Water Conservation Plan and Utility Profile CITY OF AUSTIN WATER CONSERVATION PLAN Developed to Meet Requirements Outlined in 30 TAC §288.2 and §288.5 DRAFT - November 7, 2024 - DRAFT Page 1 of 58 Water Conservation Plan and Utility Profile Page 2 of 58 Water Conservation Plan and Utility Profile Message from the Director Thank you for your interest in Austin’s most precious natural resource: water. The city was founded in the mid-1800s on the banks of the Colorado River to take advantage of that abundant water resource. Our water supply is just as critical today, but now we face unprecedented challenges: record high temperatures, record low flows into the Highland Lakes, water quality concerns, and continued rapid population growth. Together, we can meet these challenges. The City of Austin’s 100-year Water Forward Integrated Water Resources Plan is focused on water conservation and water use efficiency, as well as strategies to strengthen the diversity of Austin’s water supply. Austin has come a long way over the last decade – in 2023, we used essentially the same amount of water as we did in 2011, despite having 140,000 more residents. But the impacts from climate change require us to become even more water-wise and water-efficient. The update of this Water Conservation Plan is required by the State of Texas every five years to provide short-term strategies to address changing conditions. Even more importantly, the update is a necessary part of the city’s future sustainability. This document describes Austin Water’s conservation initiatives, programs, and projects to help residents and businesses increase their water use efficiency. In addition, it describes how Austin Water is maximizing our water supply from the Highland Lakes through conservation and water reuse. Learn more about what you can do to conserve our most precious resource at AustinWater.org. Shay Ralls Roalson, P.E. Austin Water Director Page 3 of 58 Water Conservation Plan and Utility Profile Table of Contents Message from the Director ...................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 5 Conservation Program History ................................................................................................ 7 Public Education and Information ........................................................................................... 9 Residential Customer Programs ........................................................................................... 11 Regulatory Programs ............................................................................................................. 18 Metering and Water Loss ....................................................................................................... 21 Water Reuse............................................................................................................................ 24 Water Rates ............................................................................................................................ 27 Goals for Water Use and Water Loss .................................................................................... 29 Future Water Use and Loss Activities ............................................................................... 31 Utility Profile ........................................................................................................................... 38 System Data ............................................................................................................................ 43 Appendix A. Water Conservation Plan Requirement Checklist .......................................... 50 Appendix B. Drought Contingency …
Water Forward 2024 Plan Report DRAFT – September 3, 2024 Report Cover Page This page intentionally left blank. i | WATER FORWARD 2024 - DRAFT Director’s Message Austin Water is doing important work to make sure Austin has a strong and reliable water supply, even as our city faces the challenges of growth, drought, and a changing climate. Over the past few years, Austin Water has put in place smart strategies that have already made a big difference. We've focused on conservation, encouraging our customers to use water wisely through recent hot and dry years. We've also launched GoPurple, a program that includes requirements and incentives for new and existing developments to reuse water onsite. We are pursuing water storage strategies to stretch our existing supplies. And working closely with our regional partners, we've strengthened Austin's ability to bridge droughts and provide a sustainable water supply to meet all our community’s water needs. Our work doesn't stop here. Climate science tells us that we must do even more to protect our future. The challenges we face are real, and we need to stay ahead of them. That's why we're committed to learning from our past efforts and adjusting as we go. We've been using an adaptive management approach, which means we closely monitor how our plans are working and make changes