[00:00:01]
TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.[CALL TO ORDER]
OKAY.SIX O'CLOCK AND WE WERE START WATERING THE WASTEWATER COMMISSION, JUNE 8TH, 2022, REGULAR MEETING.
AND WE HAVE COMMISSIONER PAN COMMISSIONER, MICHELLE LEE, VICE CHAIR, CASTLEBERRY, AND MASCOLO PRESENT.
AND WE GOT COMMISSIONER MORIARTY AND THE COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS REMOTE.
CAN WE SHARE PNEUMONIA? ARE YOU THERE? OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WAVING THAT COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. THANK YOU.
OH, THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
A ONE APPROVE OF MINUTES FROM THE MAY ELEVENS 2022 REGULAR MEETING FOR THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION.IS THERE A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? MOTION MADE BY MY BOY, VICE CHAIR, CASTLEBERRY AND SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND SHOW IN PEN, MICHELLE MARIE CASTLEBERRY.
MASCOLO WILLIAMS AND MORIARTY.
[B. ITEMS FOR COMMISSION’S REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL TO CITY COUNCIL]
B ONE, UM, SORT OF B AND WE WILL GO AROUND THE TABLE AND ASK COMMISSIONER, WANT TO PULL ANYTHING OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MORIARTY, PRIESTS, NO QUESTIONS.COMMISSIONER PEN, NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER MICHELLE, NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE, NO QUESTIONS.
SINCE THE CONTRACTOR IS CURRENTLY WORKING FOR THE, UH, THE CONTRACT OF WHAT A PROJECT IS.
ONE OF OUR, THE COUNTRY DOES THAT WORKING ON A PROJECT THAT OUR FIRM DESIGN THE PROJECT.
SO I NEED TO BE
SO THE CONSENT ITEMS ARE B ONE, ONE B2 AND B FIVE.
AM I CORRECT? AND B NOT BEFORE WE WENT SO WAVY
I MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS. MOTION MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER MICHELLE FOR CONSENT ITEMS AND THE SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MUSGRAVE AND ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, SHOWING EVERYBODY A PRESENT VOTE FOR ANONYMOUSLY.
[B.3. Recommend approval to award and execute a construction contract with Santa Clara Construction, Ltd., for the Vargas Neighborhood Water and Wastewater Pipeline Renewal project in the amount of $4,535,091 plus a $453,509.10 contingency, for a total contract amount not to exceed $4,988,600.10 (District 3).]
WHEN YOU WILL TURN ASKING VICE CHAIR TO CONDUCT AN ITEM B3, OKAY.I'LL READ ITEM B3 AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO AWARD AND EXECUTE A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH SANTA CLARA CONSTRUCTION LTD FOR A VARGAS NEIGHBORHOOD WATER AND WASTEWATER PIPELINE RENEWAL PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,535,091.
PLUS A $453,509 10 CENT CONTINGENCY FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $4,988,600 AND 10 CENTS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, COMMISSIONER PENN MOVES TO APPROVE.
SECOND COMMISSIONER MES GROVE DOES A SECOND, UH, SHOW OF HANDS FOR ALL THAT APPROVE.
AND THAT IS, UM, EVERYBODY WITH F EXCEPT FOR, UM, CHAIR LEE, UH, WHO IS RICH CHOOSING APPROVED.
AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CHARLIE.
[E.1. Zebra Mussels Mitigation Update]
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MOVE TO ITEM E ONE ZEBRA MUSSELS MITIGATION UPDATE.COMMISSIONERS CHAIR, VICE CHAIR.
UM, MY NAME IS RICK VORNADO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS TONIGHT.
UH, I'LL ALSO HAVE A STEPHANIE SUE OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
I KINDA WANT TO, UH, GO OVER THE BRIEFING HERE.
A ZEBRA MUSSEL MITIGATION UPDATE.
THE LAST TIME WE RECEIVED A UPDATE TO THE COMMISSION WAS BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, UH, SHORTLY AFTER.
UM, WE HAD, UM, UM, OPERATIONS MANAGER, UH, MURDOCH MARABI HAD JUST RETIRED AND BACK IN MAY AND WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE, THE, UH, RESIDENT EXPERTS ON ZEBRA, MUSSEL MITIGATION.
AND SO NOW WE'VE KIND OF MOVED OVER, MOVED THROUGH A COUPLE OF YEARS OF PROGRESS.
UH, DEFINITELY, UH, HAS BEEN A JOURNEY AND A SUCCESSFUL ONE AT THAT.
SO THE LAST PRESENTATION THAT YOU RECEIVED AND WE TRY TO, ESPECIALLY FOR NEW COMMISSIONERS, TRY TO LINK ALL THE PAST PRESENTATIONS, UH, THROUGH OUR, UH, SLIDE DECK, UH, BACK ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2017.
SO IF YOU FIND THE NEED TO KIND OF GO BACK TO SOME OF THE INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY, UH, YOU CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT THROUGH OUR SLIDE DECK, UH, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO STEPHANIE SUE AND SHE'LL KIND OF GO THROUGH SOME OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE SINCE THEN.
CAN YOU THINK COMMISSION MEMBERS? MY NAME, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE SUE.
I'M THE OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR WATER TREATMENT AT AUSTIN WATER.
AND I'LL PROVIDE, UM, AN UPDATED BRIEFING THIS EVENING OF, UM, THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN CONDUCTING RELATED TO ZEBRA, MUSSEL MITIGATION, UM, QUICK AGENDA OF WHAT I'LL COVER.
UM, I'LL DO A HIGH LEVEL, UM, KIND OF HISTORY OF, OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN WITH THE ZEBRA MUSSELS AT AUSTIN WATER, AS WELL AS OUR PUBLIC OUTREACH.
UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ONGOING TREATMENT THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR ZEBRA MUSSELS WITH COPPER SULFATE.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL TALK, UM, I'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE ON OUR INTAKE, CLEANING AND INSPECTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AT OUR PLANTS.
AND THEN, UM, END WITH SOME INFORMATION ON THE NEXT STEPS, UH, RELATED TO COPPER ION GENERATION TREATMENT.
SO QUICK SUMMARY OF, UH, ZEBRA ZEBRA MUSCLE ACTIVITY.
UM, UH, BASICALLY IN JUNE OF 2017 IS WHEN ZEBRA MUSSELS WERE FIRST DETECTED IN LAKE TRAVIS.
UM, AND ACTUALLY IN AUGUST, 2017, UH, THEY WERE DETECTED IN LAKE AUSTIN.
UM, SO ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS LATER IS WHEN BASICALLY THE LAKES WERE, WERE INFESTED.
UM, SO REALLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN THE DETECTION AND INFESTATION.
UM, ANOTHER INTERESTING THING TO NOTE IS THAT, UH, THE UPPER INTAKE AT THE HANCOCK'S WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UM, ACTUALLY TOOK 10 MONTHS TO ACHIEVE KIND OF 100% COVERAGE, UM, OF ZEBRA MUSCLES.
SO AGAIN, PRETTY RAPID, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPANSION OF, OF ZEBRA MUSSELS ONCE THEY WERE DETECTED.
UH, THE PHOTOS I'M SHOWING HERE ARE, UM, KIND OF SHOW THE PROGRESSION OF THE ZEBRA MUSSEL ACCUMULATION.
UM, THE, THE CAGE THAT YOU SEE THERE IS A CAGE THAT ENCLOSES OUR, A PH PROBE THAT WE HAVE DOWN AT OLRICK, UH, WATER TRIM PLANT, UM, AT OUR LOW SURFACE PUMP STATION.
AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE, THE, KIND OF THE PROGRESSION OF A ZEBRA MUSSEL ACCUMULATION ON THAT, UM, ON THE CAGE, UM, ZEBRA MUSSELS ARE, ARE OBVIOUSLY A DETRIMENT, YOU KNOW, FROM A RECREATIONAL STANDPOINT OF, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING ABLE TO ENJOY THE LAKE, LIKE, LIKE YOU USED TO, BUT, UM, FOR US HERE AT AUSTIN WATER, THEY'VE REALLY BEEN A NUISANCE ONE BECAUSE THEY SPREAD SO, BUT, UM, THEY ALSO ATTACHED TO BELOW WATER, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IS WHERE OUR INTAKE STRUCTURES ARE.
UM, THEY, THEY ACCUMULATE AND GROW ON A LOT OF OUR, OUR BIG INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, PUMPS, PUMPS, PUMP CASINGS, UM, OUR METAL GATES STEMS, UM, AND, AND REALLY JUST OUR NUISANCE FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
AND IT'S ALL STUFF THAT'S BELOW WATER THAT WE DON'T, UM, AREN'T ABLE TO GET OUR EYES ON, UH, UM, REGULARLY.
SO IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PREVENT THEM FROM CLOGGING OUR EQUIPMENT AND OUR, AND OUR PIPING.
UM, ANOTHER BIG REASON, UH, THAT ZEBRA MUSSELS ARE A NUISANCE IS THE TASTE AND ODOR ASPECT OF IT.
THEY, THEY IMPART, YOU KNOW, PRETTY FISHY AND ORGANIC SMELL AND TASTE ON, ON OUR WATER IF IT'S NOT TREATED APPROPRIATELY.
SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF LOCATION OF, UM, LIKE TRAVIS, WHICH IS OUR, OUR SOURCE OF WATER FOR HANCOCK'S, UH, WHICH IS NEAR MOUNT MANSFIELD DAM AND THEN LAKE AUSTIN, WHICH IS OUR SOURCE WATER FOR DAVIS AND ORRICK WATER TREATMENT
[00:10:01]
PLANTS, UM, NEAR TO THE TOM MILLER DAM.UH, WE DO A LOT OF COLLABORATION WITH LCRA, UM, AND WATERSHED PROTECTION.
WE, WE MEET WITH THEM ON A BI-WEEKLY BASIS TO, UH, LEARN ABOUT THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE COLLECTING, UH, MANSFIELD DAM AND TOM MILLER DAM ARE THE LOCATIONS WHERE LCRA ACTUALLY DOES, UH, VILLAGER SAMPLING AND VILLAGERS ARE BASICALLY THE LARVAL STAGE, UM, BEFORE THE ZEBRA MUSCLES BECOME ADULTS AND ARE GOOD INDICATION OF KIND OF THE ACTIVITY THAT'S THAT'S GOING ON.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MEET WITH THEM ON A BI-WEEKLY BASIS SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, AND THAT KIND OF HELPS US TO MAKE, MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT, ABOUT HOW WE DO THINGS AT THE PLANTS.
SO THIS GRAPHIC IS, UM, ONE PREPARED BY LCRA.
IT GOES THROUGH THE END OF 2021, BUT, UM, KIND OF SHOWS THE CORRELATION OF, UM, THE C I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE IT UP THERE.
UM, THE YELLOW CURVE BASICALLY IS THE WATER TEMPERATURE, AND IT SHOWS THE CORRELATION OF, UM, VILLAGER DENSITY, UM, UH, WITH, WITH WATER TEMPERATURE.
SO, UH, THE OPTIMUM WATER TEMPERATURE FOR REPRODUCTION OF ZEBRA MUSSELS IS 18 TO 28 DEGREES CELSIUS.
UM, AND THAT CORRELATES FOR US ABOUT APRIL TO OCTOBER IS KIND OF THE HEIGHT OF THE ACTIVE SEASON FOR ZEBRA MUSSELS.
AND WITHIN THERE APRIL TO JUNE IS KIND OF THE PRIME SEASON.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF IT RIGHT NOW.
SO AS I MENTIONED, 2017 IS WHEN THEY ARE FIRST DETECTED 2018 IS WHEN WE KNOW THEY'RE INFESTED IN ABOUT 2019 AND INTO 2020, UM, AUSTIN WATER, UM, KIND OF STEPPED UP OUR GAME AS FAR AS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT OUR PLANTS WERE READY TO DEAL WITH ZEBRA MUSSELS.
UM, THAT INCLUDED THINGS LIKE, UH, ENHANCING OUR TASTE AND ODOR, UH, MONITORING CAPABILITIES AT OUR PLANTS.
UM, WE STEPPED UP OUR USE OF POWDERED ACTIVATED CARBON, WHICH IS A CHEMICAL THAT WE USE FOR TASTE AND ODOR.
UM, PREVIOUS TO 2019, WE WERE USING THAT MORE ON A SEASONAL BASIS WHEN IT WAS GETTING HOT.
UM, BUT, UH, AFTER, YOU KNOW, 2019 AND, AND TILL NOW, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO, BASICALLY WE USE A POWDER ACTIVATED CARBON AT THE, AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR TREATMENT PROCESS TO, UM, COMBAT TASTE AND ODOR.
AND WE DO THAT PROACTIVELY, UM, PRETTY MUCH YEAR ROUND, UM, 2019 AND 2020 IS WHEN WE INSTALLED OUR COPPER SULFATE TREATMENT SYSTEMS, WHICH I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, WE'VE UM, INSTITUTED, UM, INTAKE, CLEANING AND, UM, INSPECTIONS OF OUR INTAKES, UH, IN 2019.
SO, UM, BY OCTOBER OF 2020, WE WERE, WE PUT OUT A PRESS RELEASE.
UH, WE PUBLISHED THIS VIDEO WITH, UM, JULIA HOLLINSWORTH, OUR DIVISION MANAGER FOR WATER TREATMENT TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW WHAT AUSTIN WATER HAS WAS, IS, AND WAS DOING, UH, TO DEAL WITH ZEBRA MUSSELS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT CHEMICAL TREATMENT APPROACHES FOR ZEBRA MUSSELS THAT ARE EFFECTIVE, UH, THINGS LIKE OXIDANTS, LIKE OZONE SODIUM, POMEGRANATE, UM, CHLORINE, CHLORAMINES, UM, THERE'S THE COPPER BASED SOLUTIONS, WHICH IS KIND OF THE ROUTE THAT WE'VE GONE, UM, POLYMER AND PACK.
AND SO, UM, BASICALLY AUSTIN WATER MADE A DECISION TO GO, UH, THE COPPER ROUTE WITH TREATING ZEBRA MUSSELS.
UM, COPPER IS TOXIC TO THE VILLAGERS AND ADULT, UM, UH, ADULT, UH, ZEBRA MUSSELS AT LOW CONCENTRATIONS.
AND IT'S KIND OF A KNOWN, UM, WAY TO, TO, TO DEAL WITH THEM.
AND, UM, BASICALLY IT INTERFERES WITH OUR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND ULTIMATELY RESULTS IN MORTALITY.
SO THE LONGER THAT THEY ARE EXPOSED TO THE LOW DOSES, UM, THAT, THAT SORT OF SETS THEM UP, UM, TO, TO, TO DIE.
UM, AND THEN COPPER SULFATE IS A TRADITIONAL KIND OF LIQUID, UM, CHEMICAL FEED, UM, WAY TO, TO DEAL WITH ZEBRA MUSSELS.
UM, SO I'M SHOWING THE PHOTOS UP HERE AT THE TOP LEFT IS ACTUALLY THE SYSTEM THAT'S INSTALLED AT OLRICK WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, IT CONSISTS OF A CHEMICAL TANK THAT HOLDS THE CHEMICAL, UM, THE, UH, SKID MOUNTED, METERING PUMPS, PIPING, UM, INJECTION POINTS.
AND BASICALLY WHAT WE DO IS, UM, YOU KNOW, INJECT THE CHEMICAL BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF FLOW THAT'S COMING INTO THE PLANT.
SO WITH COPPER SULFATE, REALLY THE GOAL IS TO REMOVE, UM, GROWTH AND ACCUMULATION WITHIN THE PLANT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND, AND REALLY THE CHALLENGE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T IMPACT THE WATER SOURCE.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF THOUGHT THAT GOES INTO THE DESIGN OF THESE SYSTEMS WITH RESPECT TO MAKING SURE THAT WHERE YOU INJECT THE CHEMICAL IT'S, IT'S SORT OF SUCKED IN TO THE TREATMENT PLANT, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE AND NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, DISTRIBUTED OUT IN THE LAKE BECAUSE IS, UM, CAN BE, UH, PRETTY HAZARDOUS TO OTHER AQUATIC, UM, AQUATIC THINGS THAT LIVE IN THE WATER.
