Item 4- Briefing: AW Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan — original pdf

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Resource Management Commission  Water Forward 2024  Water Conservation Plan  Drought Contingency Plan Kevin Critendon, PE, Assistant Director Kevin Kluge, Water Conservation Division Manager November 19, 2024 1 Water Forward Water Forward is Austin’s 100-year integrated water resource plan, unanimously adopted by Council in November 2018. Water Forward identifies 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. 2 Planning for Uncertainty Population Growth Climate Change 3 Combined Storage Lakes Buchanan and Travis 4 Adaptive Management Plan Conservation Reuse Supply Partnerships 5 Portfolio Evaluation 6 Recommended Portfolio Utility-Side Water Loss Control • Production meter improvements • Expanded active leak detection programs • Additional analysis of smart meter data Customer Side Water Use Management • Expanded customer incentives for conservation • Use of smart meter data for customer-side leak identification, education, and outreach • Water use budgeting Native & Efficient Landscapes • New landscape ordinances & incentives • • Irrigation efficiency incentives Landscape conversion programs Non-Potable Reuse • Onsite Water Reuse Systems • Decentralized Reclaimed • Centralized Reclaimed Water Supply Storage Aquifer Storage and Recovery Decker Lake Off Channel Reservoir Potable Reuse Indirect Potable Reuse New Water Supplies Brackish Groundwater Desalination Strategies reliant on Colorado River and LCRA supplies 7 Water Forward Plan: Changes between 2018 and 2024  Updated climate and hydrology  Planning for uncertainty  100-year adaptive management pathways  Equity and affordability roadmap  Colorado River Land Analysis for water quality protection  Expanded water conservation and water loss control  Future use of Lake Walter E. Long for off-channel storage 8 Conservation and Drought Planning 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  Includes water consumption and water loss goals  Describes • Drought Stages • Drought Triggers (demand and supply) • Drought Actions & Restrictions  Must be consistent with the LCRA DCP  Requires Chapter 6-4 changes 9 Water Conservation Plan: Changes between 2019 and 2024  Update and expand descriptions and metrics of current conservation activities  Updated water use goals based on ‘bottom-up’ estimate of potential savings  Proposed new or expanded activities to meet goals: • Single-family landscape transformation • Commercial conservation incentives • Water loss activities and the reclaimed system • Completion and utilization of the My ATX Water smart meter system • Public outreach and marketing 10 Water Conservation Plan: Additions since May  Drip irrigation restrictions in Conservation Stage  GoPurple program • reclaimed and onsite reuse requirements and incentives  Water loss mitigation – external report recommendations  Discussion of 2019 Plan goals and outcomes  Integrate future activities with Water Forward and include milestones and anticipated yields  Add to the previous activities: • Specific water loss activities • Expanded My ATX Water engagement • Water use benchmarking & budgeting  Quarterly and annual reporting  Revised water use goals 11 Amended GPCD Water Use Goals 2019 Plan Baseline 2024 Goal 2029 Goal Total GPCD Residential GPCD 126 65 119 61 127 64 2024 Plan (May 2) Total GPCD Residential GPCD 2024 Plan (Nov 21) Total GPCD Residential GPCD 127 64 106 55 123 62 121 60 116 58 114 56 Baseline 2029 Goal 2034 Goal Baseline 2029 Goal 2034 Goal 12 Drought Contingency Plan: Changes between 2016 and 2024  Stage 1 – 1.4 million acre feet (LCRA moved to 1.1)  Stage 2 – 900,000 acre feet + inflow trigger (LCRA)  Stage 3 – 750,000 acre feet added (LCRA) • 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 (LCRA) • Temporary moratorium on permits for irrigation systems and single-family pool permits  All Stages – identify discretionary measures to save water: expanded outreach and enforcement, additional incentives, drought surcharge, etc. 13 Drought Contingency Plan: Additions since May  Add drip irrigation restrictions • Currently no restrictions  Proposed restrictions: • Conservation Stage, Stages 1 and 2: 2 days per week • Stages 3 and 4: 1 day per week  Discussions with landscaping and irrigation stakeholders  Exemptions for trees and gardens 14 Water Forward Task Force Recommendation  Recommended 2024 Water Forward Plan  Recommended updated 2024 Water Conservation Plan  Recommended updated 2024 Drought Contingency Plan 15 Questions?