as needed. This is a key part of Water Forward 2024, which provides a roadmap for Austin's water future. We've been working hand in hand with the Water Forward Task Force, a group of dedicated community members who help inform our efforts. Together, we've updated the plan, adjusted our strategies, and responded to the needs we've identified along the way. This collaborative approach means we're not only thinking about today's needs but also preparing for tomorrow's challenges. At Austin Water, work is already underway to carry out this updated plan. We're focused on staying transparent and accountable to you, our community, as we move forward. We know that water is essential to our quality of life, and we're determined to protect this precious resource. As we look to the future, we at Austin Water hold a hopeful vision. Austin is a leader in water conservation and sustainability and we see a future where our city continues to thrive, and where every resident has access to clean and reliable water, no matter what challenges come our way. Together, we can …
Draft Revised Water Conservation Plan & Drought Contingency Plan Kevin Kluge, Water Conservation Manager September 10, 2024 The Basics Water Conservation Plan (WCP) Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) Plan for all weather conditions Focuses on drought conditions Describes • Utility and water use information • Conservation (rebates, education, enforcement) • Water loss reduction • Reuse activities Describes • Drought Stages • Drought Triggers (demand and supply) • Drought Actions & Restrictions Must be consistent with the LCRA DCP Includes water consumption and water loss Requires Chapter 6-4 changes goals 2 Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) – Fall 2024 Changes Clarification of Stage 4 Drought Functional and Nonfunctional Turf Regulating the use of drip irrigation 3 Regulating the use of drip irrigation Why regulate drip? • No current restrictions • LCRA restricts drip in Stage 4; recommends in other stages • Saves water from overrun and poorly maintained drip systems with limited visibility • Proactively lessens incentive to side-step any watering restrictions Proposed: restrict drip like automatic irrigation, 1 day per week, all stages Stakeholder discussions ongoing • Large property variance • Tree establishment & maintenance 4 Water Conservation Plan (WCP) – Fall 2024 Changes Additional information regarding GoPurple and water loss Discuss historical goals Water-saving activities with yields and milestones (in progress) Revised 2029 and 2034 goals Enhanced reporting activities 5 Discuss historical goals 2019 WCP Goals Factors contributing to not meeting goals: • Under-projected demands • Pandemic impacts • Extreme weather • Over-projected strategy savings 6 Activities with yields and milestones (in progress) Water loss reduction Landscape transformation Commercial incentives Reclaimed and reuse My ATX Water Water use benchmarking and budgeting Public outreach and marketing 7 Water loss reduction Continue existing water loss mitigation activities, such as leak detection, water line repair and replacement, and meter testing, as well as additional activities: • Production meter precision • improvement Increased meter testing for large customers • Enhanced leak detection activities • Implementation of District Meter Areas (DMAs) • Cross-functional utility team to implement recommendation from contracted report 8 Implementation Activity Milestone Continue improving water audit data and processes Launch a cross-functional AW Water Loss Team to implement the recommendations of the water loss report Begin initiative to improve production meter precision Pilot two District Metered Areas …
Presentation of Draft Water Forward 2024 Plan Report September 10, 2024 2 Agenda Orientation to Plan Report • Report Layout • Water Forward Strategies • Implementation Plan Next Steps Questions and Discussion Draft Water Forward 2024 Plan Report 3 Table of Contents • Executive Summary • Introduction • Collaborative Plan Update • Current Water Resources • Planning for Uncertainty • Future Water Strategies • Plan Implementation Appendices Ch. 5 - Future Water Strategies 4 Each strategy includes: • Description • Annual yield targets per decade • Total capital cost and annual cost include O&M and debt service • Five-year implementation actions 5 Total Annual Community Cost ($ per acre foot per year)* Summary of Water Forward 2024 Strategies Water Forward Strategies Water Conservation Strategies Utility-Side Water Loss Control Customer-Side Water Use Management Native & Efficient Landscaping Water Conservation Strategies Sub-Total Non-Potable Water Reuse Strategies Centralized Reclaimed Decentralized Reclaimed Onsite Reuse Non-Potable Reuse Strategies Sub-Total Potable Water Supply Strategies Aquifer Storage and Recovery Lake Walter E. Long (Decker) Off Channel Reservoir Indirect Potable Reuse Brackish Groundwater Desalination Water Supply Strategies Sub-Total Current Supplies Colorado