[00:15:01]
THE OTHER THING THAT, TO NOTICE THAT HANCOCK'S HIS COPPER SULFATE SYSTEM HAS BEEN OPERATIONAL SINCE SUMMER OF 2019.UM, AURUKUN DAVIS, UM, HAS BEEN OPERATIONAL SINCE, UH, THE SUMMER OF 2020.
UM, HANCOCK'S IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THAT THE SYSTEM ACTUALLY IS INSTALLED INDOORS.
IT'S INSIDE THE LOW SURFACE PUMP STATION, OLRICK AND DAVIS.
UM, THOSE SYSTEMS ARE OUTSIDE AND THEY'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, COVERS ON THEM, UH, TO PROTECT THEM FROM, FROM THE ELEMENTS.
UM, IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COPPER SULFATE SYSTEMS, ALL THREE OF THEM ARE RELIANT ON CHEMICAL DELIVERIES TO FILL THE CHEMICAL FEED TANK, UH, FILL THE TANK WHEN W WHEN WE NEED.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANNA TO POINT OUT IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ADD COPPER SULFATE AT THE FRONT OF OUR PROCESS, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO WITH, UM, POWDERED ACTIVATED CARBON.
AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT, UM, THAT THIS COPPER IS ACTUALLY ELIMINATED AS PART OF THE LIME SOFTENING AND SEDIMENTATION PROCESS AT ALL OF OUR PLANTS.
SO WE'RE NOT ADDING COPPER TO THE WATER THAT WE'RE SENDING OUT INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
UM, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY NUGGET NEGLIGIBLE.
AND SO WE'RE NOT ADDING COPPER, YOU KNOW, TO WHAT GETS, UM, PUMPED, PUMPED OUT INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
ONE INTERESTING THING I WANTED TO, TO NOTE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING WITH COPPER SULFATE IS BELOW WATER, YOU KNOW, CONTAINED IN PIPES AND PUMPS AND NOT, NOT THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE VERY REGULARLY.
SO, UM, FOR PEACE OF MIND, WE ACTUALLY SET UP A COUPLE BIO BOXES, UM, WHICH ARE SHOWN HERE AT THE ORIC WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
WE DID THAT THIS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, AND WHAT YOU DO IS BASICALLY YOU STIMULATE THE, THE FLOW OF THE WATER THROUGH THE TWO BOXES.
UM, AND, UH, THE ONE ON THE LEFT DOESN'T HAVE ANY COPPER SULFATE.
THE ONE ON THE RIGHT, UM, HAS COPPER SULFATE ADDED, AND IT'S ADDED AT THE SAME DOSAGE THAT, UM, WE ACTUALLY, UH, FEED AT, AT ALL OF OUR PLANTS, WHICH IS A LOW DOSAGE OF ABOUT 10 MICROGRAMS OF COPPER PER, PER LITER.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS CAN SEE IT, BUT, UM, ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, THE ONE THAT HAS NO COPPER SULFATE IN IT, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD COLONY OF ZEBRA MUSSELS KIND OF BEING GROWN THERE, WHEREAS THE ONE ON THE RIGHT, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NO ZEBRA MUSSELS.
UM, IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SEDIMENT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX, BUT, UM, FOR US, THIS WAS A GOOD PEACE OF MIND.
NUMBER ONE, TO KNOW THAT THE ADDITION OF THE COPPER IS EFFECTIVE AND, AND GIVE US A PEACE OF MIND THAT, THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS BEING PROTECTED.
AND NUMBER TWO, UM, THAT THE LOW DOSE THAT WE USE, THE 10 MICROGRAMS PER LITER IS INDEED EFFECTIVE.
SO IT LETS US, YOU KNOW, IT GIVES US THE CONFIDENCE THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, UH, WITH THESE COPPER SULFATE SYSTEMS. SO THAT KIND OF TAKES CARE OF TREATMENT.
UH, THE OTHER ASPECT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IS INTAKE, CLEANING AND INSPECTION.
WE ACTUALLY STARTED THESE BACK IN 20, AND WE'VE DONE THEM AT LEAST ANNUALLY SINCE THEN WE DID ONE IN 20, 19, 20 20.
UM, AND WE WILL SOON DO ONE LATER THIS YEAR IN 2022.
UM, THE PHOTOS I HAVE HERE OF THE, THE DIVE, THE DIVING TEAM, GETTING READY TO GET INTO, UM, BASICALLY THE WET WELLS OF THE PUMPS TO, TO, UH, VISUALLY AND, AND, AND VISUALLY INSPECT, AND THEN MANUALLY CLEAN OFF ANY ZEBRA MUSCLES THAT HAVE ACCUMULATED ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, THE COPPER SULFATE IS ADDED IN A LOCATION.
LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THAT THAT PULLS IT INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE PIECES OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS EXPOSED TO THE LAKE THAT IS NOT GOING TO SEE THE CHEMICAL, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO RISK, UM, GETTING ANY OF THAT CHEMICAL IN, INTO THE LAKE.
SO THESE ANNUAL CLEANINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S OUR NEW NORMAL, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THEM.
UM, BUT BASICALLY THE DIVERS GET IN THERE, THEY, THEY TAKE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS, UM, AND JUST DOCUMENT WHAT'S THERE AND THEN MANUALLY CLEAN USING, UM, EITHER TOOLS OR, OR, UH, WATER BLASTERS TO KIND OF GET THAT MATERIAL, TO GET ALL THE ACCUMULATION OFF OF OUR, OUR STRUCTURES.
AND WE HAVE, UM, SEEING THAT THOSE INSPECTIONS ARE REALLY EFFECTIVE AT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY PREVENTING THE ZEBRA MUSSELS FROM, FROM ACCUMULATING.
UM, SO I'LL SHOW YOU SHOW YOU A FEW PHOTOS FROM OUR INSPECTIONS THAT HAPPEN LAST YEAR IN 2021.
UM, THIS ONE, UH, THE FIRST FEW WERE FROM ORRICK WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN SEE IT, BUT, UM, THE TOP LEFT HAND, UH, PICTURE SHOWS OUR METAL SLUICE GATE, UH, PRE REMOVAL.
THERE'S A BIT OF WHAT, WHAT THE DIVERS CALL, UM, KIND OF SOFT MATERIAL ACCUMULATED ON THERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME SHELLS THAT ARE GROWING, UM, THE RIGHT HAND TOP RIGHT, IS, IS POST REMOVAL.
SO WE'RE, WE'VE GOTTEN BACK DOWN TO THE BARE METAL, UM, SIMILAR FOR THE SNOW SKATE STEM ON THE LEFT.
UM, LITTLE BIT HARDER TO SEE, BUT YOU KNOW, SOME SOFT MATERIAL THERE.
AND THEN, UM, BACK DOWN TO BARE METAL ON THE RIGHT, UM, THESE ARE PUMPS TWO AND THREE CASINGS.
AND IF YOU ZOOMED IN, YOU COULD SEE THERE, THERE'S SOME PRONOUNCED SHELLS THAT HAVE ACCUMULATED ON, ON THOSE
[00:20:01]
PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.UM, AND THEN LEFT-HAND SIDE SHOWS TWO AND PUMPS TWO AND THREE ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT SHOWS, UM, THE, AFTER, UH, THE, THE PUMP CASINGS AFTER REMOVAL.
THIS ONE I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING TO SHOW.
UM, BASICALLY THIS IS, UH, A TRASH RACK AND BAY NUMBER ONE AT OLRICK.
UM, THE FIRST TOP LEFT PHOTO SHOWS, UM, SOME PRETTY BIG AND THICK ACCUMULATION OF ZEBRA MUSSELS ON THE TRASH RACKS, UM, THAT WAS IN 2019.
AND THEN THE NEXT PHOTO IS FROM 2020.
UM, ALL OF THESE ARE PRE REMOVAL, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT'S NOT AS THICK, BUT STILL SOME PRETTY BIG GROWTH OF ZEBRA MUSSELS, UM, TOP RIGHT, STILL, YOU KNOW, UM, ZEBRA MUSSEL ACCUMULATION, BUT, BUT NOT AS THICK AS, AS KIND OF THE 2019.
SO IF YOU GO FROM THE THIRD ONE ON THE TOP TO THE FOURTH ONE ON THE BOTTOM, THAT'S BASICALLY SIX MONTHS APART FROM EACH OTHER, SINCE WE DID TWO AND IN 2021, AND THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER ONE HAS MORE JUST SOFT GROWTH ON IT, YOU KNOW, NOT AS MUCH ACCUMULATION.
UM, I THINK THE REPORT INDICATED THAT IT WAS MORE SOFT GROWTH THAN, THAN ACTUAL ZEBRA MUSCLE, YOU KNOW, SHELL AND ACCUMULATION.
SO IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING TO SEE KIND OF THE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW THE INSPECTIONS HAVE GONE AND HOW BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEM KIND OF START, START BRAND NEW.
UM, UH, ONCE THE, THE DIVERS HAVE, HAVE CLEANED OFF THE SURFACES AND BOTTOM RIGHT-HAND, UM, PHOTO SHOWS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WHAT WE GET TO AT THE END OF EACH INSPECTION IS A BARE METAL AND, AND A CLEAN, CLEAN SURFACE.
THIS IS A PHOTO FROM DAVIS WATER, TRIM PLANTS, A SLUICE GATES STEM, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY PRONOUNCED AS FAR AS THE ZEBRA MUSSEL ACCUMULATION ON THE LEFT, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, UM, IS THE, THE, UM, BACK TO BARE METAL.
AND THEN HANCOCK'S, UM, THIS IS ALSO SIMILAR TO WHAT I WAS SHOWING FOR OLRICK, BUT, UM, THE TOP LEFT-HAND, THIS IS ACTUALLY OUR UPPER INTAKE SCREEN.
SO THIS IS THAT SCREEN THAT I MENTIONED THAT TOOK 10, 10 MONTHS TO GET TO 100%, UM, GROWTH OR ACCUMULATION ZEBRA MUSSELS, BUT, UM, PRETTY THICK, YOU KNOW, AND, AND LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, PRETTY THICK AND ADULT ZEBRA MUSSELS ON THE TOP LEFT-HAND CORNER TOP, RIGHT.
WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T GET A PHOTO OF IT AND WERE IN THE REPORT IN 2020, BUT STILL A GOOD AMOUNT OF ACCUMULATION.
AND THEN IF YOU GO TO THE BOTTOM, LEFT-HAND THAT SIX MONTHS LATER, SO YOU SEE THAT THERE'S NOT AS MUCH ACCUMULATION, MORE, MORE, JUST SOFT, SOFT GROWTH, AND THEN BOTTOM, RIGHT, AGAIN, BACK TO JUST THE BARE MATERIALS AND NO MORE, UH, ZEBRA MUSSELS, OOPS.
UM, FOR, I GET ONTO COPPER AND GENERATION, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF NOTE A FEW THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED.
WE'VE HAD LIKE FOUR INSPECTIONS NOW.
UM, BASICALLY, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE INSPECTING AND CLEANING THESE ON IT AND AT LEAST ANNUAL BASIS, AND IT'S A GOOD THING AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KEEPING THEM FROM ACCUMULATE SO MUCH, AND THEY'RE KIND OF HAVING TO START A NEW AT THE END OF, YOU KNOW, AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH OUR INSPECTION.
UM, THIS IS, HAS BEEN ALSO AN EFFECTIVE WAY FOR US TO CHECK OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, WE FOUND, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE FOUND, YOU KNOW, BOLTS THAT HAVE BEEN DETERIORATED, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, STEMS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AND THE DIVERS ARE ABLE TO, UM, GET THOSE REPAIRS DONE AS PART OF THESE, THESE EFFORTS WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE.
UM, THEY ALSO, YOU KNOW, WILL COAT SURFACES THAT HAVE KIND OF BEEN DETERIORATED AS WELL, LIKELY BECAUSE OF THE ZEBRA MUSSELS HAVE BEEN KIND OF EATING AWAY AT IT.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL JUST REALLY TO ENSURE THAT OUR, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE.
UM, I MENTIONED WE DID TWO, UH, INSPECTIONS LAST YEAR.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD KIND OF SET AS A GOAL FOR OURSELVES.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE DO THESE INSPECTIONS, UH, TAKES ABOUT A WEEK, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO TAKE THE TREATMENT PLANTS OFFLINE FOR THAT WEEK.
AND IT'S A LOT OF COORDINATION.
UM, WE, AFTER SEEING THAT KIND OF, THERE WASN'T THAT MUCH ACCUMULATION IN THE SIX MONTHS BETWEEN THE TWO INSPECTIONS, UM, WE ACTUALLY DECIDED TO GO BACK TO ANNUAL AND, AND SOME OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH JUST THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF WANTING TO MAINTAIN THAT PRODUCTION CAPACITY THAT WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST.
THEY CAN SHOW THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PRODUCE KIND OF YEAR ROUND.
SO, UM, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANNUAL INSPECTIONS, AND IF WE NEED TO REDIRECT, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THIS, THIS ONE, THAT'S COMING UP, UH, LATER THIS YEAR, WE WILL, BUT BETWEEN KIND OF SEEING WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST, UM, COUPLE OF TIMES, AND KNOWING THAT WE'VE GOT COPPER SULFATE, UM, IN THE MIX NOW MAKES US FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH KIND OF DOING THESE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE, BUT, UM, BASICALLY WHERE WE ARE NOW IS, UM, MOVING ON TO COPPER ION GENERATION.
AND I KNOW THAT IS AN ITEM THAT, UH, WILL BE REVIEWED THIS EVENING.
[00:25:01]
I MENTIONED, WE KIND OF WENT THE COPPER, THE COPPER ROUTE WITH RESPECT TO TREATMENT.AND, UM, EVEN EARLY ON IN THE DESIGN OF THE COPPER SULFATE SYSTEMS, WE KNEW THAT WE WANTED TO GO THE ROUTE OF COPPER ION GENERATION, WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IS A SYSTEM THAT GENERATES DISSOLVED COPPER SOLUTION, UM, USING AN ELECTRIC CURRENT APPLIED ACROSS A COPPER ANODE.
SO WE'RE NO, WE WOULD NO LONGER BE RELYING ON A CHEMICAL DELIVERIES OR, YOU KNOW, UM, CHEMICAL TANKS FOR THIS.
BASICALLY WE WOULD BE, UH, GENERATING OUR OWN COPPER SOLUTIONS ONSITE.
UM, WE, WE STILL DO HAVE TO PURCHASE THE COPPER RODS.
THAT'S MORE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND NOT ON A MONTHLY OR BI-MONTHLY BASIS.
UM, THESE SYSTEMS ARE, HAVE A SMALLER FOOTPRINT THAN OUR COPPER SULFATE SYSTEMS. AND, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY LOCATE THESE WITHIN THE EXISTING LOW SERVICE PUMP STATION BUILDINGS, WHICH, UM, WHICH WE LIKE, UM, REALLY, BECAUSE, UH, WE, WE HAVE HAD TO WINTERIZE OUR COPPER SULFATE SYSTEMS BECAUSE THEY ARE OUT IN THE OPEN AT, AT ALRICK AND DAVIS.
AND THAT THIS IS JUST ONE LESS THING WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHEN WE HAVE KIND OF EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS.
UM, I KNOW IT SORT OF BEGS THE QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT WORKS, WHY REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
AND, UM, OPERATIONALLY I'LL SAY THAT, UM, FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT, THIS IS MORE DESIRABLE IN THAT OUR GUYS ARE NOT HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE COPPER SULFATE, UM, CHEMICAL, IT IT'S, IT'S PRETTY, UM, TOXIC TO, YOU KNOW, IF IT GETS ON YOUR SKIN AND YOUR EYES.
SO, AND WE'VE HAD TO DO SOME CLEANUPS.
SO THIS IS A LOT MORE SAFER FOR OUR STAFF.
UM, AS FAR AS DEALING WITH THE CHEMICAL, UM, AS I MENTIONED, IT IS MORE SUSTAINABLE IN THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING TO DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, FREQUENT DELIVERIES BY CHEMICAL TRUCK, UM, INTO, INTO A TANK.
UM, WE JUST HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT REPLACING THE ANODES ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, THE SYSTEMS ARE GOING TO BE INDOORS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, AND, AND THEY THEY'RE SMALLER FOOTPRINT AND ARE ABLE TO FIT WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR FACILITY.
