Item 06 - Briefing on AW’s Onsite Water Reuse, Decentralized and Centralized Reclaimed Water Programs — original pdf

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Onsite Reuse, Decentralized Reclaimed, and Centralized Reclaimed Briefing Austin Water | Water and Wastewater Commission Meeting | August 19, 2026 Agenda Onsite Reuse Decentralized Reclaimed Centralized Reclaimed 2 Onsite Reuse Katherine Jashinski, P.E. Water Reuse Programs Supervisor GoPurple Turns Two! Austin City Council Adoption on March 7, 2024  Code Changes for Onsite Water Reuse and Reclaimed Water Connections  Affordability Strategies for Reuse Projects  Community Benefit Charge increase ($0.15 per thousand gallons) to fund Reclaimed Water System expansion and Onsite Reuse programs Go Purple | AustinTexas.gov 4 GoPurple Incentive Activity April 2024-March 2026 AW GoPurple Site Plan Approvals Total Number of Projects Number of Reclaimed Projects Number of Onsite Water Reuse Projects • Exempt Affordable • Vested • Paid Fee in Lieu 56 20 36 7 4 5 • On average, 10 reclaimed water projects and 10 OWRS projects approved per year (for site development permits) 5 GoPurple Incentive Activity April 2024-March 2026 Type of Reuse Project Rebate for Reclaimed Main Extension Rebate for Onsite Reuse Systems Expedited Building Permit Review Rebate No Impact Fees for Non-potable Meters Assistance with PACE Program Reclaimed water 0 Onsite water N/A N/A 0 0 2 20 20 0 0 6 GoPurple Incentive Activity April 2024-March 2026 April 2024-March 2025 April 2025- March 2026 Total Number of Projects Permitted to Construct OWRS Estimated Potable Water Savings Number of Projects Dual Plumbing and Paying Fee in Lieu Fees in Lieu Collected 5 9 14 61.9 MGY 12.2 MGY 74.1 MGY 0 0 5 5 $682,720 $682,720 7 Workforce Development: Operator Training and Certification  O&M training manual for onsite water reuse systems published December 2025  Certificate exam will be completed Summer 2026  Held workshop in June 2026 with local OWRS-adjacent trade and industry groups to get feedback on structuring an Austin Community College operator training course  Partnering with Capital Area Workforce Solutions to utilize their upskilling services and funding  Goal is to have ACC course ready for Fall 2026 (pending contract and curriculum completion) 8 Wastewater Mining UT WaterHub   Project at 90% Design Estimated to save 280 MGY once operational 9 Decentralized Reclaimed Joe Smith, P.E. Wastewater Systems Planning Supervisor Background & Terms Decentralized Reclaimed Water:  Reuse of wastewater treated at the neighborhood scale  Separate from the Austin's centralized wastewater and reclaimed water system  Reuse of the treated water via a dual (purple) pipe system could supply irrigation, landscaping, toilet flushing, and cooling demands 11 Water Forward Decentralized Reclaimed Goals Five-Year Implementation Actions:  Collaborate with new developments through the Service Extension Request process to identify opportunities and appropriate cost participation by Austin Water (Ongoing)  Complete the Wastewater System Long Range Plan Update, identifying existing wastewater treatment plants, future sites, and potential future service areas (2025)  Develop infrastructure planning and design guidance (2025-2029) Yield Targets Year 2030 (MGD) 0.0 (AFY) 0 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 0.2 0.4 0.7 1.0 1.2 200 500 800 1,100 1,300 12 Decentralized Reclaimed Water Planning  Existing Sites  Balcones WWTP  Riverplace WWTP  Lost Creek WWTP  2040 yields include:  Wild Horse WWTP  Taylor Lane WWTP  Pearce Lane WWTP  2050-2120 yields include existing and additional conceptual plants  Collaborate with new developments through SER process 13 Pearce Lane WWTP  Southeast Travis County Municipal Utility Districts (SETC MUD)  Plant is operational and discharging flows with 3-month average effluent ~0.09 MGD  Opportunities to distribute reclaimed water to adjacent users Plant Site 14 Developing Design Criteria 7265.073 - Decentralized WWTPs & Reclaimed Design Criteria Planning 