River and Highland Lakes Supply Centralized and Decentralized Reclaimed Water System * Community cost = Utility cost + Customer cost ** May be implemented earlier in severe drought conditions Average/ Drought Both Both Both - Both Both Both - Both Both Drought Both - Both Both Estimated Yield (Acre Feet per Year) 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2,800 200 600 3,600 1,100 0 1,100 2,200 0 0 ** 0 0 7,500 2,100 1,800 11,400 8,200 200 4,000 12,400 44,500 18,300 ** 0 62,800 86,600 9,400 3,800 2,900 16,100 12,900 500 5,700 19,100 44,500 18,300 22,400 0 85,200 11,300 5,500 3,900 20,700 17,600 800 7,300 25,700 44,500 18,300 22,400 0 85,200 325,000 5,000 13,200 7,200 5,000 25,400 22,300 1,100 9,000 32,400 44,500 18,300 22,400 20,000 105,200 163,000 15,000 8,800 6,100 29,900 26,900 1,300 10,600 38,800 44,500 18,300 22,400 40,000 125,200 193,900 $267 $52 $5,112 $2,243 $5,158 $8,957 $2,003 $3,033 $880 $2,688 Water Forward Strategies Overall Total 5,800 120,400 131,600 Water Forward: 2018 compared to 2024 6 Estimated Yield (Acre Feet per Year) Water Forward 2018 2070 2040 10,900 9,300 18,500 10,900 8,500 3,600 37,900 23,800 Water Forward 2024 2040 2070 13,200 7,500 7,200 2,100 5,000 1,800 25,400 11,400 12,000 3,200 7,600 22,800 Water Conservation Strategies Utility-Side Water Loss Control Customer-Side Water …
AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, September 10, 2024 The Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force convened in a Regular Called Meeting on September 10, 2024, with Social Distancing Modifications. Chair WALKER called the meeting to order at 12:01 pm. Members in Attendance: Jennifer Walker, Chair Sarah Faust Madelline Mathis Ex-Officio Members in Attendance: Chase Bryan Kevin Critendon Members in Attendance Remotely: Bill Moriarty Paul DiFiore Todd Bartee Perry Lorenz Hani Michel Austin Water Staff: Shay Ralls Roalson Teresa Lutes Kevin Kluge Marisa Flores Gonzalez Emily Rafferty Fatima Wahid Young-Hoon Jin Joseph Gonzales Sherri Kuhl Daria Deeds Richard Hoffpauir Others in Attendance: Qiwen Zhang, Plummer 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 contact 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. Page 1 of 2 Tanzia Karim, Save Our Springs Alliance Bill Bunch, Save Our Springs Alliance Roy Waley, Sierra Club Bobby Levinski, Save Our Springs Alliance PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 1. Bill Bunch gave a public comment in-person. 2. Tanzia Karim gave a public comment in-person. 3. Roy Waley gave a public comment in-person. 4. Bobby Levinski gave a public comment remotely. APPROVAL OF MINUTES meeting. 1. Approval of the meeting minutes from the special called August 29, 2024, Task Force The minutes from the August 13th, meeting were approved on Member MATHIS’ motion and Member FAUST’s second on an 7-0 vote. Todd Bartee abstained. STAFF BRIEFINGS, PRESENTATIONS, AND/OR REPORTS 2. Presentation of Draft Revised Water Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan 3. Presentation of Draft Water Forward 2024 Plan Report VOTING ITEMS None Chair WALKER adjourned the meeting at 2:03pm. The minutes were approved at the September 19th, 2024, meeting on Madelline Mathis’ motion, Hani Michel’s second on an 7-0 vote with one vacancy. Task Force Members Vanessa Puig- Williams, Todd Bartee, and Robert Mace absent. 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 …
AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE August 29, 2024 --12:00pm Hybrid Special 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 Madelline Mathis Todd Bartee Robert Mace, Vice Chair Paul DiFiore Vanessa Puig-Williams Jennifer Walker, Chair Ex Officio Non-Voting Members: Austin Water: Kevin Critendon Austin Energy: Kathleen Garrett Austin Resource Recovery: Donald Hardee Housing: Chase Bryan Office of Innovation: Daniel Culotta Office of Sustainability: Zach Baumer Parks and Recreation: Liana Kallivoka Watershed Protection: Ramesh Swaminathan AGENDA CALL TO ORDER – PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Review and approve the meeting minutes from the Regular Task Force meeting on August 13, 2024. DISCUSSION ITEMS Revisions FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 2. Discussion of Water Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan – Water Forward 3. Discussion of Water Forward 2024 Preliminary Portfolio Evaluation Results 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 Forward Task Force (WFTF) Water Forward 2024 Working Group August 1, 2024 Meeting Notes Teams Meeting, 1:00 pm Attendees: Madelline Mathis, WFTF Marisa Flores Gonzalez, Austin Water Vanessa Puig-Williams, WFTF Emily Rafferty, Austin Water Jennifer Walker, WFTF Kevin Critendon, Austin Water Teresa Lutes, Austin Water Recap 50-year portfolio strategies: Austin Water staff recapped what was presented at the previous WFTF meeting on July 15th regarding 50-year portfolio strategies. Discussion included the following: - Strategies included within the 10 portfolios o Discussing the difference between centralized and decentralized reclaimed strategies o The strategies included in water conservation, for example Customer- Side Water Use Management and Native and Efficient Landscaping - Equity and Affordability Road Map and how it will be incorporated in the selection of the preferred portfolio - The weights included in the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making framework and the distribution of weightings in the 2024 plan compared to the 2018 plan - Updated Water Forward 2024 guiding principles and objectives and their origin - Brackish Groundwater Desalination as a strategy and its reliability Water Forward 2024 Working Group Meeting August 2024