UM, AND ANOTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US, UM, ALSO OPERATIONALLY IS WE'RE THE COPPER SULFATE SYSTEMS WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW ARE NOT JUST GONNA BE DEMOLISHED.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE MODIFIED, UM, TO BE USED FOR SODIUM PER MANGANESE.
SO SODIUM POMEGRANATE IS AN OXIDANT THAT'S ACTUALLY HELPFUL FOR CYANNA TOXINS.
UM, SO JUST ANOTHER KIND OF OPTION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO PUT IN OUR ARSENAL AS FAR AS CAPABILITIES AND BEING ABLE TO DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE THAT MIGHT BE IN OUR WATER SOURCE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
UH, COMMISSIONER'S GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. CORADO OR MS. SUE, MICHELLE WILLIAMS. YOU GOT A QUESTION.
COMMERCIAL COMMISSIONER MEYER.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, SIR.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I WAS KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THE CYANA TOXIN ISSUE.
AND MY RECOLLECTION IS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE, AS A WATERWAY SWEATER COMMISSION APPROVED A CONTRACT TO BUY A FAIRLY SOPHISTICATED SAMPLING DEVICE TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF SIGHING TOXINS AT EACH OF THE THREE DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PLANT INTAKE STRUCTURES.
DO I HA DO I RECALL THAT CORRECTLY? YES, YOU ARE CORRECT.
WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL, UH, MONITORING, UM, LABORATORY EQUIPMENT THAT WE PURCHASED AND ARE CURRENTLY IN OPERATIONS FOR ALGAE MONITORING.
AND WE ALSO INVESTED IN LABORATORY EQUIPMENT TO DO, UM, KIND OF, UH, IN-HOUSE, UH, TESTING FOR ASYLUM TOXINS.
UH, AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HAVE, WHAT HAVE WE DETECTED, UH, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, HAVE WE DETECTED THE PRESENCE OF CYANNA TOXINS AT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT INTAKES? UM, SINCE WE'VE PROCURED THAT EQUIPMENT? NO, WE HAVEN'T.
WE'VE BEEN, UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, BASICALLY NON DETECTS ON, ON OUR, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TAKEN AT THE INTAKES AND, AND ALSO ON THE TOP.
AND HOW OFTEN DO YOU SAMPLE FOR THAT? IT VARIES SEASONALLY.
WE'RE KIND OF IN THE HEIGHT OF THE SEASON RIGHT NOW.
SO WE ARE, UH, IT DEPENDS ALGAE.
WE'RE DOING A FEW TIMES A WEEK NOW THAT WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO THAT PRETTY QUICKLY.
AND THEN CYANNA TOXINS, I THINK, IS ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND
[00:30:01]
YOU'VE NOT DETECTED ANYTHING IN TWO YEARS.SO WE HAVE, YEAH, I'D SAY IT'S, NON-DETECT, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE HITS THAT WERE A LITTLE BIT ABOVE DETECTION AND WE'VE DONE SOME, UM, THIRD PART, LIKE WE'VE SENT THAT, THOSE SAMPLES OUT FOR LCRA TO LOOK AT AND, UM, IT'S ALL COME BACK AS NON-DETECT.
SO, SO THEY CAME BACK AND SAID YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR ANALYSIS WAS NOT RIGHT AND THAT CRITICIZING IT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT HAPPENED, THE ONES WHERE YOU HAD THE HITS, THEY SAID, NO, THEY'RE OKAY.
WELL, I GUESS I SHOULD CLARIFY ONE THING, I GUESS, AND IF WE WANT TO HAVE A, IN A TOXIN BRIEFING FOR ANOTHER MEETING, WE WERE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I SAY THAT, UM, THERE IS SOME LEVEL OF ACCURACY, ACCURACY RELATED TO THE ELIZA METHOD, WHICH IS THE METHOD THAT WE ARE USING, YOU KNOW, ON A WEEKLY BASIS, UM, AT AUSTIN WATER.
AND WE HAVE A PROTOCOL THAT ALLOWS US TO SEND A SPLIT SAMPLE TO, UM, TO A EXTERNAL LAB THAT HAS MORE SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT.
SO SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT TO KIND OF GIVE US A BETTER INDICATION OF, UM, THE, OR A MORE ACCURATE READING OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
AND, UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ALL OF THAT WAS A PREAMBLE TO WHAT MY REAL QUESTION IS, BUT, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE NOT FINDING THE ALGAE AT THE INTAKES.
DOES THAT SURPRISE YOU? WELL, I'LL SAY THAT OUR BLUE-GREEN LIKE WE ALSO DO BLUE-GREEN ALGAE COUNTS AND THEY'VE BEEN REALLY LOW.
SO, I MEAN, YEAH, WE HAVE NOT, WE HAVE NOT DETECTED A ALGAE BLOOM.
WE ARE VERY LOW LEVELS ON EVEN THE EQUIPMENT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY ALGAE GROWTH, UH, IN THE INTAKES AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AS THE SEASON GOES THROUGH, BUT WE HAVE NOT DETECTED ANYTHING CLOSELY REMOTELY TO SOMETHING THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED BACK IN 20 15, 20 16.
AND THAT DOES NOT SURPRISE YOU AT THIS POINT NOW.
AND I GUESS WHERE I WAS GOING WITH ALL OF THIS, THE ANTIDOTE, IF YOU DID DISCOVER THE CYANA TOXIN ENTERING THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS WHAT IT DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF CYTOTOXINS THAT WE DETECT.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, STEPHANIE JUST MENTIONED IS A KIND OF A KIND OF HAVING THAT TOOL OF, UH, SODIUM PER MAGAZINE AS A TOOL FOR FUTURE.
AND ALSO WE COULD DEPLOY AT ANY TIME, UH, BUT THAT'S ONE WAY A POWDER ACTIVATE CARBONS, ANOTHER TOOL THAT WE'RE USING AS WELL AS CHLORINE.
SO IT DEPENDS ON THE SINO TOXIN DETECTION.
WE WOULD USE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, UH, TREATMENT CAPABILITY.
AND THE, THE POWDER ACTIVATED CARBON, YOU'VE GOT THAT THE CHLORINE YOU'VE GOT THAT, BUT THE POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE, HOW DOES IT, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO DECOMMISSION THE COPPER SULFATE FEED AND CONVERT THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN A DAY.
SO HOW DOES THIS GET DEPLOYED? A COUPLE OF THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE SODIUM PER MEGHAN AID, EVEN ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS.
SO WE, WE, WE CAN HAVE THOSE HAVE THAT, UH, DELIVERED PRETTY QUICKLY.
THE OTHER THING IS WE, UM, HAVE A PROTOCOL IN PLACE WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY USE THE SAME PUMPS THAT, UH, THE COPPER, THE COPPER SULFATE FEED SYSTEM HAS, AND BASICALLY FEED STRAIGHT OUT OF A TOTE.
SO WE HAVE KIND OF ALL THE, YOU WOULD STOP FEEDING THE COPPER AND CHANGE IT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? ABSOLUTELY.
I AM SATISFIED WITH ALL THOSE ANSWERS.
I APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONERS GOT ANY MORE QUESTION FOR THE STUFF, IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THEN NOW WE WILL GO BACK TO I TURN B
[B.4. Recommend approval to award and execute a construction contract with Excel Construction Services, LLC, for the Zebra Mussel Mitigation project in the amount of $4,435,204 plus a $443,520.40 contingency, for a total contract amount not to exceed $4,878,724.40 (Districts 8 and 10).]
FOUR AND I'LL READ IT RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO AWARD AND IS CUTE.A CONTRACTION CONTRACT WITH AXA XL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC FOR THE ZEBRA MUSSEL MITIGATION PROJECT IN A MONTH OF 4 MILLION, $435,204 PROSTATE $443,520 AND 40 CENTS CONTINGENCY FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $4,878,724 AND 40 CENTS.
AND THAT'S IN DISTRICT EIGHT AND THE 10 COMMISSIONERS GOT ANY MOTION OR ANY MORE QUESTION? IF THERE'S NO QUESTION.
[00:35:04]
MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER PEN.SECOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MICHELLE AND ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND SHOWING.
OH, APPROVED
[C.1. Update from Joint Sustainability Committee]
C ONE UPDATE FROM JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS PRIESTS.UH, YES, THE PRIMARY UPDATE FROM LAST MONTHS, WE HAD MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS BY THE AIRPORT AND BY THE JET SERVICE THAT OPERATES OUT OF THE AIRPORT, WHICH IS SIGNATURE JET SERVICE.
UM, SPECIFICALLY I THINK BECAUSE OF THE FUELING AREA CONTROVERSY THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING, UM, IT WAS PRIMARILY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECTED GROWTH AT THE AIRPORT.
THE NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT'S ANTICIPATED THE AIRPORT, THE LONG RANGE PLAN THERE.
UM, I THINK BUILD OUT THEIR PLANNING FOR UP TO 80 MILLION PASSENGERS PER YEAR.
THEY'RE AROUND 23 MILLION NOW.
SO THERE'S SOME INTERESTING PRESENTATIONS ONLINE FROM THAT MEETING.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT CAME OUT THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO, UH, COMMISSIONERS IS THAT, UH, THEY HAVE STARTED ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR CLIMATE AMBASSADORS.
UM, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE OTHER MEETINGS, BUT THEY'RE BASICALLY A PAID POSITION TO ACT AS AMBASSADORS IN THE COMMUNITY FOR SMALL SCALE CLIMATE RELATED PROJECTS THAT THE CITY WILL HELP TO FUND.
AND THEY'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR APPLICANTS RIGHT NOW FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
AND THERE IS A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ONLINE ABOUT THE PUBLICATIONS FOR THAT POSITION.
THE, UM, COMMITMENT REQUIRED, THE TIMEFRAME, ET CETERA, COMMISSIONER SCOTT, ANY QUESTION FOR ME, UH, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, IF NOT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM C TO
[C.2. Update from the Austin Integrated Water Task Force]
UPDATE FROM THE AUSTIN INTEGRATE WATER TASK FORCE, COMMISSIONER MORIARTY.UM, THE ONLY ACTIVITY ON THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE THAT OCCURRED SINCE OUR LAST WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING WAS ON MAY 20TH, WHICH, UH, ON THAT DAY WE HAD A MEETING OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THAT'S THAT COMMITTEE OF NOT ONLY AUSTIN WATER STAFF AND OF COURSE CONSULTANTS RETAINED BY AUSTIN WATER, BUT ALSO EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY FACILITIES.
UM, SO, UH, I WILL NOT DELVE INTO THE DETAILS OF THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON ASR LATER IN THIS MEETING TODAY.
AND, UM, AND SO I'M GOING TO SIMPLY SAY WE HAD VERY GOOD MEETING.
UH, IT APPEARS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN WATER ARE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS TO, UH, IMPLEMENT THE ASR STRATEGY.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS THAT, ANY QUESTION WHERE COMMISSIONER MORIARTY, IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM D ONE
[D.1. Update from Budget Committee Chair]
BUDGET FROM THE UPDATE FROM THE BUDGET COMMITTEE CHAIR.SHE, SINCE OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER MONEY TO THE EDITOR IS NOT HERE.
WE WILL ASK VICE CHAIR, MICHELLE TO GIVE US AN UPDATE.
WE MET ON MAY 26, UH, MYSELF COMMISSIONER TO MARIETTA AND COMMISSIONER FISHER.
UM, WE RECEIVED AN OVERALL BUDGET UPDATE AND FORECAST FROM STAFF, UM, UH, MAINLY FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE, THE MAIN CHANGES INCREASES OR DECREASES FROM OUR LAST, UH, BUDGET.
UM, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, STAFFING NEEDS AND, UM, UH, THAT FACTORED INTO THE BUDGET FORECAST AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN MATERIALS, UM, UH, IN CHEMICALS,
[00:40:01]
UH, OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO.SO GOT, UH, IN-DEPTH UPDATE ON SOME OF THOSE SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASES AS WELL.
UH, STAFF GAVE US A UPDATE ON THEIR FIVE-YEAR CIP.
UM, STILL A HEAVY FOCUS ON FACILITIES SPENDING, UH, AND PRIMARILY, UH, WASTEWATER, UH, PLANT EXPANSIONS IS A BIG FOCUS OF THE, UH, OVERALL CIP BUDGET.
UH, LOOKING AHEAD, I BELIEVE, UH, THAT BUDGET PRESENTATION, OR THERE WILL BE A BUDGET PRESENTATION AT CITY COUNCIL, MID JULY, UM, WITH OUR NEXT COMMISSION MEETING FOLLOWING SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A BUDGET PRESENTATION COMMISSIONER.
UH, TERRY YETTA IS WORKING ON OUR, UM, UH, COMMISSION REPORT THAT WE TYPICALLY, UH, PROVIDE EACH YEAR.
SO THAT'LL LIKELY COME BEFORE US AT THE JULY MEETING AS WELL.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, GOT ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMISSIONER MICHELLE, IF NOT, THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU.
WELL UPDATE, UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM
[E.2. My ATX Water Implementation Update]
E TO MY 80 X WATER IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE PRESENTATION.UH, RICK CORNETTO HERE WITH RANDY JENKINS, UH, KIND OF COM COVERING A WATER FORWARD INITIATIVE.
UH, DEFINITELY A LOT OF PROGRESS ON MY ATX WATER.
IF WE CAN PULL UP THE SLIDE DECK, WE'RE TRYING TO TARGET, UH, GIVING YOU BRIEFINGS ON THIS PROGRESS EVERY SIX MONTHS.
I THINK THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE WAS BACK IN OCTOBER.
UH, SO WE'VE HAD QUITE A BIT OF PROGRESS EVEN SINCE THEN.
UH, DEFINITELY, UH, STILL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING INTO THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER.
AND SO THIS, THIS SERVICE NOT ONLY AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, SEEMS TO BE A VERY HIGH VALUED SERVICE.
LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET I, CAN I GOT IT.
SO WE'LL COVER JUST KIND OF SOME OF THE AGENDA ITEMS I'LL COVER THE, KIND OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND EVEN THAT PROGRESS, UH, CITYWIDE, UH, EVERYTHING FROM THE METER INSTALLS TO THE, UH,
UM, AND THEN, UH, RANDY, WE'LL KIND OF, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO RANDY AND SHE'LL KIND OF COME COVER THE CUSTOMER OUTREACH AND PORTAL ENGAGEMENT, WHICH HAS, UH, GAINED A LOT OF ATTENTION AND VALUE FOR THE CUSTOMERS AND JUST KIND OF WRAP UP WITH ANY QUESTIONS AND TAKEAWAYS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS AND LOOK FORWARD FOR FUTURE UPDATES AS WELL.
SO JUST ON OUR DEPLOYMENT PROGRESS, SINCE THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, WE PROBABLY HAD ANYWHERE IN THE ORDER OF THE RANGE.
SO IN OCTOBER AND 14,000 METERS THAT WERE INSTALLED IN THE LAST UPDATE.
SO WE'RE OVER THE 50,000 MARK.
THAT WAS A KIND OF A, A, A BIG MILESTONE FOR US TO KIND OF ACHIEVE THAT.
AND THAT'S JUST THE METERS IN THE GROUND.
OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE OTHER METRICS THAT WE CONTINUE TO KIND OF ADVANCE AND LOOK AT.
UH, WE HAVE TO, THE LAST TIME I UPDATED IS THERE'S A LOT OF PRE-PLANNING TO GET EVEN A METER IN THE GROUND, EVERYTHING FROM COMMUNICATIONS TO SURVEYING THE SITES THAT WE GO TO, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE, UM, METERS IN THE WAREHOUSE.
UH, SO THE SUPPLY CHAIN SIDE OF THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE INVENTORY BEFORE WE EVEN, UH, UH, SEND OUR, UM, CONTRACTOR OUT, UH, TO INSTALL, UH, THE METER.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF PRE-PLANNING JUST TO GET TO JUST ONE METER AT A TIME, UH, 50,000 AND, UH, BY THE TIME THE END OF THE SUMMER BEARING ANY SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, UH, EVEN WORKFORCE ISSUES, WE SHOULD ESTIMATE SOMEWHERE IN THE 70,000 TO 75,000 RANGE BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR NEXT TARGET GOAL.
WE, AFTER OUR PILOT, UH, DEMONSTRATIONS, WE, UM, STARTED TO TARGET CITYWIDE EFFORTS, INCLUDING WHAT WE CALL THE, THE DATA COLLECTION UNITS OR THE DC USE.
