20240703-002 2024 Updates to the Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plans Presentation — original pdf

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2024 Updates to the Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plans Environmental Commission – July 3, 2024 Kevin Kluge, Water Conservation Division Manager Agenda  Water Supply  Conservation & Drought Planning  Water Conservation Plan (WCP)  Drought Contingency Plan (DCP)  Next Steps 2 Austin’s Water Supply 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 3 Water Supply Storage Levels 4 Conservation & Drought Planning  Texas requires a Water Conservation Plan (WCP) and Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) to be updated every 5 years • Submit to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) • Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) requires an updated WCP for financing  WCP – reduce overall water consumption and improve water use efficiency  DCP – water supply drought triggers and response activities 5 Conservation & Drought Planning Water Conservation Plan (WCP)  Activities in non-drought and drought conditions  Describes • Conservation (rebates, education, enforcement) • Water loss • Reuse Drought Contingency Plan (DCP)  Focused on drought conditions  Describes drought • Stages (1-3, emergency) • Triggers (demand and supply) • Actions (historically, restrictions)  Must be consistent with the LCRA  5- and 10-year goals for Total GPCD, Res. GPCD, and Water Loss DCP  Requires Code changes How does this work regionally with our water supply partner? LCRAs Drought Contingency Plan (DCP)  Austin DCP must align with LCRAs DCP  LCRA recently updated its DCP on March 26, 2024  LCRAs significant updates include: • Adjusting drought trigger levels (From 4 stages to 5 stages) • Adding LCRAs inflow trigger for Drought Stage 2 • Adding specific drought condition water use restrictions 7 Water Conservation Plan Residential Customer Programs  Household Material Distribution  Residential Irrigation Audits  Go Repair! and Plumbing Program  Austin Energy All-Star Conservation Kits 8 Water Conservation Plan Residential Incentive Programs 9 Water Conservation Plan Commercial Incentive Programs  Bucks for Business • Performance-based: $1 per 1,000 gallons saved over 10 years • Examples: high-efficient fixtures, cooling systems, reusing high quality rinse water • Program resurgence: In Fiscal Year 2024, 18 applications, saving 16.4 million gallons, plus up to 10 more by end of the fiscal year 10 Water Conservation Plan Reclaimed/Reuse Water  Over 160 customers using reclaimed water  Recent Go Purple program • Requirements for reclaimed connections and onsite water reuse systems • Incentives for reclaimed connections and onsite water reuse systems • Funding sources  Voluntary reclaimed connection incentives 11 Water Conservation Plan Water Loss Activities  Leak detection: line annually mains • Acoustic technology inspects > 500 miles of • Smart ball technology for large transmission  “Renewing Austin” program targets aging lines for replacement  My ATX Water meter replacement 12  External review of water loss activities, final report in 2024 Water Conservation Plan 2024 Plan Goals  Updated program activity and water savings  Introduced My ATX Water smart water meters  Updated goals Drought Contingency Plan (DCP)  Drought Stage Triggers and Storage • Conservation Stage • Drought Stage 1 - 5  Actions by Stage • Irrigation Restrictions • Other Actions  Notable Changes 14 Drought Stage Triggers and Storage COA Stage 1 Stage 1 1.4 MAF LCRA Stage 1 Stage 1 1.1 MAF COA and LCRA DCP Stages 2-4 Stage 2 0.9 MAF Stage 3 0.75 MAF Stage 4 0.6 MAF Drought Contingency Plan Irrigation Restrictions (Stage 2) 16 Drought Contingency Plan Other Actions (Stage 2) Other Restrictions Potential Utility Activities  Commercial patio misters only between 4 pm and midnight  Expand temporary enforcement staff during  Ornamental fountains must recirculate; over 4” prohibited irrigation season  Golf course fairways 1 day per week; tees & greens every other day  No charity car washes  Cooling towers and car wash facilities assessed annually, commercial irrigation assessed every two years  Enhance outreach of drought-related information to public regarding restrictions and incentives  Review incentive programs for possible extension and/or increase of rebate amounts  Work with other City departments to implement water conservation projects 17 Drought Contingency Plan Notable Changes  Stage 1 – 1.4 million acre feet (LCRA at 1.1 million acre feet)  Stage 2 – 900,000 acre feet + inflow trigger  Stage 3 – 750,000 acre feet (new stage) • Athletic field exemption replaced by a variance • No warnings for watering violations, but dismissal of penalty after completing an online irrigation conservation course  Stage 4 – 600,000 acre feet • No irrigation of nonfunctional turf • Temporary moratorium on permits for irrigation systems and single family pool permits 18 Next Steps  May 2 – Council adopted the 2024 WCP and DCP  Consider adoption of revised WCP and DCP with the 2024 Water Forward Plan • Summer – revise WCP and DCP in conjunction with Water Forward Plan 2024 • August 27 and 28 – public workshops (tentative) • September – post drafts of revised WCP and DCP • Oct/Nov – Task Force and Commissions meetings  November – Council consideration of Water Forward, WCP, and DCP 19 How To Be Involved  Attend the in-person or virtual Water Forward public meetings • August 27 and 28 (tentative dates)  Attend or watch Water Forward Task Force meetings • July 15 • August 13 • September 10 • www.austintexas.gov/content/austin-integrated-water-resource-planning-community-task-force  Visit: Water Forward 2024 | SpeakUp Austin! 20 Questions?