Water Forward Task Force (WFTF) Water Forward 2024 Working Group August 14, 2024 Meeting Notes Teams Meeting, 10:00 am Attendees: Madelline Mathis, WFTF Marisa Flores-Gonzalez, Austin Water Robert Mace, WFTF Kevin Critendon, Austin Water Vanessa Puig-Williams, WFTF Teresa Lutes, Austin Water Emily Rafferty, Austin Water Kevin Kluge, Austin Water Discuss 8/13 WFTF meeting content: The group further discussed the content shared at the recent 8/13 full Water Forward Task Force meeting. The topics included Water Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan updates and revisions, and Water Forward 2024 preliminary portfolio evaluation results. Discussion included the following: - Education and outreach as best management strategies because calculating an accurate yield from those activities is not possible - Brackish ground water desalination in the preferred portfolio o The cost of filtration o The assumptions of how the brine would be handled - Pool permitting, drip irrigation, and outdoor water restrictions o Further restricting the amount of hours customers can irrigate outdoors o Clarification that the Drought Contingency Plan does not allow outdoor irrigation in Stage 4 the same way it’s allowed in Stage 1 Water Forward 2024 Working Group Meeting August 2024
AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES Thursday, August 29, 2024 The Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force convened in a Special Called Meeting on August 29, 2024, with Social Distancing Modifications. Vice Chair MACE called the meeting to order at 12:06 pm. Members in Attendance: Robert Mace, Chair Sarah Faust Madelline Mathis Ex-Officio Members in Attendance: Members in Attendance Remotely: Bill Moriarty Jennifer Walker, Chair Paul DiFiore Austin Water Staff: Shay Ralls Roalson Teresa Lutes Kevin Kluge Marisa Flores Gonzalez Helen Gerlach Emily Rafferty Fatima Wahid Richard Hoffpauir Young-Hoon Jin Heather Cooke Brandon Niese Others in Attendance: Brigit Buff, Plummer Qiwen Zhang, Plummer Cody McCann, Plummer 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 contact 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. Page 1 of 2 Tanzia Karim, Save Our Springs Alliance Susan Hoover, Circle C Landscape Curtis Smith, Texas Nursery and Landscape Association PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 1. Susan Hoover gave a public comment in-person. 2. Curtis Smith gave a public comment in-person. 3. Tanzia Karim gave a public comment in-person. APPROVAL OF MINUTES meeting. 1. Approval of the meeting minutes from the regular called August 13, 2024, Task Force The minutes from the August 13th, meeting were approved on Member MATHIS’ motion and Member FAUST’s second on an 6-0 vote. STAFF BRIEFINGS, PRESENTATIONS, AND/OR REPORTS 2. Discussion on Water Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan – Water Forward Revisions 3. Discussion of Water Forward 2024 Preliminary Portfolio Evaluation Results VOTING ITEMS None Chair WALKER adjourned the meeting at 2:05pm. The minutes were approved at the September 10th, 2024, meeting on Madelline Mathis’ motion, Sarah Faust’s second on an 8-0 vote with one vacancy. Task Force Members Vanessa Puig- Williams, and Robert Mace absent. 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 …
AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE August 13, 2024 --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 Madelline Mathis Todd Bartee Robert Mace, Vice Chair Paul DiFiore Vanessa Puig-Williams Jennifer Walker, Chair Ex Officio Non-Voting Members: Austin Water: Kevin Critendon Austin Energy: Kathleen Garrett Austin Resource Recovery: Donald Hardee Housing: Chase Bryan Office of Innovation: Daniel Culotta Office of Sustainability: Zach Baumer Parks and Recreation: Liana Kallivoka Watershed Protection: Ramesh Swaminathan AGENDA CALL TO ORDER – PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Review and approve the meeting minutes from the Regular Task Force meeting on July 15, 2024. DISCUSSION ITEMS Revisions FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 2. Update on Water Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan – Water Forward 3. Presentation of Water Forward 2024 Preliminary Portfolio Evaluation Results 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 Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan Update 8/13/2024 Agenda Why has baseline GPCD increased? • How have demands changed over the past ten years? • How have conservation and reuse strategies performed? Where we go from here • What are updated projected baseline demands? • What savings can we achieve from conservation and reuse strategies? • GPCD goals • How can we measure and report water savings in the future? How is GPCD calculated? Gallons Per = Capita Daily Water Pumped Population Days Why has baseline GPCD increased? 