UH, THE LAST TIME I REPORTED OUT WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE ORDER
[00:45:01]
OF 25% OF THE DCU COVERAGE FOR THE CITY WAS, WAS COMPLETE.SO WE HAVE DEFINITELY DONE SOME PROGRESS OR HAVE SOME PROGRESS ON THE DCU INSTALLATIONS.
AND THE REASON WHY I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE THAT GIVES US A SENSE OF WHERE WE CAN WORK NEXT.
SO ONCE WE HAVE THE NETWORK THAT'S WORKING, UH, COMMUNICATING BACK TO OUR HEAD IN, AND THEN OUR, UH, METER DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OR OUR IT SYSTEMS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE INSTALL A METER, WE CAN FLIP A SWITCH TO ALLOW THE CUSTOMER TO READ THAT.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE, THE END GOAL IS TO GIVE THE CUSTOMER THE, UM, THAT THE VALUE, AS SOON AS WE INSTALL THAT METER.
AND WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THAT AREA, UM, TO DATE, UH, I MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE TO DO A QUITE A BIT OF PRE-PLANNING IN ADVANCE.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, 63,000 PLUS SURVEYS OF THE LOCATIONS WHERE THESE ARE GOING TO BE INSTALLED AND TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE, UH, METER BOXES, WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO, UM, DO SOME CLEAN OUTS.
THOSE ARE OTHER, UH, PORTIONS OF THE WORK THAT WE DO AT THESE SITES.
UH, AND THEN ULTIMATELY, LIKE I MENTIONED, ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE, UH, MATERIALS ON HAND AND OUR TARGET GOAL RIGHT NOW IS TO HAVE AT LEAST THREE MONTHS OF INVENTORY, UH, IN THE WAREHOUSE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THREE MONTHS OF WORK THAT WE CAN PROGRESS TOWARDS, UH, WHILE WE'RE PLANNING THESE EFFORTS.
UH, I WON'T SAY THAT, UH, IT'S BEEN SMOOTH WITH THE SUPPLY CHAIN.
WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING INTO SOME ISSUES, ESPECIALLY WITH METER BOXES RIGHT NOW.
UH, THERE STILL, UH, SOME CONDITIONS WITH THE CHIPS AND CHIP MANUFACTURING, UH, THAT MAY KIND OF RESULT.
BUT TODAY WE STILL ARE ON A PATH TO KIND OF CONTINUE TO HAVE ENOUGH WORK, UH, FOR OUR CONTRACTOR, AT LEAST OUT THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, BUT WILL WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT ON A MONTHLY BASIS OR EVEN MORE FREQUENTLY, IF THAT IS THAT'S NECESSARY? UM, THE LAST TIME WE TALKED, UH, WE HAD JUST GONE THROUGH A, UM, UH, A CHANGE IN OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS A METER TO BILL.
AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE PAUSED AND WE ENSURE THAT WE HAD A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN.
UH, WE HAD INVESTED IN OUR IT SYSTEMS TO ENSURE THAT WHENEVER THE SYSTEM GOES DOWN, UH, THAT IT COMES BACK IN A SHORT PERIOD OR D DURATION.
AND SO THAT KIND OF PAUSED OUR EFFORTS TO DO A METER TO BILL.
AND, UH, OUR FIRST BEATER TO BILL ACTUALLY OCCURRED, I BELIEVE BACK IN MARCH.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO LAUNCH A METER TO BILLS, WHICH MEANS THAT THE METERS IN THE GROUND, AND IT IS BEING BUILT, UH, THROUGH THE AMI READ VERSUS A MANUAL READ.
AND I DISCUSSED LAST TIME THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 10 POINTS OR CHECK CHECKPOINTS THAT WE GO THROUGH TO ENSURE THAT THAT METER LOCATION AND THAT DEVICE, AS WELL AS ALL THE SYSTEMS ARE WORKING AND FUNCTIONING AND ARE READY TO GO.
UH, THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, ADEQUATE METER READS BY THE MANUAL READ CONTRACTOR FOR TWO SUBS, SUBSEQUENT MONTHS TO ENSURE THE METERS IN THE GROUND.
IT MATCHES WHAT WE'RE READING, UH, AS WELL AS THE AMI AND A MULTITUDE OF OTHER CONDITIONS AS WELL.
AND SO THAT BEGAN IN SPRING TO DATE, WHERE PROBABLY IN THE ORDER OF 3000 METERS THAT HAVE BEEN CONVERTED TO METER TO BILL, AND WE INTEND TO, UM, DO THIS IN BATCHES, WHICH MEANS WE MAY HAVE 25,000 METERS CERTIFIED READY TO GO TO BE FLIPPED TO A METER, TO, UH, AN AMI READ.
UH, BUT WE'RE DOING THIS IN KIND OF A CAREFUL, METHODICAL, UM, PATH, WHICH MEANS FOR THE NEXT, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS UNTIL WE GET TO THE END OF THE SUMMER AND THROUGH, THROUGH THE REST OF THE REMAINDER OF THIS PROJECT IS WE'RE GOING TO DO 2,500 AT A TIME.
AND SO THAT IS WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
WE'LL ADJUST THAT AS WE SEE PROGRESS, BUT, UH, THAT'S DEFINITELY OUR NEXT MILESTONE IS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE UP TO 25,000 METERS BILLING BY THE END OF THE SUMMER.
UM, LET'S SEE CONVERTING 500, UM, METERS PER HMM.
I THINK I COVERED MOST OF THAT BEGINNING.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN THAT OVER TO RANDY.
GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS RANDY JENKINS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT AUSTIN WATER.
AND AS RICK INDICATED AND MENTIONED, I WILL BE COVERING OUR CUSTOMER OUTREACH AND PORTAL ENGAGEMENT TO DATE.
[00:50:01]
SO, AS A REMINDER, THIS SLIDE WILL LIKELY LOOK SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR TO ALL OF YOU, UM, BASED ON OUR LAST UPDATE TO THE COMMISSION, BUT, UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A REMINDER ABOUT THE STEPS THAT WE TAKE TO CONDUCT CUSTOMER OUTREACH.SO, UM, TWO TO FOUR WEEKS PRIOR TO A CUSTOMER'S INSTALL OF THEIR, MY ATX WATER METER, UM, WE PROVIDE A CUSTOMER MAILER THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO OUR CUSTOMER BASE? WE FOLLOW UP THAT MELLER WITH, UH, ELECTRONIC EMAIL ABOUT, UH, ABOUT ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE INSTALL.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR VENDOR TO UTILIZE THE PORTAL, TO PUSH OUT EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS, TO THOSE THAT WE HAVE EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THOSE TWO NOTIFICATION POINTS, WE ALSO PLACE NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE'RE CONDUCTING THE INSTALLS FOR.
WE PUSH OUT INFORMATION THROUGH, UM, NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTS.
WE ALSO HOST A MONTHLY VIRTUAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION MEETINGS.
WE WERE ALSO PRODUCING THAT AND PLACING THAT ON OUR WEBSITE SO THAT CUSTOMERS CAN GO ANYTIME THAT THEY MAY HAVE QUESTIONS, IF THEY AREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND OUR VIRTUAL MEETING.
UM, WE ALSO ATTEND WHEN REQUESTED, UM, HOA AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MITX WATER PROJECT.
AND WE ALSO, UM, SEND NOTIFICATIONS DIRECTLY TO THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND HOS, UM, DIRECTLY TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE IN THEIR AREA.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS SUMMER IS UTILIZING, UM, THE PORTAL AND THE AMI PROJECT TO REALLY, UM, GET OUT IN FRONT OF THIS HOT WEATHER THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING AND REMINDING PEOPLE THE BENEFITS OF THIS PROJECT, THAT THIS IS AN OUTCOME OF OUR WATER FORWARD INITIATIVE.
AND, UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE AWARE OF THE BENEFITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS PROJECT.
AND SO KIND OF DOING A DEEP DIVE INTO OUR PORTAL ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THIS IS SEVERAL DATA POINTS, UH, WITH OUR PORTAL AND WE'VE BEEN REALLY HAPPY AND I WOULD SAY OVERALL SUCCESSFUL, UM, WITH IT TO DATE, WE HAVE, UM, JUST OVER 14,000 REGISTERED ACCOUNTS.
AND AS A REMINDER TO THE COMMISSION, UM, A REGISTERED ACCOUNT, UM, IS WHEN A CUSTOMER GOES IN AND INTERACTS AND REGISTERS FOR THE PORTAL.
BUT THAT SAID, WE ARE STILL ABLE TO PUSH NOTIFICATIONS TO THEM ABOUT CONTINUOUS USAGE, AS WELL AS EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION.
SO, UM, THOSE TWO THINGS ARE SEPARATE AND APART, WE'RE STILL ABLE TO GET THE BENEFITS OUT OF THE PORTAL FROM OUR END, IF WE NEED TO GET MESSAGES OUT TO, TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT IN TERMS OF INDIVIDUALS INTERACTING IN, LOGGING IN AND LOOKING AT THEIR DAILY CONSUMPTION RIGHT NOW, THAT NUMBER IS 14,000 AND GROWING.
UM, ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS, WE'VE NEARLY RECEIVED HALF OF THOSE REGISTERED ACCOUNTS IN THE PAST 90 DAYS, SO THAT WE'RE REALLY SEEING THE NUMBERS CLIMB THERE.
UM, AND SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR MESSAGES THAT WE'RE SENDING THROUGH THE PORTAL.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ON AVERAGE GETTING ABOUT A 60 TO 70% OPEN RATE, MEANING WHEN WE SEND A MESSAGE THROUGH THE PORTAL 60 TO 70% OF INDIVIDUALS ARE OPENING THAT MESSAGE AND READING IT INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR UTILITIES IS, AND EVEN JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF UTILITIES IS AROUND 17 TO 28% OF COMPANIES THAT YOU USE EMAIL AND MESSAGING MARKETING, UM, THAT'S THE INDUSTRY STANDARD.
AND SO TO BE SO MUCH WELL ABOVE THAT IS REALLY AS A SUCCESS TEST THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF.
AND SO SOME OF THE TYPES OF MESSAGES THAT WE'VE SENT IN THE PORTAL, UM, CLEARLY EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS.
WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THAT, UM, OVER THE PAST YEAR.
UM, AND ADDITIONALLY, AS I MENTIONED IN MY PRIOR SLIDE METER INSTALLATION NOTIFICATIONS, UM, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, INVITING INDIVIDUALS AND, UM, CUSTOMERS TO THE PORTAL THROUGH OUR PORTAL.
WE'RE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, RUNNING OUR SUMMER TIPS AND WATERING SCHEDULE.
WE ACTUALLY, UM, JUST THIS WEEK ANNOUNCED STAGE ONE WATERING RESTRICTIONS.
AND WE USED OUR PORTAL FOR THE FIRST TIME TO, YOU KNOW, UM, REACH OUT TO OUR CUSTOMER BASE, TO LET THEM KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GOT THAT, THAT UPDATE AND THEY KNOW HOW TO ADJUST THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND WATERING SCHEDULES.
UM, WE ALSO, WHENEVER A NEW CUSTOMER SIGNS UP WITH, UM, UM, SERVICE FOR WATER WASTEWATER OR RECLAIM, WE, UM, GRAB THOSE EMAILS ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND USE A PORTAL TO SEND OUT, YOU KNOW, A WELCOME LETTER.
WE USED TO DO THAT FORMALLY BY MAIL, BUT NOW WE'RE USING, UM, THE PORTAL TO REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO THOSE NEW CUSTOMERS.
AND THEN CLEARLY ANYTIME THAT WE HAVE A, UM, AN AREA OUTAGE OR ANY OTHER ALERTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH OUT, WE HAVE UTILIZED A PORTAL TO DO SO.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN THE WORKS, UM, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, ASPECTS THAT THE PORTAL ALLOWS FOR.
BUT ONE THING THAT WE'RE ADDING TO THE PORTAL THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE OFFERINGS WHEN WE ENGAGED WITH THE VENDOR, UM,
[00:55:01]
IS TIERED RATE NOTIFICATION.SO, UM, CLEARLY WHEN A CUSTOMER EXCEEDS THEIR TRADITIONAL GALLON USAGE ON A MONTHLY BASIS, THE PORTAL WILL NOTIFY THEM THAT, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BASED ON YOUR CURRENT TRENDS IN WATER USAGE, YOU'RE GOING TO EXCEED PRIOR MONTHS.
UM, AND SO THAT IT KIND OF USES THE ALGORITHMS IN THE BACK END TO, TO PROVIDE THAT NOTIFICATION.
BUT ONE THING THAT IT DID NOT DO WAS PROVIDE, UH, A NOTIFICATION THAT THEY WERE NEARING ANOTHER TEAR IN OUR BILLING SYSTEM.
SO WE HAVE A MULTIPLE TIER A RATE.
AND SO WHEN A CUSTOMER WHO TRADITIONALLY, LET'S JUST SAY, AS AN EXAMPLE, IS IN, UM, RATE TIER TWO, IF THEY WERE NEARING TIER THREE, THE PORTAL WILL SEND THEM AN ALERT TO SAY, HEY, YOU'RE NEARING THAT NEXT TIER, WHICH IS A SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL IMPACT TO THEIR BILL.
AND SO THAT'S JUST ONE MORE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO, UM, LET OUR CUSTOMERS KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NEARING, UH, ANOTHER NOT ONLY WATER USAGE THRESHOLD, BUT ON THE BILLING SIDE THRESHOLD, UM, TO PREVENT HIGH BILLS AND ANY CONCERNS IN THAT CATEGORY.
AND SO JUST KIND OF ROUND US OUT WITH SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR, UM, PORTAL ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH THUS FAR.
SO, UM, TODAY WE'VE SENT OVER OR THE PORTAL HAS PROVIDED, UM, OVER 20,000 CONTINUOUS CONSUMPTION ALERTS.
AND SO CONTINUOUS CONSUMPTION IN, IN OTHER WORDS IS, IS A LEAK, BUT WE DON'T CALL IT LEAK BECAUSE IT CAN CATCH THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRULY A LEAK OR A BREAK ON THE CUSTOMER SIDE.
IT COULD BE A FAUCET LEFT ON, SO THAT CONTINUOUS CONSUMPTION ALERTS, THOSE ARE GOING.
AND, UM, AND I'LL JUMP TO THE THIRD BULLET THERE THAT FROM THOSE CONTINUOUS CONSUMPTION ALERTS BASED ON THOSE, AND WHEN A CUSTOMER REPORTS THAT THEY DID IN FACT HAVE A LEAK WE'VE ESTIMATED RIGHT NOW THAT THIS PORTAL HAS HELPED US TO IDENTIFY 3 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER SAVINGS FROM THOSE LEAK NOTIFICATIONS THAT A CUSTOMER MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT.
AS AN EXAMPLE, I KNOW IT GAVE Y'ALL ONE.
UM, THE LAST TIME I REPORTED OUT, BUT A NEW ONE THAT WE FOUND IN, UM, I THINK IT'S KIND OF A FUN ONE.
THE, THE IMAGE THERE ON THE SCREEN IS A PICTURE OF A CAT.
AND, UM, WE WERE SENT THIS VIDEO FROM, FROM A CUSTOMER THROUGH THE PORTAL THAT SAID, UM, THEY WERE OUT OF TOWN AND HAD LEFT A, UM, A PERSON IN THEIR HOME TO WATCH THEIR PETS AND DO PET SITTING FOR THEM.
SO THEY ON THEIR PHONE GOT AN ALERT THAT SAID CONTINUOUS CONSUMPTION, ALERT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS CAT HAD GONE IN AND TURNED ON THE WATER, HIM OR HERSELF.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A BOY CAT OR A GIRL CAT, BUT HAD TURNED ON THE WATER.
AND, UM, THE PERSON THAT WAS WATCHING THEIR HOME DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THIS CAT COULD TURN ON THERE AND WATER THEMSELVES.
SO, UM, THAT WAS KIND OF A FUN, YOU KNOW, A FUN.
SO IT WASN'T TRULY A LEAK, BUT IT WAS WATER BEING CONSUMED OUTSIDE OF THEIR NORMAL USAGE AND WAS RUNNING HOURS.
SO UNTIL OUR PETS LEARNED HOW TO TURN THE WATER OFF, THERE'S MY ATX WATER PORTAL FOR THEM.