7265.073 - Decentralized WWTPs & Reclaimed Design Criteria Planning  Decentralized WWTP New & Expansions  Decentralized Pump Stations & Reservoirs allow for incremental expansions  Onsite Piping, Metering, Monitoring  Currently Finalizing Engineering Scope with Consulting Firm – Workshops to Follow 15 Centralized Reclaimed Kane Wei, P.E. Pipeline CIP Delivery Supervisor Margaret Lake, P.E. Reclaimed Water Systems Planning Supervisor Water Forward Centralized Reclaimed Goals Five-Year Implementation Actions:  Implement new projects to increase supply and extend the centralized service area (Ongoing)  Conduct water benchmarking to identify appropriate uses of reclaimed water, and require connections in accordance with development requirements (Ongoing)  Evaluate the results of the GoPurple program and recommend revisions (Annually)  Implement projects to Complete the Core (2024-2028)  Complete Reclaimed Water Long Range Plan update (2026) Yield Targets Year (MGD) (AFY) Baseline 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 4.6 5.5 11.9 16.1 20.2 24.5 28.6 5,100 6,200 13,300 18,000 22,700 27,400 32,000 17 Centralized Reclaimed System  2 sources:  Walnut Creek WWTP  South Austin Regional WWTP  70+ miles of pipeline and growing  $3.35 per 1,000 gallons in FY26  1.8+ billion gallons used in 2025 Reclaimed Customers  Serve over 225 reclaimed meters  Various uses:  Irrigation  Cooling  Industrial  Construction  Toilet Flushing  Notable customers:  Austin Energy Sandhill Energy Center  Jimmy Clay/Roy Kizer Golf Course  Travis County  University of Texas 19 Installment Pathways and Drivers 1. Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Projects  Projects are identified in Austin Water’s Long Range Plans  Pipelines installed in public Right-Of-Way or within easements  Primary driver is Austin Water and project delivery team  Average 4 to 7+ years from project inception to completion: 1. Preliminary Engineering Phase 2. Design and Permitting Phase 3. Bid/Advertisement Phase 4. Construction Phase 20 Reclaimed Water CIP Projects Complete the Core: In Design: 1. Oltorf St Reclaimed Water Main Phase 1 (complete) 2. Oltorf St Reclaimed Water Main Phase 2 (nearing completion) 3. Travis Heights Reclaimed Water Main (in construction) 4. South 1st Street Reclaimed Water Main (awaiting easement acquisition) 5. West Riverside Reclaimed Water Main (in construction) In construction:  ABIA North Reclaimed Loop Main  Fallwell Lane Capital Renewal Project  Krieg Fields Reclaimed Water Line Restoration  Toomey Road Reclaimed Water Main  Travis County Courts Reclaimed Water Mains  Downtown Reclaimed Water Transmission Main  Montopolis Reclaimed Water Elevated Storage Tank  Montopolis Reclaimed Water Pump Station Expansion  15th and Red River Street Reclaimed Water Mains  SAR WWTP to Dalton Lane Reclaimed Water Transmission Main  Dalton Lane to Montopolis Pump Station Reclaimed Water Transmission Main  Dalton Lane to Lady Bird Lake Indirect Potable Reuse Transmission Main 21 Installment Pathways and Drivers 2. Transportation Coordination (Mobility Projects)  Primary driver is other entities or departments  Examples: TxDOT, Travis County, Austin Light Rail, Roadway Bonds, Transportation and Public Works 3. Site Development Projects  Primary driver is site development  Infrastructure may not always materialize  Cost participation opportunity 22 Centralized Reclaimed Water System, 2005 Centralized Reclaimed Water System, 2026 23 Long Range Plan Update LRP update kicked off in May 2026  Building on 2022 Long Range Plan  Collaboration between Systems Planning and consultant team  Incorporate new data, including advanced metering data, since the last plan  Reflect shifts in customer base with mandatory connection ordinance 24 Long Range Plan Update Priority focus for 2027 Long Range Plan  Major system-scale infrastructure  Increased need for system looping  Improve system resilience and operational flexibility  Minimize customer impacts during maintenance and construction Estimated completion Fall 2027 25 Thank you