2018 Water Forward and 2019 Water Conservation Plan GPCDs were likely based on under-projected demands Recent years of hot and dry weather contributed to increased Key Points demand Post-pandemic changes in customer behavior contributed to increased demand, especially for single-family residential Key Water Forward water conservation and reuse strategies did not achieve projected savings 4 What were WF18 demands based on? Water Forward 2018 baseline demands are based on 2013- 2015 water use Demands include passive conservation savings 5 How has customer usage changed over the past ten years? Historic Water Use by Customer Sector (Million Gallons Per Day) 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 SFR MFR COM LV COA WSL NRW y a D r e P s n o l l a G n o i l l i M 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 6 How has GPCD changed over the past ten years? Historic Gallons Per Capita Per Day Historic Gallons Per Capita Per Day 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015 2016 2016 2017 2017 2018 2018 2019 2019 2020 2020 2021 2021 2022 2022 2023 2023 y y a a D D r r e e P P a a t t i i p p a a C C r r e e P P s s n n o o l l l l a a G G 160 160 140 140 120 120 100 100 80 80 60 60 40 40 20 20 0 0 7 How do we compare to peer cities? Avg 2019-2022 TWDB Submitted Data Total GPCD Residential GPCD Water Loss GPCD Infrast. Leakage Index SAN ANTONIO HOUSTON AUSTIN EL PASO FORT WORTH DALLAS CORPUS CHRISTI 116 124 127 136 154 178 206 69 61 67 73 71 51 63 21 25 …
Water Forward 2024 Preliminary Portfolio Evaluation Results August 13, 2024 Agenda Water Forward 2024 Process Preliminary Portfolio Evaluation Results Next Steps 2 Austin’s Water Supply: 325,000 Acre Feet Per Year 3 Colorado River: • Combination of State-granted water rights & long-term contract with LCRA • Up to 325,000 acre-feet per year (afy) LCRA reservation & use fees pre-paid in 1999 • Additional use payments trigger when average for 2 consecutive years exceeds 201,000 afy Centralized Reclaimed System Water Forward 2024 (WF24) Process 4 Define our values and future water needs Identify and characterize potential strategies Develop and evaluate portfolios of strategies Select the best portfolio and implementation approach Updated Mission Statement 5 The purpose of Water Forward is to develop and implement diverse and environmentally conscious water management strategies to adapt to growth, drought, and climate change and ensure a sustainable, resilient, equitable, and affordable water future for our community for the next 100 years. Define our values and needs Identify and characterize strategies Develop and evaluate portfolios of strategies Select the best portfolio and implementation approach Updated Guiding Principles Water Forward 2018 Guiding Principles Water Forward 2024 Guiding Principles Avoid severe water shortages during drought. Create a plan that is resilient to growth, drought, and climate change. 6 Continue Austin’s focus on water conservation and water use efficiency. Recognizing that Colorado River water is Austin’s core supply, continue a strong partnership between the City and LCRA to assure its reliability. Align with Imagine Austin’s “Sustainably Manage Our Water Resources Priority Program.” Maintain coordination and communication with regional partners. Engage the public and stakeholders throughout the plan development process. Continue to protect Austin’s natural environment, including source and receiving water quality. Focus on projects that are technically, socially, and economically feasible. Ensure Austin’s water supply continues to meet/exceed all federal, state, and local public health regulations. Strengthen long term sustainability, reliability, and diversity of Austin’s water supply through maximizing local water resources. Include diverse water management strategies that make use of all water sources, including reuse, conservation, and efficiency. Use a holistic and inclusive approach to water resource planning that incorporates the Austin community’s values. Use an equity and affordability lens to develop and implement the plan. Protect the health of the Colorado River and natural environment. Minimize implementation and operational risk. Focus on locally available water supplies. Define our values and needs Identify and characterize strategies …