AND THEN, UM, OUTSIDE OF, OF THAT FUN ACTIVITY AND, AND REALLY THE GETTING THE BENEFITS OUT OF THE PORTAL, UM, OF THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT WERE DIRECTLY INTERACTING WITH THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS THAT, THAT WE'VE HAD AS AUSTIN WATER STAFF IS REALLY HAVING THAT CUSTOMER TOUCH POINT WITH OUR CUSTOMERS IN A WAY THAT WE NEVER HAVE BEFORE, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONALLY, IF THEY EXPERIENCED A LEAK OR HAD A QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR BILL, THEY FIRST GO THROUGH UTILITY CONTACT CENTER.
AND SO IT'S USUALLY SEVERAL STEPS DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
AND SO, UM, THEY'RE DIRECTLY EMAILING US THROUGH THE PORTAL, UM, ASKING US QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ANSWER, UM, RIGHT OFF THE BAT WITHOUT SENDING THEM THROUGH MULTIPLE PARTIES.
SO WE'RE REALLY GETTING THAT, AND OF THOSE THAT WE'VE INTERACTED WITH, UM, THROUGH THE PORTAL, 95%, UM, ARE POSITIVE, MEANING THEY'VE EITHER THINK THIS IN SOME WAY, OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE HAD A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE WITH THE PORTAL THUS FAR.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT AND, UM, ARE READY FOR MORE REGISTERED USERS AND MORE THINGS TO COME.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR RICK OR MYSELF AT ANY QUESTION BY SHOW, PLEASE.
AND, UM, I JUST, I RECALL AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF ALL OF THIS, UH, WITH THE METER ACCURACY, LIKELY BEING BETTER, WE MIGHT RUN INTO SOME ISSUES WHERE SUDDENLY PEOPLE ARE FEELING LIKE THEY'RE USING A LOT MORE AND I GUESS, HOW HAS THAT GONE? SORRY.
UM, SO IT'S GOING WELL, WE ARE MONITORING THAT INFORMATION, UM, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND WHAT WE'VE FOUND SO FAR IS THAT, UM, OF THOSE THAT HAVE THE METER
[01:00:01]
INSTALLED SOME ABOUT HALF OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE EXPERIENCING HALF OF WATER USAGE AND THE OTHER HALF IS ACTUALLY RE RECEIVING A LOWER VOLUME OF WATER USAGE.WE'RE DOING SOME FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS AND EVALUATIONS TO UNDERSTAND IF THAT'S REALLY, UM, THOSE THAT ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR WATER USE AND ACTUALLY ACTIVELY LOGGING INTO THEIR PORTAL AND TRACKING THEIR DAILY USE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO SAVE WATER.
SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR HYPOTHESIS IS THAT THOSE THAT ARE ACTUALLY USING THE PORTAL AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MANAGE OUR WATER USE, IT'S WORKING AND FOR THOSE OTHERS, UM, THAT MAYBE HAD OLDER WATER METERS, THEY ARE SEEING THAT THAT INCREASE, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, THE TOOL IS WORKING AND, UM, IT SEEMS IT'S ABOUT 50 50 RIGHT NOW.
UH, COMMISSIONER MICHELLE, PLEASE.
QUESTION THE 51,914 METER INSTALLATIONS ABOUT WHAT PERCENT COMPLETE IS THAT THEY ARE ALL, ALL THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE COMPLETE, NO, SORRY OF THE TOTAL TOTAL PROJECT INSTALL THAT IS, OR PROBABLY ABOUT 20% THROUGH, UH, THE INVENTORY OF ALL OUR METERS.
SO WE'RE TARGETING THAT WILL, BY THE TIME WE FINISHED, WE'LL PROBABLY BE IN THE RANGE OF 250,000 METERS TO EXCHANGE.
SO WE'RE ABOUT 20% THROUGH THE METER INSTALL.
AND THE ANTICIPATION IS THAT OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
SO BY THE 2024, WE SHOULD BE AT THE END OF THAT, UH, SCHEDULE.
UM, LET ME GO BACK TO, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE.
THAT'S A CITY-WIDE IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT SLIDE, IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, CONVERTING 500 PER WEEK CURRENTLY, AND THEN, UH, MID JUNE THIS MONTH, WE'RE GOING TO BE BUMPING UP, UH, TO A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT 2,500 PER WEEK.
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS, IS THE CONTRACTOR ADDING ADDITIONAL CREWS OR, UH, OR, UM, SORRY.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE THAT'S, THAT'S THE CITY CONVERTING.
THIS IS THE, THAT'S THE METER TO BILL, UH, STATS.
SO CURRENTLY WE'RE AT 500 PER WEEK.
WE'RE NOW GOING TO THE 2,500, UM, METER TO BILL, UH, CONVERSION.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S INTERNAL WITH AUSTIN WATER STAFF, AND SAME QUESTION APPLIES.
HOW DO WE MAKE, HOW WE MAKE IN THAT SIGNIFICANT JUMP? UH, THE, UH, TESTING WAS THAT I MENTIONED THAT THERE'S LIKE 10 THRESHOLDS THAT WE HAVE TO ACHIEVE TO MAKE THAT METER CERTIFIED FOR US TO CONVERT TO AN AMI REED.
AND WE HAVE CURRENTLY, I THINK IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE ORDER OF 25,000 THAT ARE READY TO DO TO GO, BUT WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS ON A METHODICAL PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE NO HICCUPS THAT WE SH WE MAKE SURE THAT THE BILL IS ACCURATE, MAKE SURE THAT IT ACTUALLY IS DELIVERED.
UH, SO WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO MANUALLY, ESPECIALLY ON ANY ESTIMATES.
UH, SO WE'RE DOING THIS ON BATCHES AND IT'S, IT'S WORKED OUT WELL.
WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, WORK OUT THROUGH ANY BUGS IF WE HAVE ANY SOFTWARE RELATED IT GLITCHES.
UH, BUT THIS IS KIND OF OUR PROGRESS RATE AND WE CAN RAMP UP AND IT'S AN ARBITRARY NUMBER.
SO WE COULD, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANTED TO, WE COULD GO 10,000 NEXT WEEK, BUT THAT'S CAUSES SOME PAUSE RIGHT NOW AS WE KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS THROUGH THE SUMMER.
AND I'M GOING BACK TO THE OVERALL PROJECT.
THE INSTALLS WERE ABOUT 20% COMPLETE.
WHAT IS ROUGHLY THE PROJECT COMPLETION SCHEDULE RIGHT NOW? SO CURRENTLY IF WE'RE ESTIMATING SOMEWHERE ABOUT 75,000 BY THIS FISCAL YEAR BY NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS OCTOBER OF 23, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ANOTHER 150 TOTAL EXCHANGE WITH THE, UH, OUTCOME OF FINISHING OFF IN CALENDAR YEAR 2024.
UM, I WILL NOTE THAT, UM, THIS IS MAINLY THE, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UH, METERS, WHICH WOULD BE ANYTHING LESS THAN THE THREE INCHES OF, UH, SIZE, UH, WE HAVE AN ITEM THAT WILL COME TO COUNCIL.
UM, WHY DON'T WE SWEAT ON COUNCIL ON THE LARGE METER EXCHANGES? UH, THAT IS A KIND OF A, A TOUGHER, UH, AREA TO KIND OF TACKLE BECAUSE, UH, THERE ARE SOME METERS THAT WE COULD JUST EXCHANGE THE REGISTER AND THEY'RE KIND OF AMI READY.
UH, WHEREAS THERE ARE SOME THAT WE HAVE TO EXCHANGE THE ENTIRE METER.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON NEXT.
[01:05:01]
DEFINITELY WE'RE TARGETING THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, AND SO THAT WE'LL HAVE A BETTER PROGRESS RATE.AND I ALSO WILL COME BACK IN A, IN A FUTURE PRESENTATION TO KIND OF LAY OUT GEOGRAPHICALLY OUR PROGRESS.
AND SO ONE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS KIND OF THE PERF PERIPHERAL AREAS OF THE CITY AND THE CENTRAL IS KIND OF ONE OF THE TOUGHER AREAS TO WORK THROUGH.
UM, AND ALSO IT'S IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR LEAD, UM, UM, INSPECTIONS.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, DEFINITELY INSPECT AND CLEAR THE AREA BEFORE WE GET TO THOSE EXCHANGES.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT, UH, PLAY INTO OUR PROGRESS, BUT WE TAKE ALL THOSE INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT DEFINITELY THE, THE RESIDENTIAL IS OUR KEY TARGETED AREAS AND THE EASY TO DO LARGER METERS, BUT DEFINITELY WE'LL HAVE SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE LARGER METERS THAT W WILL KIND OF BE IN THE TAIL END OF THE PROJECT.
UM, SO FOCUSING ON THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS, WE HAVE A LOT OF THE PIPELINE RENEWAL PROJECTS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
UM, HAS THAT BEEN AN ISSUE OR DO Y'ALL HAVE TO KIND OF RESCHEDULE AROUND IF Y'ALL ARE WORKING IN A CERTAIN AREA WITH A CONTRACTOR, DOES THAT DICTATE YOUR, YOUR INSTALL PLAN AT ALL? IS IT NOT REALLY AN ISSUE FOR YOU TO DATE? I DON'T HAVE AN IMPACT.
I HAVE NOT SEEN AN IMPACT FOR SOME OF THAT DEVELOPMENT WORK, UM, CURRENTLY.
GOT ANY MORE QUESTION? UH, COMMISSIONER HE PRIESTS.
UM, I THOUGHT I READ SOMEWHERE THIS PAST WEEK, WHERE THERE WAS A LITTLE EXCHANGE WITH AN AUSTIN WATER CUSTOMER WHO DID NOT WANT THE NEW SMART METER INSTALLED.
UM, AND THIS INDIVIDUAL FELT THERE WAS BE SOME KIND OF, UH, COMPUTER INCURSION KIND OF HACKING OR WHERE REMOTE PACKERS COULD TURN OFF THE WATER, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND, UM, HEY, AM I RECALLING THAT CORRECTLY? YOU'RE CORRECT.
UM, AND AWESOME WATER DECIDED TO SAY, OKAY, IN YOUR CASE, UH, WE'RE, WE'LL JUST LEADS A TRADITIONAL METER IN THE GROUND.
AND I PERSONALLY THINK THAT'S A MISTAKE, BUT WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR THINKING ALONG THOSE LINES? I THINK WE SHOULD CHANGE ALL THESE METERS OUT WHILE WE'RE DOING IT AND NOT FOOL AROUND WITH IT.
SO THERE WAS A BIT OF INACCURACY IN THAT REPORTING.
UM, WE ARE STILL EXCHANGING ALL, LET'S CALL IT 250,000 METERS IN OUR SERVICE AREA FOR OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
WHAT WE ARE NOT DOING FOR ANY CUSTOMERS THAT MAY CHOOSE OR ELECT TO OPT OUT OF THE AMI PROGRAM IS THAT THEY GET THEIR METER EXCHANGE.
BUT THE METER TRANSMITTING UNIT, THE MTU THAT'S ATTACHED THAT SENDS THE READS TO THE DCU AND BACK TO OUR HEAD-END SYSTEM IS NOT INSTALLED.
SO THE METER ITSELF IS STILL EXCHANGED AND THEY GET A NEW, UM, DIGITAL METER, DIGITAL PAD, YOUR METER, BUT THE MTU IS NOT INSTALLED ON THERE.
SO IT'S NOT SENDING READS ELECTRONICALLY TO OUR SYSTEM.
SO THEIR METER WOULD BE READ MANUALLY IN THE SAME MANNER THAT IT IS TODAY.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF A PAIN IN THE NECK.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THE DESIRED OUTCOME, THAT AUSTIN WATER WISHES.
UM, BUT WE DO KNOW LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY WITH THEIR, UM, AMI METERING SYSTEM, THERE ARE CUSTOMERS WITHIN THEIR, YOU KNOW, SYSTEM THAT OPTED OUT.
WHAT I WILL REPORT OUT IS THAT TODAY OF THE 51 PLUS THOUSAND, THAT WE'VE EXCHANGED AND INSTALLED, THERE ARE ONLY A COUPLE OF HANDFULS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE ELECTED THE OPT-OUT.
SO IT'S, IT'S LESS THAN I THINK.
UM, I CALCULATED IT'S LIKE 0.0, ZERO 6% OF OUR CURRENT POPULATION.
THAT'S, THAT'S DECIDED TO DO THAT.
SO IT'S A REALLY SMALL PERCENT, WE WILL CONTINUE MANUAL METER READING FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS, BUT THEY ARE GETTING THE NEW METER.
SO ONCE A MONTH, SOMEONE WILL MAKE A CIRCUIT AROUND THE CITY TO MANUALLY READ MAYBE 50 METERS.
[01:10:02]
WELL, I GUESS IF IT'S NOT THAT BAD, UM, BUT IF IT WERE TO BECOME A LARGER NUMBER, I THINK I I'D HAVE A TENDENCY TO FIGHT THAT, BUT, UH, ANYWAYS IT PRESENTATION.UM, I'M GOING TO ADD REAL QUICK THOUGH.
WE WILL HAVE MANUAL READERS FOR MANY YEARS TO COME, SO YOU'RE RIGHT.
IF WE WERE ONLY DOING THOSE 50, THAT'D BE ODD, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF MANUAL READS UNTIL WE GET TO THAT 20, 24 TIMEFRAME.
AT THAT POINT, WE WOULD HOPE EVEN SOME OF THESE WOULD DIMINISH, BUT FOR NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MANUAL READS FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
SO IT'S JUST PART OF THAT SYSTEM.
I JUST QUICK QUESTION FOR THOSE FUTURE HOMEOWNERS, THE ROLLOVER, UM, IS THERE GOING TO BE A PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRACKING THE ONES THAT DIDN'T GET THOSE INSTALLED SO THAT THE NEW HOMEOWNER HAS A CHANCE TO GET THE PORTAL ADVANTAGES? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'VE UM, WORKED WITH OUR PARTNERS WITH THE UTILITY CONTACT CENTER AT AUSTIN ENERGY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BILLING SYSTEM SET UP, THAT IT WOULD, UM, SEND FILLED ACTIVITIES TO OUR STAFF TO GO INSTALL THE, UM, MTU AND THAT WAY THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SET UP THEIR PORTAL AND ACTIVATE THEIR ACCOUNT IN THAT WAY.
MY SUGGESTION IS WE JUST NEED TO LEARN FROM MY BANK.
IF YOU WANT A PAPER, MONTHLY STATEMENT, I CHARGE YOU $2 AND THE SAME THING ON A TOTAL, IF YOU WANT A PAPER STATEMENT OF YOUR TOTAL POS, WHICH ARE YOU $5, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK WE NEED TO THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT, HOW MANY IS THAT A PERSON INDIVIDUAL MAKE A BIG TRIP OVER THERE TO HAVE A READING THAT'S CAUSE A LOT EFFORTS THERE, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR PRIMER, HOW MUCH DO THEY CHARGE YOU FOR THE HOUSE WIDGET AGREED.
AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT STATEMENT, UM, AND OUR OPT OUT W THERE ARE OPT-OUT FEES THAT, UM, REIMBURSES THE UTILITY FOR THE MANUAL METER READING ASPECTS.
SO WHEN WE CONTINUE THAT WE ARE BEING REIMBURSED FOR THOSE, UM, TRUCK TRIPS, TRUCK ROLLS.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE STUFF, IF NOT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT
[E.3. Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project Update]
ONE, WHICH IS E THREE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT UPDATE.GOOD IN THE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS, KEVIN CRITTENDON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, AUSTIN WATER.
UM, THE SYDNEY, WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN UPDATE TO OUR, UH, ASR PROJECT.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, UM, OUR WATERFORD PROGRAM HAS IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES, UM, OVER OUR A HUNDRED YEAR PLANNING HORIZON TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AMONG THOSE, WE CONTINUE TO MAKE ADVANCES OVER PROTECTING OUR CORE COLORADO WATER SUPPLY, UH, ADVANCES IN WATER CONSERVATION.
UM, BOTH ADVANCES ON THE CENTRALIZED AND DECENTRALIZED WATERFRONT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT ADVANCES WE'RE MAKING IN THE, UH, SMART METERING EXERCISE.
