and increased irrigation system efficiency by offsetting costs ______ Ordinances for Onsite Water Reuse – requiring use of water generated on a site like air conditioning condensate, rainwater, or graywater to meet non-potable demands such as irrigation and toilet flushing ______ Rebates for Onsite Water Reuse – encouraging use of water generated on a site like air conditioning condensate, rainwater, or graywater to meet non-potable demands by offsetting costs ______ Water Use Budgeting – requiring that a building use an amount of water that is equal to or lower than similar building types Austin Energy Results SpeakUp! Austin Results Survey Question 3 – Direct Potable Reuse The 2018 Water Forward Plan does not include a Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) strategy. Direct Potable Reuse is the use of highly treated wastewater effluent as a water supply source for our drinking water treatment plants. Direct Potable Reuse should be considered in the 2024 update and evaluated based on feasibility, cost, and other criteria. Survey Question 4 – Open Ended Do you have any other comments, recommendations for new strategies, or modifications to current long- term strategies that you'd like to see considered in the 2024 Water Forward Plan update? Key Take Aways  Support for considering DPR  Support for focusing on demand strategies first, then supply  Support for more restrictions and enforcement for outdoor water usage  Concerns and potential misunderstandings about ASR implementation  Concerns about growth in Austin Responses from AE survey were very similar to SpeakUp! Austin responses Strategies were ranked similarly to how AW is prioritizing them The majority of people think that DPR should be considered in 2024 update Survey: Key Take Aways Colorado River Land Analysis This project supports Water Forward’s guiding principle of protecting the health of the Colorado River through conservation of land in the Highland Lakes Watershed. Began outreach in October 2023 We reached out to: • Austin area environmental organizations • Hill Country area environmental organizations The purpose of outreach: • Create ongoing partnerships with organizations that can inform our final plan report Colorado River Land Analysis Outreach Austin Area Environmental Organizations Hill Country Environmental Organizations Austin Parks Foundation Austin Sierra Club Campus Environmental Center Clean Water Action Colorado River Conservancy Earth Day Austin EcoRise Environment Texas Environmental Defense Fund Friends of Barton Springs Pool Green is the New Black Interfaith Environmental Network Lone Star Sierra Club PODER Save Barton Creek Association Save our Springs Alliance Texas Water Foundation Colorado River Land Trust Hill Country Alliance Hill Country Conservancy Llano River Watershed Alliance National Wildlife Federation Natural Resources Conservation Service Nature Conservancy Preserve our Hill Country Environment Texas Agricultural Land Trust Texas Hill Country Conservation Network Texas Land Conservancy The Watershed Association Texas Collaborative Conservation Network Texas Land Trust Council Texas Partnership for Forests and Water Feedback about CRLA 1:1 Meeting Positive Excited we are moving forward with this project and are looking forward to being involved Questions?