Water Forward Task Force (WFTF) Water Forward 2024 Working Group July 24, 2024 Meeting Notes Teams Meeting, 2:00 pm Attendees: Madelline Mathis, WFTF Marisa Flores Gonzalez, Austin Water Sarah Faust, WFTF Emily Rafferty, Austin Water Jennifer Walker, WFTF Kevin Kluge, Austin Water Kevin Critendon, Austin Water Teresa Lutes, Austin Water Recap plan to revise Water Conservation Plan (WCP)/Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) and WCP goals: Austin Water staff gave a recap on the plan to revise the Water Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan, along with the Water Conservation Plan goals. Staff has reviewed total water demand and demand reduction goals for the near-term within Water Forward 2024. Staff plans on providing more detailed information on the water management strategy savings assumptions that went into the 2019 goals. There was discussion regarding the following: - Clarification on Task Force member input being used as additional tactical measures - Programs and incentives utilization and marketing - Request for more context of where 2019 WCP goals came from and why they were not met, in a written, narrative form - Cities that do concierge water conservation programs Water Forward 2024 Working Group Meeting July 2024
Equity and Affordability Framework Draft note sheets with scores for each strategy - attached Themes: • Water Supply Reliability: o Access to water o Infrastructure Resiliency • Public Health o Regulatory requirements o Water Quality o Environment • Accountability o Transparency o Accessibility o Community outreach and education • Affordability and Economic Impacts o Rate impacts o Growth and development o Workforce development Score summary – Potential Impacts/Benefits: • Green highlight: 5 points • Yellow highlight: 3 points • Red highlight: 1 point August 2024 1 Draft Equity and Affordability Notes Centralized Reclaimed Page 1 Themes Questions Potential Strategy Impacts/Benefits Potential Mitigation Strategies Score 1.1 Given that marginalized communities can be the most impacted by emergency situations, how does the strategy impact/benefit Austin Water’s access to water supply, especially during drought or other emergency situations? 1.2 How does the strategy benefit Austin Water’s water, reclaimed water, and/or wastewater infrastructure resilience? Potential for improved resiliency in emergencies by providing access to non-potable water from a second system source. Potential to increase access to water during drought situations if reclaimed water can be used for onsite purposes and to maintain outdoor irrigation to support community spaces. Outdoor irrigation from reclaimed in drought may provide benefit from mitigation of heat island effects. N/A Investing in centralized reclaimed system projects would expand AW's system and provide additional resilience to reclaimed water customers. N/A Water Supply Reliability Water Supply Reliability Water Supply Reliability 1.3 Does this strategy create an inequitable maintenance burden for Austin Water customers who are a part of marginalized communities? Possibly-- dual-plumbing for water distribution in residential buildings could result in increased maintenance requirements for owners due to additional pipe, some of which may be located in marginalized communities. However, development projects with a qualified affordable housing component are excluded from the reclaimed connection requirements. Programs to provide maintenance support, training for building management, etc. for dual plumbed systems. Water Supply Reliability 1.4 Does this strategy include energy resilience components? No significant energy resilience components. N/A 5 5 3 3 Draft Equity and Affordability Notes Centralized Reclaimed Page 2 Themes Questions Potential Strategy Impacts/Benefits Potential Mitigation Strategies Score Water Supply Reliability 1.5 Can this strategy be tailored to help improve water, reclaimed water, and/or wastewater service to marginalized communities? Implementation of this strategy could include a focus on bringing additional benefit to marginalized communities by providing an additional source of water (non-potable) …
DRAFT Strategies with Cost and Yield Estimates Consolidated Strategy No. Consolidated Strategy Description Category & Next Steps WF 24 Applicability Cost ($/AF/yr) Yield (AF/yr) Staff Response 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Increase outdoor water restrictions in all stages of drought in the DCP, including possible elimination of all outdoor water use in Stage 5 of the DCP. Water Conservation Strategy - Will be evaluated for potential water savings/cost Water Conservation Strategy - Will be evaluated for potential water savings/cost Short-term N/A Yield estimate for restricting drip irrigation TBD. Amend the DCP to restrict drip irrigation as automatic irrigation in all stages (required by LCRA in Stage 4). Continue to improve irrigator engagement and expand the current enforcement capabilities. Consider benefit of patio misters. Short-term N/A Staff recommendation is not to include changes to patio mister hours in the DCP. 0.18 acre feet of water per year estimated to be used