AND SO THIS WAS ONE PARTICULAR, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND UPDATE YOU ON ASR.
UH, ASR IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT'S ONE OF OUR LARGEST SINGLE WATER SUPPLY DEVELOPMENT SIDE, UM, AND STRATEGIES.
UM, IT'S ALSO UNIQUE IN THAT IT'S GOING TO BE OUR FIRST FORAY INTO, YOU KNOW, UM, SORT OF A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY, UH, FOR YEARS AND DECADES, WE'VE BEEN AT A SURFACE WATER UTILITY, UM, WHILE THIS IS NOT NATIVE GROUNDWATER, IT'S CERTAINLY NEW TECHNOLOGY WHERE WE'LL HAVE TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, LEARNING ALONG THE WAY.
UH, OF COURSE ASR IS, UH, UH, TECHNOLOGY, UH, THAT'S BEEN USED WORLDWIDE, CERTAINLY USED, UH, THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND, UM, EVEN IN TEXAS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF GET INTO THE ASR WORLD.
SO WITH THAT, UH, JOINING ME THIS EVENING IS HELEN GARLOCK.
SHE'S AN ENGINEER AND OUR WATER SUPPLY PLANNING TEAM AND THE PROJECT MANAGER OVER OUR ASR PILOT PROJECT, AND SHE'S GOING TO PROVIDE THE PRESENTATION.
SO HELEN GREYLOCK, I'M AN ENGINEER IN THE ASSISTANCE PLANNING DIVISION, UH, AUSTIN WATER AND, UH, AUSTIN WATER PROJECT MANAGER FOR OUR AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT.
AND TODAY I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BACKGROUND, UM, FOR OUR ASR PROJECT.
UM, GO OVER THE PROJECT TIMELINE, TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, UM, AND THEN OUR UPCOMING WORK AND NEXT STEPS FOR THE PROJECT.
[01:15:01]
YOU MAY BE ABLE TO INFER FROM THE NAME AQUIFER, STORAGE AND RECOVERY OR ASR, IT'S A STRATEGY TO STORE WATER IN WET TIMES WHEN THAT WATER'S AVAILABLE AND THEN RECOVER IT LATER WHEN WE NEED IT SUCH AS DURING A SEVERE DROUGHT, AQUIFER, STORAGE, AND RECOVERY AS A WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY, THAT'S ALREADY BEING USED ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS, SAN ANTONIO, EL PASO, AND KERRVILLE ALL HAVE CURRENTLY OPERATING ASR SYSTEMS. SO BEFORE I TALK MORE ABOUT AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY, I JUST WANTED TO GO OVER SOME HYDROGEOLOGY BASICS.SO AQUIFERS ARE LAYERS OF ROCK AND SEDIMENT BELOW THE GROUND THAT CAN HOLD LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER.
AND THE WATER THAT'S STORED IN THE AQUIFER IS STORED IN THE PORES AND OPENINGS BETWEEN THAT ROCK AND SEDIMENT.
BUT YOU CAN THINK OF SORT OF LIKE A SPONGE AND THAT WATER THAT'S STORED IN THOSE SPACES IS WHAT WE KNOW AS GROUNDWATER AND DIFFERENT AQUIFERS HAVE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF GROUNDWATER THAT'S STORED IN THEM, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROCK OR SEDIMENT THAT MAKE UP THAT AQUIFER MATRIX THE SIZE OF THE PORES IN THAT ROCK AND MANY DIFFERENT OTHER FACTORS, TYPICAL GROUNDWATER WELLS WORK BY PUMPING OUT THE GROUNDWATER THAT STORED IN THOSE SPACES WITHIN THE AQUIFER, THE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY IS UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT THAN A TYPICAL GROUNDWATER.
WELL, BECAUSE WE PUT WATER INTO THE AQUIFER BEFORE ANYTHING IS PULLED OUT AND WE WOULD NEVER PULL MORE WATER OUT OF THE AQUIFER THAN WAS PREVIOUSLY STORED, AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY IS A KEY WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY INCLUDED IN THE WATERFORD PLAN, WHICH IS AUSTIN'S COUNCIL APPROVED, INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES PLAN THAT LAYS OUT A ROADMAP OF SUPPLY STRATEGIES AND OVER THE NEXT 100 YEARS, AND SOME OF THE KEY DRIVERS FOR THAT PLAN, UM, WERE NEEDS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE FUTURE DUE TO GROWING POPULATION, SEVERE DROUGHTS IN THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND SO AQUIFER, STORAGE AND RECOVERY IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT WATER FORD PLAN, AS IT PROVIDES A SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY IN THE FUTURE TO HELP MEET THOSE NEEDS DURING SEVERE DROUGHTS, WHAT ARE FOUR? IT ALSO INCLUDES MANY OTHER STRATEGIES IN ADDITION TO ASR, INCLUDING CONSERVATION STRATEGIES THAT HELP REDUCE DEMAND AS WELL AS WATER REUSE STRATEGIES WORK ON THE FIRST PHASE OF OUR AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT BEGAN IN EARLY 2021.
AND THE GOAL OF THIS FIRST PHASE OF WORK OR WHAT WE'RE CALLING PHASE ONE A IS TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL LOCATIONS FOR THAT AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT.
SO, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, ASR WOULD STORE WATER WHEN THE SUPPLIES ARE PLENTIFUL, OUR AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT IS PLANNED TO STORE HIGH QUALITY WATER FROM OUR DRINKING WATER SYSTEM.
AND THAT WATER WOULD BE PRETREATED AS NEEDED BEFORE GOING INTO THE GROUND TO PROTECT THE AQUIFER SYSTEM.
THE WATER FOR ASR WOULD BE AVAILABLE UNDER AUSTIN'S EXISTING WATER RIGHTS.
AND THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO MAXIMIZE OUR EXISTING SUPPLIES BY INCREASING THE OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY WITH STORAGE, THE WATER WOULD REMAIN STORED IN THE AQUIFER UNTIL IT IS NEEDED.
AND THEN WHEN REGULAR SUPPLIES BECOME SCARCE, SUCH AS DURING A SEVERE DROUGHT, THE WATER THAT WAS STORED IN THE ASR PROJECT CAN BE PUMPED OUT OR RECOVERED AND USED TO MEET DEMANDS.
AND WHEN THAT WATER IS RECOVERED FROM THE ASR, IT WOULD BE TREATED TO BE FULLY COMPATIBLE WITH OUR AUSTIN WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, BEFORE IT WOULD BE SENT TO CUSTOMERS.
SO AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY SYSTEMS ARE REALLY USEFUL WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, INCLUDING SOME OF THE ONES SHOWN ON THE SLIDE HERE, ASR WOULD HELP MAKE AUSTIN'S WATER SUPPLY MORE RESILIENT THROUGH THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND DROUGHTS BY PROVIDING THAT SOURCE OF STORED WATER, AN ASR SYSTEM CAN STORE LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER WITH MINIMAL DISTURBANCE TO THE LAND ABOVE THE NATURAL AQUIFER.
THE WATER STORED IN ASR WOULD BE AVAILABLE UNDER OUR EXISTING WATER RIGHTS, ALLOWING AUSTIN TO MAXIMIZE ITS LOCAL WATER RESOURCES, STORING WATER UNDERGROUND, AND AN AQUIFER PREVENTS THE HIGH EVAPORATIVE LOSSES THAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH RESERVOIRS IN A WARM CLIMATE LIKE OURS, STORING WATER IN A NATURAL AQUIFERS, MORE COST-EFFECTIVE THAN OTHER SIMILARLY SIZED WATER STORAGE OPTIONS.
AND AN ASR SYSTEM COULD PROVIDE A SECOND SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY DURING EMERGENCIES SUCH AS DROUGHT OR SUPPLY UPSETS.
SO THIS TIMELINE SHOWS THE STEPS FOR AUSTIN'S AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT FROM THE PROJECTS BEGINNING IN 2021, ALL THE WAY THROUGH COMPLETION OF FULL-SCALE ASR CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO BE DONE IN ABOUT 2035.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE FAR TO THE LEFT ON THIS GRAPHIC IN WHAT WE'RE CALLING PHASE ONE A THAT FIRST PHASE OF WORK, WHICH IS WHEN WE ARE WORKING
[01:20:01]
TO DETERMINE THE BEST LOCATION FOR A POTENTIAL ASR PROJECT.SO ONCE WE HAVE A IDENTIFIED, THE NEXT STEP WILL BE TO BUILD AND TEST A PILOT ASR PROJECT, AND A PILOT PROJECT WOULD BE A SMALL SCALE PROJECT, WHICH GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST ASSUMPTIONS AND GET DETAILED DATA BEFORE BEGINNING ANY WORK ON A FULL-SCALE ASR PROJECT UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A PILOT, WE COULD BEGIN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A FULL-SCALE ASR, AND THAT IS ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETE BY ABOUT 2035.
AT WHICH POINT WE COULD BEGIN ACTUALLY STORING WATER IN THE ASR PROJECT.
I'M HOPING TO BUILD UP SUPPLY BY 2040 AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE WATERFORD GOAL OF HAVING 60,000 ACRE FEET OF WATER STORED, UM, BY 2040.
AND SO THIS TIMELINE HOPEFULLY GIVES YOU A HIGH-LEVEL LOOK AT THE TIMING OF THE PROJECT AND EMPHASIZES THAT WE'RE STILL IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES AND HAVE LOTS OF TIME TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS TO SHARE UPDATES ABOUT THE PROJECT AND TO GATHER FEEDBACK.
SO ON THIS SLIDE, UM, YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE TIMELINE FOR THAT CURRENT STAGE OF WORK, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, PHASE ONE, A, UM, THE GOAL OF PHASE ONE A AGAIN, IS TO IDENTIFY THE MOST FAVORABLE SITES FOR AN ASR PROJECT.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS ALL DESKTOP.
UM, IT'S ALL COMPUTER-BASED, UM, IN FUTURE PHASES WOULD, UH, INCLUDE FIELD TESTING.
SO THE FIRST STEP OF THIS PHASE OF WORK WAS TO LOOK AT NEARBY AQUIFERS TO DETERMINE WHICH WERE MOST FAVORABLE FOR A POTENTIAL ASR WELL FIELD.
UM, WE DID A HIGH LEVEL SCREENING TO KIND OF CAST A WIDE NET AND THEN NARROW DOWN OPTIONS FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.
UM, AND THEN DO, DID A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS WITHIN THOSE, UH, SCREENED AREAS.
AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDES.
UM, BUT WE IDENTIFIED TRAVIS BEST DROP AND LEE COUNTIES OF AIR AS AREAS OF FURTHER INTEREST, UM, FOR ASR.
SO IN PARALLEL TO LOOKING AT THE AQUIFERS FOR POTENTIAL WELL FIELD LOCATIONS, WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE AUSTIN WATER DISTRIBUTION SIDE TO DETERMINE LOCATIONS WHERE ASR COULD TYPE BACK INTO OUR SYSTEM.
AND THE NEXT STEP WILL BE TO COMBINE SORT OF THE OUTCOME OF BOTH OF THOSE TESTS TO COME UP WITH A FULL ASR PROJECT CONFIGURATIONS, WHICH WILL THEN BE EVALUATED, UM, USING A DETAILED EVALUATION, UM, WITH CRITERIA AND WEIGHTS THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED, UM, WITH COMMUNITY INPUT.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUTREACH EVENTS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES SCOPE TO RECEIVE INPUT ON THESE CRITERIA AND WAITING.
SO THAT'LL BE USED TO EVALUATE THE ASR CONFIGURATIONS.
AND SO ONCE WE PERFORM THAT EVALUATION, WE'LL REPORT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THE RESULTS, WITH THE OUTCOME OF ULTIMATE OUTCOME OF THIS PHASE OF WORK BEING, UM, A PROPOSED LOCATION, EXCUSE ME, PROPOSED LOCATION, UM, FOR FIELD TESTING, AND THEN EVENTUALLY ASR PILOTING.
AND THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, UM, CONTINUE TO WORK, TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WE'LL BE DOING ONGOING EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY WORK, INCLUDING DEVELOPMENT OF AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP, AND TOOL, WHICH WILL BE USED TO HELP GUIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY BEGUN, UM, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR ASR.
WE HAD TWO COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AT THE END OF MARCH, UM, WHICH WERE ADVERTISED AND, UM, THOSE THREE COUNTIES THAT I MENTIONED AS AREAS OF FURTHER INTEREST, AND WE HAD THOSE, WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT, UM, ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND RECEIVE INPUT ON EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY CONSIDERATIONS.
THAT'LL BE USED TO, UM, FOLD INTO THAT EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP.
SO HERE I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT HIGH LEVEL SCREENING THAT WE DID.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, THIS WAS PERFORMED BECAUSE WE WANTED TO KIND OF CAST A WIDE NET OF POTENTIAL ASR OPTIONS.
UM, AT THE START, THE SCREENING IDENTIFIED AQUIFER AREAS AT A LARGE SCALE THAT WOULD BE FAVOR GENERALLY FAVORABLE FOR AUSTIN'S ASR PROJECT.
AND THE RESULTS OF THIS SCREENING HELPED US FOCUS FUTURE WORK ON IDENTIFYING FAVORABLE ASR SITES, KIND OF WITHIN THESE BROAD AREAS THAT WERE SCREENED.
SO WE LOOKED AT TRAVIS AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES FOR A TOTAL OF AN EIGHT COUNTY AREA, A MAJOR AQUIFERS THAT WERE CONSIDERED WITHIN THAT SCREENING OR THE TRINITY, THE EDWARDS AND THE CHORIZO WILCOX AQUIFERS, AND WHERE NEEDED.
WE LOOKED AT SUBUNITS OF THOSE MAJOR AQUIFERS TO GET MORE GRANULAR INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPERTIES.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT MINOR AQUIFERS IN THAT SAME EIGHT COUNTY AREA, AND THAT INCLUDED SIX MINOR AQUIFERS.
I'M LOOKING AT THE OUTCROP AND SUB CROP OF THOSE AS NEEDED.
AND THOSE INCLUDED THE YABBA JACKSON, THE SPARTA, THE QUEEN CITY, THE MARBLE FALLS,
[01:25:01]
ELLENBERGER SAN SABA AND HICKORY AQUIFERS.SO WE SCREENED THOSE MAJOR AND MINOR AQUIFERS AND THEIR SUB UNITS BASED ON SEVERAL FACTORS, WHICH ARE SHOWN HERE IN THIS TABLE, UM, INCLUDING THE FEASIBILITY OF THOSE AREAS TO MEET PROJECT YIELD GOALS, HYDROGEOLOGY FACTORS OF THE AQUIFER PERMITTING FACTORS IN PROXIMITY TO THE AUSTIN WATER SYSTEM, UM, THE DATA AND THE RESULTS OF THAT SCREENING IS SHOWN HERE, BUT REALLY THE KEY TAKEAWAY OR THE ONES THAT ARE LISTED AT THE TOP, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE METRICS SHOWN HERE INDICATED THAT THOSE THREE AREAS, UM, THE CARESA WILCOX AND TRINITY AQUIFERS AND TRAVIS BASTROP AND LEE COUNTIES, WHERE THE MOST FAVORABLE FOR AUSTIN'S ASR PROJECT.
SO THIS HELPS US FOCUS OR FUTURE WORD WORK ON IDENTIFYING FAVORABLE ASR SITES WITHIN THESE BROAD AREAS.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES AN OF THOSE SAME RESULTS THAT WE SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
IT'S KIND OF JUST HIGHLIGHTING THOSE SAME THREE AREAS, THE CHORIZO WILCOX AND TRINITY AQUIFERS WITHIN TRAVIS BACKDROP AND LEE COUNTIES.
AND AGAIN, THOSE WOULD BE THE AREAS THAT, UM, MOVE FORWARD FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SITES FOR AN ASR PILOT PROJECT.
SO THE NEXT STEPS FOR ASR, UM, INCLUDE PERFORMING THAT DETAILED SPATIAL ANALYSIS WITHIN THE AREAS OF INTEREST THAT WE JUST SHOWED UP ON THE SCREEN TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL LOCATIONS FOR A WELL FIELD.
WE'LL BE EVALUATING THOSE LOCATIONS AS WELL AS THEIR ASSOCIATED ASR CONFIGURATIONS USING THOSE, UH, CRITERIA AND WEIGHTINGS INFORMED BY COMMUNITY INPUT.