by patio misters per location Analyze and potentially limit the number of new pool permits and rules for refilling. Water Conservation Strategy - Will be evaluated for potential water savings/cost Expand existing reuse ordinance to require all new industrial users to connect to the reclaimed system or utilize onsite reuse. Water Conservation Strategy - Will be evaluated for potential water savings/cost Short-term N/A Long-term TBD 0.025 acre feet of water per year estimated to be used per pool Staff recommendation is not to include additional moratoriums on pool permits as part of the DCP (beyond what is already included in Stage 4). Staff may revisit this in future DCPs, to include evaluation of pool size, etc. 2040: 7,400 acre feet per year 2080: 13,000 acre feet per year Staff recommendation is to further evaluate feasibility of requiring all new industrial users to connect to the reclaimed system or utilize onsite reuse. Connect the Travis County Courthouse to the reclaimed system. Water Conservation Strategy - Will be evaluated for potential water savings/cost Long-term Costs are included in current CIP projects to expand the centralized reclaimed water system. Approximately 2 acre feet per year (Estimate based on 2023 billing data) Evaluate and consider connecting the State Capital Complex to the reclaimed system. Water Conservation Strategy - Will be evaluated for potential water savings/cost Long-term Costs are included in current CIP projects to expand the centralized reclaimed water system. 133 acre feet per year (Estimate based on building square footage and …
AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, August 13, 2024 The Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force convened in a Regular Called Meeting on August 13, 2024, with Social Distancing Modifications. Chair WALKER called the meeting to order at 12:05 pm. Members in Attendance: Jennifer Walker, Chair Paul DiFiore Madelline Mathis Ex-Officio Members in Attendance: Kevin Critendon Kathleen Garrett Chase Bryan Ramesh Swaminathan Members in Attendance Remotely: Sarah Faust Bill Moriarty Vanessa Puig Williams Robert Mace, Vice Chair Austin Water Staff: Shay Ralls Roalson Teresa Lutes Kevin Kluge Marisa Flores Gonzalez Helen Gerlach Emily Rafferty Fatima Wahid Richard Hoffpauir Young-Hoon Jin Heather Cooke Joseph Gonzales 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 contact 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. Page 1 of 2 Others in Attendance: Brigit Buff, Plummer Qiwen Zhang, Plummer Cody McCann, Plummer Robert Lempert, RAND Bill Bunch, Save Our Springs Alliance Tanzia Karim, Save Our Springs Alliance Roy Waley, Sierra Club Austin PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 1. Bill Bunch gave a public comment in-person. 2. Tanzia Karim gave a public comment in-person. 3. Roy Waley gave a public comment in-person. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of the meeting minutes from the regular called July 15, 2024, Task Force meeting. The minutes from the July 15th, meeting were approved on Member DIFIORE’S motion and Member MATHIS’ second on an 6-0 vote. STAFF BRIEFINGS, PRESENTATIONS, AND/OR REPORTS 2. Update on Water Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan – Water Forward Revisions The presentation was made by Kevin Kluge, Division Manager, Water Conservation, Austin Water. 3. Presentation of Water Forward 2024 Preliminary Portfolio Evaluation Results The presentation was made by Marisa Flores Gonzalez, Program Manager III, Austin Water. VOTING ITEMS None Chair WALKER adjourned the meeting at 2:17pm. The minutes were approved at the August 29th, 2024, meeting on Madelline Mathis’ motion, Sarah Faust’s second on a 6-0 vote with one vacancy. Task Force Members Perry Lorenz, Todd Bartee, Vanessa Puig-Williams, and Hani Michel absent. The City …
AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE July 15, 2024 --12:00pm Hybrid Special 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 Madelline Mathis Todd Bartee Robert Mace, Vice Chair Paul DiFiore Vanessa Puig-Williams Jennifer Walker, Chair Ex Officio Non-Voting Members: Austin Water: Kevin Critendon Austin Energy: Kathleen Garrett Austin Resource Recovery: Donald Hardee Housing and Planning: Tymon Khamsi Office of Innovation: Daniel Culotta Office of Sustainability: Zach Baumer Parks and Recreation: Liana Kallivoka Watershed Protection: Ramesh Swaminathan AGENDA CALL TO ORDER – PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2024. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. Review and approve the meeting minutes from the Regular Task Force meeting on June 4, 2. Update on Lower Colorado River and Highland Lakes water supply conditions 3. Update on refined Water management strategy Assessment and Vulnerability Evaluation (WAVE) results and 50-year portfolios 4. Update on Water Forward 2024 demand management strategies 5. Update on water supply strategy implementation 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. …