WE HAVE OUTREACH PLAN AND DEDICATED WORKSHOPS SCOPED, UM, TO RECEIVE INPUT ON THOSE CRITERIA AND WEIGHTINGS BASED ON THE EVALUATION RESULTS.
THE END OF PHASE ONE A WILL BE A RECOMMENDATION FOR A LOCATION FOR FURTHER FIELD TESTING AND EVENTUALLY PILOTING.
AND THAT PHASE ONE, A WORK, UM, IS PROJECTED TO WRAP UP BY ABOUT THE END OF 2023.
UM, WE'LL NEED ADDITIONAL WATER WASTEWATER AND COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR FUTURE PHASES OF WORK, AS WELL AS ANY POTENTIAL LAND AGREEMENTS THAT COME OUT OF THIS ANALYSIS.
AND THEN JUST REMINDING THAT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK, TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND IMPLEMENT ASR WITH AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY LENS, USING THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY, ROADMAP, AND TOOL TO HELP GUIDE THAT IMPLEMENTATION.
AND HERE, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE A FEW RESOURCES FOR ASR THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE AN ASR PROJECT PAGE ON OUR AUSTIN WATER WEBSITE, AS WELL AS AN ASR PAGE ON SPEAK UP AUSTIN.
AND ON THAT SPEAK-UP AUSTIN PAGE.
WE HAVE, UM, SEVERAL RESOURCES FOR ASR.
THERE'S A PLACE WHERE FOLKS CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO THE PROJECT TEAM.
IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, ASR, WE HAVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE SUCH AS A FACT SHEET IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH THAT TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT.
UM, A LIST OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND WE HAVE A PLACE WHERE FOLKS CAN REQUEST A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE PROJECT FROM THE TEAM.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE LINKS TO OUR ASR EDUCATIONAL VIDEO, WHICH YOU CAN SEE A SCREEN CAPTURE OF HERE ON THE SLIDE, UM, AND THAT'S AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AS WELL.
AND SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THE PROJECT, COMMISSIONER, SCOTT, ANY QUESTIONS, WHAT A STOP, UH, COMMISSIONER MASCARO PRIESTS, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT, THAT SOMEONE ELSE WON'T TAKE THE WATER ONCE IT'S IN THE OXFORD INSTEAD OF YOU CAN'T HOW HAS, HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR WATER? YEAH, THANK YOU.
UM, IT'S DEFINITELY A PRIORITY FOR US TO CHOOSE A LOCATION FOR THE PROJECT.
THAT'LL ALLOW US TO PROTECT THE WATER THAT'S BEING STORED.
UM, WE'LL LIKELY NEED TO HAVE CONTROL OF THE LAND, UM, ABOVE OUR STORED WATER TO PROTECT ACCESS TO THAT.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE CONTROL OF THE LAND, UM, ABOVE THE AQUIFER, BUT AN EXAMPLE FROM ANOTHER ASR PROJECT, UM, AS THEY PURCHASED THE LAND ABOVE THEIR STORED WATER, BUT THEN WERE ABLE TO LEASE IT BACK OUT TO THE FARMERS AND RANCHERS WHO HAD USED IT PREVIOUSLY, UM, SO THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR OPERATIONS WHILE STILL, UM, YOU KNOW, PROTECTING AND RESTRICTING ACCESS TO THE STORED WATER.
SO IT'LL DEFINITELY BE A BIG CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD COMMISSIONER AT MY SHOW, PLEASE.
AND THEN THE SUBSURFACE CONDITIONS ARE A BIG PART OF WHETHER IT'S MORE VIABLE IS THAT, THAT HYDRO SCORE COLUMN ON.
[01:30:01]
I WAS JUST CURIOUS, I BET YOU THERE'S A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS BEHIND THOSE PERMITTING AND THE HYDRO SCORE.DO YOU MIND TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FACTORS BEHIND THOSE? SURE.
UM, SO THE HYDROGEOLOGY SCORE THAT'S SHOWN IN THAT TABLE IS BASED ON THE TW DB ASR SUITABILITY SURVEY, UM, THAT WAS PERFORMED BY THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
THEY DID, UH, UH, SOMEWHAT SIMILAR ANALYSIS, BUT ON THE SCALE OF ALL OF TEXAS, UM, BUT WE USE THEIR SORT OF GENERAL CATEGORIES FOR DETERMINING WHETHER AN AQUIFER IS MORE FAVORABLE FOR ASR AND JUST KIND OF TRANSLATED THAT TO THIS ANALYSIS, UM, AND THEN ADDED ON AN EXTRA LAYER OF WHETHER IT WOULD BE FEASIBLE TO MEET OUR YIELD GOALS FOR THE PROJECT.
UM, SO THERE WERE SOME THAT ARE FAVORABLE FOR ASR, BUT IT'D HAVE TO BE MUCH SMALLER, SO NOT NECESSARILY FAVORABLE FOR OUR PROJECT.
UM, THE PERMITTING SCORES WERE BASED ON, UM, GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS AND, UM, TCQ REGULATIONS ABOUT ACCESSING AQUIFERS, UM, IN THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES.
SO THAT YOU ACTUALLY GOT FEEDBACK FROM TCQ FOR THAT, OR THAT'S JUST KIND OF, I GUESS, HOW DID YOU GAUGE THAT? WE SPOKE TO TCQ JUST TO MAKE SURE WE WERE CAPTURING EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S JUST BASED ON, UM, REGULATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW A LOT, I KNOW I'VE TOURED THE, UH, SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM.
UM, AND IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, LIKE THEY WERE ABLE TO KIND OF KEEP THEIR OWN BUBBLE BECAUSE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN THE TYPE, UM, OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT LIKE IT SORT OF SEPARATES ITSELF OUT INTO THE BUBBLE IN WHICH THEY'RE PUMPING DOWN.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS THIS SORT OF BARRIER.
IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN WITH MOST US TREATED WATERS PUT DOWN INTO GROUNDWATER TO WHERE WE CAN EXPECT THAT IN ANY LOCATION? OR IS IT LOCATION SPECIFIC? YES.
I THINK IT'S SOMEWHAT LOCATION SPECIFIC.
YOU WANT TO PICK AN AQUIFER WHERE THERE'S LESS DRIFT SO THAT IT'S NOT MOVING AWAY TOO MUCH.
I THINK WE'LL ALSO BE WHEREVER WE PICK, WE'LL BE BUILDING THE WELL FIELD TO TRY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THAT BUBBLE OF STORED WATER AND MAKE SURE IT'S IN THE SAME PLACE WHERE WE PUT IT, UM, AND BE MONITORING FOR WATER QUALITY CHANGES AS WE RECOVER WATER TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, STARTING TO, UM, PULL OUT NATIVE GROUNDWATER.
I MEAN, I REALLY THINK THE, THE, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE HYDROGEOLOGIC ANALYSIS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AQUIFER REALLY IS GOING TO BE WHAT'S DEPENDENT ON THE DYNAMICS OF THAT SYSTEM.
I MEAN, HOW WE PUT IT IN WHERE IT'S DRIFTING TO, OR FROM HOW MUCH MARGIN AROUND THE EDGE WE MAY BE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, EITHER LOSING OR BEING TRANSFERRED, SOME OF THESE KIND OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND I THINK IT IS VERY, NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, PHYSICAL SITE-SPECIFIC, BUT FORMATION SPECIFIC.
AND SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A COMPLEX KIND OF EQUATION, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHERE THE MOST LIKELY FEASIBLE LOCATIONS WILL BE.
AND THEN WE'LL KIND OF MOVE TO THOSE NEXT STEPS.
SO ACTUALLY DOING DRILLING WORK AND THEN KIND OF BUILD THAT OUT FROM THERE.
I COMMEND YOU ON SIMPLIFICATION AND THE OUTREACH TO THE PUBLIC CAUSE THAT'S, IT'S BEEN MADE TO BE VERY UNDERSTANDABLE.
UM, AND I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS HUGE FOR DIVERSIFICATION FOR, UM, JUST GIVING US SOME RESILIENCY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MICHELLE, YOU'LL MENTION EQUITY A COUPLE OF TIMES.
I WAS CURIOUS HOW YOU'RE INCORPORATING EQUITY INTO THE PROJECT.
SO WE SPECIFICALLY HAVE WHAT WE'RE CALLING AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP AND A TOOL, UM, WHICH WE'RE USING TO HELP GUIDE IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, THE ROADMAP, UH, WE SAY IT'S, UH, HELPS US IN OUR PROCEDURAL EQUITY.
SO MAKING SURE THAT THE PROCESS WE USE, UM, IS EQUITABLE.
SO TRYING TO REACH OUT TO COMMUNITIES OR PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT MAYBE HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, HEARD AS MUCH IN THE PAST, UM, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO HELPING GUIDE OUR IMPLEMENTATION AND MAKING SURE WE'RE HEARING FROM EVERYBODY, THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY TOOL WILL BE KIND OF BASED ON THAT ROADMAP AND WHAT WE HEAR BACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WE SORT OF RUN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ASR CONFIGURATIONS THROUGH, UM, AND IDENTIFY WHAT THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THOSE PROJECTS MIGHT BE.
UM, AND IT'LL HELP US, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT ONES THAT MAYBE HAVE LESS IMPACTS OR MORE IMPACTS
[01:35:01]
AND THEN IDENTIFY A POSSIBLE MITIGATION STRATEGIES THAT COULD BE USED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE IMPACTS.I THINK IT WOULD JUST ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE, THE, THE, THE CRUX OF IT WILL BE TRULY, TRULY TO TRY TO IDENTIFY BURDENS AND BENEFITS.
AND ONCE WE KIND OF BETTER UNDERSTAND THOSE, THEN WE CAN WORK THROUGH THE COMMUNITY TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND KIND OF THEIR PERCEIVED BURDENS AND HOW WE MIGHT DO THINGS THAT MIGHT EITHER IMPACT THEM LESS, OR LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS, UM, AMELIORATE SOME OF THOSE.
I MEAN, THERE'S A VARIETY OF KIND OF POTENTIAL THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
IT JUST, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF UNKNOWNS AT THIS POINT.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO JUMP OUT AND SAY, WELL, WE EXPECT THAT TO BE A BURDEN AND WE KNOW THAT'S HOW TO SOLVE IT.
PART OF THIS CONVERSATION IS REALLY JUST AGAIN, HAVING THE DIALOGUE AND KIND OF THAT UNDERSTANDING.
UM, THE OTHER INTERESTING ASPECT OF IT IS A LOT OF THIS AREA WILL BE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF AUSTIN.
AND SO THAT'LL OBVIOUSLY COMPLICATE THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF, WE'LL, WE'LL BE IN A POSITION OF HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT PERCEIVED BENEFITS FOR AUSTIN RESIDENTS AND POTENTIAL BURDENS FOR FOLKS THAT DON'T LIVE IN AUSTIN.
SO LOTS TO KIND OF PUT INTO THAT.
AND AGAIN, THE TIMELINE IS LONG, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS IS BECAUSE IT'S A COMPLICATED EQUATION, SO THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER, HAS THAT GOT ANY MORE QUESTION? IT'S MY TURN NOW.
SO IN OTHER DAY, MEN APPROACH, LET ME EXPLAIN THE SYSTEM TO SEE THAT I COMPREHEND THE, THE, THE PHILOSOPHY OR SAY THE PROCESS.
SO WE ARE GETTING WATER FROM THE TROUBLES THAT COULD BE CANON GILDING THE WAY TO SEASON THAT WE DON'T NEED IT.
AND THEN WE TREAT, IT GOES THROUGH THE ERIC HANCOCK DAVIS PRINT, TREATED WATER, POTABLE WATER, AND THEN WE WILL TRANSMIT IT, SHIPPING IT 60 MILES EAST TO PASO COUNTY, TO THE COUNTY, TO COEL COUNTY, PUT IT IN UNDERGROUND, AND THEN WE'LL SIT IN THERE WITH WHICH, AND THEN WE GOT A DROUGHT SITUATION COMES UP.
THEN WE PUMP THAT WATER OUT FROM THE AQUIFER, AND THEN WE'LL SHIP 60 MILES WEST TO AUSTIN TO SATISFY OUR WATER DEMAND.
AND THAT'S AN ENTIRE PHILOSOPHY.
AND THAT'S WHY MY QUESTION IS WHEN LIKE A COMMISSIONER, MICHELLE SAID, IT'S TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE.
IT'S GOING TO BE, AND YOU KNOW, AND, AND THIS, AND THIS, THE WATER WATER RATE IS EXTREMELY HIGH.
YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SHIFTING GO OVER THERE AND THEN SHIPPING COMING BACK.
I'M JUST SUSPICIOUS OF QUESTIONING ABOUT UTSA PROCESS, BUT, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE WANT TO EXERCISE IT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OBJECTION ON IT, BUT JUST LIKE, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I'M PUSHING IN ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU GOT TO TREAT YOU THE TREATED WATER, WHAT ACCORDED PORTABLE WATER QUALITY AND THE SHIP IS 50 MILES PUT IN THE GUAM, PUMP IT UP, TREAT IT AGAIN.
IT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR ANY SAVINGS WE MAY HAVE JUST BY NOT HAVING LOTS OF EVAPORATION AND OTHER THINGS FROM THE SUPPLY SIDE.
I MEAN, THAT'S, AS A PRIMARY DRIVER HERE IS THAT WE'RE LOSING A TON OF WATER, TONS, PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT MEASURE, BUT A LOT OF WATER TO EVAPORATION AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY STORING IT, IS THAT CORRECT? SO CERTAINLY RELYING ON PURELY A SURFACE WATER SYSTEM, THERE IS A LOT OF WATER THAT IS LOST TO EVAPORATION IN LAKE TRAVIS AND MCCANNON.
UM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MOVING WATER OVER LARGE DISTANCES.
SO THAT IS CORRECT, YOU KNOW, OUR CURRENT, UH, WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
HOWEVER, IT DOES EXTEND TO, YOU KNOW, THE FAR EXTREMES OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO I'M NOT SURE 60 MILES, ONE WAY AND 60 MILES BACK IS THE ACTUAL NUMBER.
I THINK A LOT OF THE DETAILS OF THIS WILL DEPEND ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE, WE, WE ACTUALLY SELECT TO INTEGRATE INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO WE'VE ALREADY HAD, ARE STARTING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE CAN WE BEST INTEGRATE THESE DIFFERENT SITES INTO OUR SYSTEM.
SO AGAIN, ALL DETAILS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO WORK OUT.
I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT IS WHILE THIS MAY NOT BE CHEAP, UM, IF YOU START TO LOOK AT WHAT OUR NEXT BEST OPTIONS ARE, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY WILL BE EXPENSIVE AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT WATERFORD AND KIND OF WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT, CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT OF ONSITE TYPES OF SOLUTIONS
[01:40:01]
ARE AVAILABLE AND OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE AS WELL.UM, THEY'RE ALSO HAD THE KIND OF ADDED COMPLICATION THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE LIMITED, RIGHT? AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN RESILIENCY IMPACTS AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF INFORMATION, A LOT OF DETAILS.
UM, I THINK AS WE START TO THINK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALREADY FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE KIND OF PLANNING THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TYPE OF A SOLUTION IN OUR LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN.
SO, UM, AND AGAIN, NOT TO SAY THAT IT WON'T HAVE IMPACTS, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE IMPACTS THAT WE CAN LIKELY FIT WITHIN A REASONABLE RATE STRUCTURES THAT WE HAVE PLANNED.
UM, SO AS WE'RE KIND OF THE BALANCES THAT WE HAVE TO DO ON A REGULAR BASIS, UM, TO TRY TO MAKE AGAIN, TO BRING THAT DIVERSITY AND TO OUR WATER SUPPLY MORE SUSTAINABLE IN THE FUTURE COMMISSION HAS GOT THE ANIMAL QUESTION FOR THE STUFF.
IF NOT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ITEM
[E.4. Status Updates on Winter Storm Uri and February 2022 Boil Water After-Action Reviews]
E FOR STATUS UPDATE ON WINTER STORM ORI AND A FEBRUARY, 2022, BOIL YOUR WATER AFTER ACTION REVIEWS IS JENKINS.GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS AGAIN, RANDY JENKINS, AUSTIN WATER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
SO AS MENTIONED, I'M HERE TO PROVIDE AN AFTER ACTION STATUS UPDATE THIS EVENING.
AND SO AS A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW, THE THINGS I'M GOING TO COVER, WE, UM, CERTAINLY HAVE NOT ONLY EXPERIENCED WINTER STORM URI AND STILL HAVE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS IDENTIFIED THAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH, BUT ALSO WITH OUR RECENT ORRICK TURBIDITY EVENT.
AND SO IN THIS PRESENTATION THIS EVENING, WE HAVE LUMPED THOSE TWO AFTER ACTIONS TOGETHER TO GIVE YOU A HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS BEEN CONDUCTING DAY IN AND DAY OUT SINCE BOTH OF THOSE OCCURRED.
AND SO, UM, WINTER STORM URI, UM, YOU MAY RECALL THERE WERE 79 IMPROVEMENTS IDENTIFIED IN THAT AFTER ACTION REPORT.
AND AS YOU ARE ALL WELL AWARE, WE HAD OUR WINTER STORM WORKING GROUP THAT WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH YOU ON.
AND SO OF THOSE 79 IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AND THAT, UM, SEVERAL OF YOU WEIGHED IN ON PRIORITIES, 68 OF THOSE ITEMS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED TO DATE, UM, RELATED TO THE ORIC TURBIDITY EVENT.
UM, WE HAD 38 ITEMS, UM, THAT WERE IDENTIFIED FOR IMPROVEMENT NEEDED AND 30 OF THOSE HAVE BEEN COMPLETED TO DATE.
SO OF THE 17 THAT REMAIN FROM BOTH EVENTS, 14 OF THOSE ARE LONGER TERM CIP INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND PLACED IN OUR CIP PLAN, UM, INTO THE FUTURE.
AND SO AS A QUICK OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR RECENTLY COMPLETED RESILIENCY IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE'VE KIND OF BUCKETED THOSE INTO A FEW CATEGORIES.
SO UNDER OPERATION STAFFING PROCEDURES AND TRAINING, UM, SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED IS THAT WE'VE ADDED ACCESS FOR MANAGEMENT STAFF TO MONITOR SCADA REMOTELY, AND THAT'S DIRECTLY TIED TO THE TOBRA TO THE EVENT, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT CAN SERVICE, UM, AND MANY ASPECTS OF THE UTILITY AND DEFINITELY MAKES US MORE RESILIENT AND PUTS MORE EYES ON OUR SYSTEM AROUND THE CLOCK.
WE'VE ALSO ENABLED EXTERNAL NOTIFICATION OF TURBIDITY EXCEEDANCE ALARM.
SO ANYTIME, UM, YOU KNOW, TURBIDITY ALARMS ARE ALARMING, UM, THAT NOTIFICATION IS GOING OUT EXTERNALLY AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ENABLED AUTOMATIC BACK WASHING OF OUR FILTERS FOR TURBIDITY TRIGGERS.
UM, SO THAT IS AN AUTOMATIC ACTIVITY THAT IS HAPPENING IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED WITH OUR PARTNERS AT AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, THE DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT POWER DISTRICT DISTRIBUTION UPGRADE.
AND THEN WE ALSO ADDED A THIRD ELECTRICAL FEED TO WORK WATER TREATMENT, PLANT ENABLED, AUTOMATIC SWITCHING CAPABILITY.
UM, SO THOSE TWO THINGS, UM, TOOK A LOT OF EFFORT AND MANY INDIVIDUALS CERTAINLY AT AUSTIN WATER, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS AT ALL SYNERGY, UM, PROVIDED TO ITS SUCCESS THERE.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, UM, CERTAINLY WE WERE ABLE TO TEST OUR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS, UTILIZING OUR MATRIX WATER CUSTOMER PORTAL, AND AGAIN, THE WARN CENTRAL TEXAS SYSTEM, UM, DURING THE ORRICK EVENT.
AND THAT WENT WELL AND ALL OF OUR PROCEDURES THAT WE HAD PUT IN PLACE AND THOUGHT THROUGH, CERTAINLY AFTER WINTER STORM YURI CONTINUED TO SERVE
[01:45:01]
WELL IN THAT CAPACITY.UM, THE LAST ITEM ON THE SLIDE, UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID NOT DO WELL DURING THE WINTER STORM YURI THAT WE CERTAINLY ENHANCED, AND I THINK IT SERVED US IN A GREAT WAY, UM, WAS WE PROVIDED REGULAR INCIDENT STATUS UPDATES TO AUSTIN WATER STAFF DURING THE FEBRUARY EVENT.
AND, UM, WE DID GET FEEDBACK FROM STAFF THAT THEY WERE DEFINITELY APPRECIATIVE TO HAVE THE INFORMATION SHARED TO THEM AND THAT THEY WEREN'T JUST HEARING IT DIRECTLY FROM THE NEWS, MOVING INTO SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE UNDERWAY.
SO THESE, UM, THAT ARE LISTED BEFORE YOU, AGAIN, ARE IN THE SAME BUCKETED CATEGORIES AS THE PRIOR SLIDE, BUT THESE ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED, UM, BY SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, REALLY NEAR TERM ITEMS. SO UNDER THE OPERATIONS STAFFING PROCEDURES AND TRAINING, WE HAVE NEW OPERATIONS AND TRAINING POSITIONS AND THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS IS UNDERWAY.
AND SO NOTABLY, THOSE ARE THE 16 POSITIONS THAT WERE RECENTLY APPROVED, UM, THROUGH COUNCIL, UM, RESOLUTION AND, UM, THE SECOND BULLET DEFINE AND IMPLEMENT OPERATIONAL SITUATION AWARENESS CRITERIA.
SO WE HAVE ADDED THAT UPDATE, UM, FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN HOUSE, IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENT.
UM, WE ARE NEARLY FINISHED WITH THE REPLACEMENT AND, UM, COMPLETION OF THE NORTH AUSTIN RESERVOIR THAT WE, UM, TOTALLY REHAB TOOK OFFLINE REBUILT.
AND WE AT THE LAST STAGES THERE, UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE JUST KIND OF ON THOSE PUNCH LIST ITEMS. I THINK WE'RE WORKING THROUGH SOME, UM, VALVES IN ORDER TO GET THAT, UM, BACK ONLINE.
SO WE'RE REALLY NEAR COMPLETION THERE.
UM, AND WE ARE W WHILE WE HAVE COMPLETED MOST WINTERIZATION COMPONENTS AT OUR PLANTS, WE STILL HAVE A FEW ITEMS THAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH AT OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
SO THOSE ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE FALL WEATHER, UM, ARRIVES HERE IN TEXAS.
UM, THE LAST ITEM UNDER INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENT, WE HAVE REVIEWED, UH, SCADA ALARM CDN, ALARM ALERT, POP-UPS EXCUSE ME, AND MODERNIZATION ACTIVITIES.
SO ALL OF THOSE ITEMS THAT KIND OF FELL UNDER THAT BUCKET ARE UNDERWAY.
AND THEN UNDER EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, WE HAVE, UM, IMPLEMENTED OUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN TO MEET SB THREE REQUIREMENTS.
SO THAT IS UNDERWAY AND EXPECTED TO WRAP UP BY FALL.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH EXTENSIVE, UM, ROSTER, UM, AND WITH OUR INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM.
SO INDIVIDUAL STAFF ACROSS THE UTILITY AND DIFFERENT PROGRAM AREAS AND DIVISIONS ACROSS AUSTIN WATER, UM, WE HAVE REVIEWED THAT ROSTER MADE ENHANCEMENT, ADDED STAFF TO THAT ROSTER SO THAT WHEN WE ARE IN AN EMERGENCY, WE ARE COVERED, UM, NEARLY FOR ANY, ANY ADVENT.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO CONDUCTED AND WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO CONDUCT ANNUAL TRAINING ACTIVITIES RELATED TO, UM, OUR INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM AND STRUCTURE.
AND SO, UM, SOME OF THE LONGER TERM RESILIENCY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT I NOTED ARE WITHIN OUR CIP PLAN, UM, AUTOMATIC SHUTDOWN OF FILTERS FOR TURBIDITY EXCEEDANCE.
SO WE HAVE THE ALARMS IN PLACE, BUT WE ARE PLANNING FOR AUTOMATIC SHUTDOWN, UM, CIP PROJECTS, WATER STORAGE, AND TRANSMISSION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ELEVATED WATER STORAGE TOWERS AND THINGS, UM, IN OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM THAT WOULD HELP US TO BE MORE RESILIENT, UM, IN THE EVENT OF MAJOR WATER LOSS, UM, ELECTRIC GENERATION AND POWER RESILIENCY PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY AND ON THE RADAR AT TREATMENT PLANTS, LIFT STATIONS AND PUMP STATIONS, ALSO IMPROVED CHEMICAL STORAGE AND SLEDGE STORAGE DISPOSAL CAPABILITIES AT ALL OF OUR TREATMENT PLANTS IS ALSO, UM, ITEMS ON OUR RADAR FOR RESILIENCY IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST IN, YOU DID HEAR THIS UPDATE ALREADY THIS EVENING, BUT THE INSTALLATION OF THE MITX WATER METERS CERTAINLY WILL HELP US HAVE EYES ON OUR SYSTEM, AROUND THE CLOCK, UM, AT OUR CUSTOMERS, UM, HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
AND SO WITH THAT, I KNOW THAT WAS A HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSION.
ONE THING THAT I, I WILL, UM, CONCLUDE WITH IS THAT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, THE SUB-COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL, THAT WE WOULD BE GIVING THEM A DETAILED REPORT OUT OF, OF ALL OF THE ITEMS, UM, IN THEIR ENTIRETY.
AND SO WE'LL WILL COMMIT THAT TO YOU AS WELL, THAT YOU WILL GET A DETAILED LIST AND REPORT OUT ON YOU THAT THIS WAS A HIGH LEVEL.
WE HAD A LOT OF BRIEFINGS THIS EVENING, BUT WANT TO, JUST TO ASSURE YOU THAT WE WILL HAVE MORE COMING YOUR WAY COMMISSIONERS GOT ANY QUESTION OR MS. JENKINS, UH, COMMISSIONER MORIARTY POLICE, UM,
[01:50:01]
SORRY, THE FEBRUARY, UH, 2022 EPISODE, THE CITY COUNCIL WAS GOING TO INITIATE AN AUDIT OF FIVE EPISODES.COULD YOU GIVE ME A STATUS REPORT AND, AND HOW, HOW FAR ALONG THAT AUDIT IS, IS, UH, BEING ACCOMPLISHED.
YEAH, THE, UH, THE CITY AUDITOR GOT THE CONTRACT IN PLACE WITH UT, AND SO THAT SHOULD BEGIN, UH, THEY HOPE TO COMPLETE IT THIS SUMMER.
UM, OBVIOUSLY UAT IS OUT OF SESSION.
SO, UM, WE'LL BE LAUNCHING SOME IN GIVING THEM SOME DATA THEY'RE ALREADY STARTING TO SET UP THE INTERVIEW PROCESSES AND WHO THEY WANT TO TALK TO YOU, WHAT DATA THEY WANT.
SO IT IS A, UH, AWFULLY CLOSE TO BEING LAUNCHED IN EARNEST, BUT IT'S, IT'S ON THE CUSP AND EXPECTED TO BE DONE THIS SUMMER COMMISSIONED TO MY SQUIRREL.
UM, IT SAYS HERE THAT YOU, YOU HAVE ENABLED THE EXTERNAL NOTIFICATION OF TURBIDITY EXCEEDS ALARMS WHO GETS THOSE NOTIFICATIONS, UH, RICK BARNARD, AUSTIN WATER, UH, CURRENTLY THOSE NOTIFICATIONS GO TO MANAGE SUPERVISORS AND MANAGEMENT.
SO THOSE KIND OF SELECTED TURBIDITY ARMS WILL GO TO THAT, THAT TEAM, UH, IN PARTICULAR, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TESTED.
SO WE HAD, WE HAD A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT WASN'T TESTED.
AND SO ONCE WE DID THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO TEST THAT THOSE NOTIFICATIONS ACTUALLY OCCUR.
I WAS JUST, I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW, IF WHO KNOWS, DO THEY ALL CALL THE PLANT AND SAY WHAT'S GOING ON OR DO THEY THAT IF THEY GET IT, IS IT THEIR CELL PHONE OR IT IS A, UH, I BELIEVE A TEXT MESSAGE.
SO YOU HAVE TO BE CHECKING YOUR EMAIL TO KNOW THAT I JUST WANT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE PROCESS WOULD, WOULD HAVE HELPED THAT SITUATION THAT WAS GOING ON.
WELL, THERE'S, THERE'S A COUPLE OF PROCESSES THAT WAS KIND OF A, AN ADDITION TO THE KIND OF STRENGTHENING OF NOTIFICATION.
UH, THERE'S A PROCESS THAT WE USE, WHICH IS A SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, UH, SOFTWARE, AND THAT ALSO SENDS OUT AUTOMATIC NOTIFICATIONS ONCE WE'VE TRIGGERED THOSE, BUT THOSE THAT'S A MANUAL PROCESS.
WE WANTED SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE THAT WAS AUTOMATED.
AND SO USING THE SCADA SYSTEM TO KIND OF HELP NOTIFY, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ENHANCE THOSE TYPES OF NOTIFICATIONS.
THE OTHER PART OF THAT NOTE IS THE DIAL IN, UH, THAT WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE, UH, AVAILABILITY, UH, TOOLS WE HAD, WHERE WE COULD GO IN AND ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE SYSTEM AND ON A READ ONLY BASIS.
SO WE'VE KIND OF DONE MULTIPLE WAYS OF KIND OF DOING SOME MORE OVERSIGHT.
SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS.
COMMISSIONER HAS GOT ANY MORE QUESTIONS VICE-CHAIR PLEASE.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING MORE DETAIL CAUSE I HAVE CURIOUS ABOUT THE TIMING OF SOME OF THE CIP PROJECTS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM F1 DISCUSSION OF ADMINISTRATION MATTERS.
I DON'T THINK WE GOT ANY QUESTIONS, ANY ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED? OH YES.
[G. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEM G ONE, UH, DISCUSSION OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I BELIEVE WE STILL GOT ONE NIGHT AND NOT, UH, COMMISSIONER NAVARO WAS ASKING ABOUT A PRESENTATION ABOUT TESLA'S IMPACT ON THE WATER DEMAND OR WITH WATER PROCESS.I THINK THE STAFF IS WORKING ON PREPARING FOR THAT.
ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT COMMISSION ONE CONSIDER TO PUT AN AGENDA? OKAY, WELL, UH, YES, COMMISSIONER MICHELLE CHAIR.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I DO JUST HAVE A GENERAL COMMENT.
I NOTICED MAYBE IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP AND I JUST FORGOT, UH, OUR BACKUP INFORMATION IN OUR PACKETS.
THE FORMAT OF THAT HAS CHANGED MAYBE A FEW MEETINGS BACK.
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS FROM STAFF OF IF THAT WAS AN AUSTIN WATER CHANGE IN FORMATTING, OR IF THAT'S A CITY-WIDE ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS HAVE GONE TO THIS FORMAT, UH, THERE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES, UH, BECAUSE THE AGENDA OFFICE IS TRYING TO STREAMLINE, UH, MATERIALS, UH, MATCHING COUNCIL.
UH, BUT THIS MOST RECENT CHANGE WAS IMPLEMENTED BY ME.
[01:55:01]
SO I COULD ACCOMMODATE LATE ARRIVING ITEMS TO ACCOMMODATE GETTING IT ON THE AGENDA AND A TIMELY MATTER, UM, AS, AS NEEDED.AND OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE THE THIRD WEDNESDAY, NOT TWO, THE SECOND WEDNESDAY, THAT'S GOING TO BE JULY THE TWENTIES, AND IT'S GOING TO BE AT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER, WHICH IS HIGHLY MORE AREA RARE AND TRY TO ATTEND OUR MEETING BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE THE BUDGET.
AND ANOTHER ITEM IS WE NEED TO APPROVE OUR ANNUAL INTERNAL REPORT, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST YEAR, IN WHAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OUR REPORT, THE CAR.
SO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A QUARTER TO DO THAT.
ANY OTHER ITEMS, DISCUSSIONS, IF NOT THE MEETING'S ADJOURNED AT 7 56.