[00:00:03]
WE'RE READY, WE'RE READY TO ROLL.
[CALL TO ORDER]
CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 1209.ARE WE GONNA PRINT IT OUT, SIGN IT, AND SCAN IT AND SEND IT BACK? IS THAT THE DEAL? IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO PRINT IT OUT, SIGN IT AND SCAN IT, THAT'S FINE.
IF YOU CAN USE, UH, SOMETHING LIKE ADOBE, UM, OR ANOTHER SOFTWARE APPLICATION TO DIGITALLY SIGN THE FORM AND SEND IT BACK, THAT WILL ALSO WORK.
I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO DO THAT.
I'LL, I'LL PRINT IT, SIGN IT, AND SEND IT TO YOU.
MARISSA, I WAS TOLD AT THE TRAINING ON FRIDAY THAT YOU CAN SEND AN EMAIL, JUST EMAIL TO MARISSA SAYING THAT, THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU WERE PRE, THAT YOU'RE PRESENT AND SIGNING IN FOR THE MEETING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY SIGN THE FORM OR DIGITALLY FIGURE IT OUT.
THAT'S WHAT THEY, SO ON FRIDAY, THAT WORKS FOR ME.
SO SEND AN EMAIL TO MARISA SAYING, I'M HERE.
DOES, UH, THIS IS WORKING OR NOT? DO THEY HAVE TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON WHETHER THEY HAVE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OR NOT? YES, BUT WE'RE NOT VOTING ANYTHING.
AND HERE COMES OUR NEWEST MEMBER JUST COMING IN AND
UM, JUST, JUST GET A SEAT AND GET SETTLED AND THEN, UM, WE CAN LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO FOLKS.
WE'LL DO A FEW ITEMS FIRST SO YOU CAN GET SETTLED IN AND, AND JUST PUSH THIS BUTTON SO THE, SO THE GREEN LIGHT COMES ON TO TALK AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT, WHEN YOU'RE NOT TALKING.
SO, SO MOVING INTO OUR AGENDA, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS? NOPE.
I MEAN, PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE WELCOME TO COMMUNICATE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THEN WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.MARISSA SENT THEM OUT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER TODAY.
I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
MADELINE, WILL, I ASSUME WILL, UM, ABSTAIN 'CAUSE SHE WAS NOT HERE.
WE'VE GOT FOUR BIG ITEMS TODAY THAT WE'RE GONNA GO OVER AND EVERYONE HAS THEIR PACKET.
BUT FIRST WE DO HAVE A NEW, UM, TASK FORCE MEMBER, UH, FROM, UM, ALISON ALTER.
SHE'S AN APPOINTEE FROM ALISON ALTER.
UM, AND IF YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF, I WAS GONNA GIVE YOU WARNING BEFORE THE MEETING, BUT YOU JUST WALKED IN RIGHT NOW, SO SORRY TO JUMP TO OKAY.
WELL GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF, THE GROUP.
HI, MY NAME IS MADELINE MATHIS AND I HAVE BEEN RECENTLY APPOINTED BY ALLISON ALTER.
I HAVE A, A BACKGROUND, UH, WORKING FOR THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND THE DRINKING WATER AREA SPECIFICALLY, ALONG WITH, UM, RESTORATION FOR LIKE WETLANDS AND STUFF.
SO I'M EXCITED TO, TO COLLABORATE AND HELP MAKE DROUGHT RESILIENCY IN AUSTIN BETTER.
DO WE WANNA GO AROUND AND DO A QUICK ROUND OF INTRODUCTIONS? PAUL, DO YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF? SURE, YEAH.
UM, I'M PAUL DIRE WELCOME, UM, MADELINE AND, UM, I'M A SECOND YEAR LAW STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FOCUSING ON PUBLIC INTEREST ENVIRONMENTAL LAW.
HANEY, HOW ABOUT YOU? UH, I'M MICHELLE.
UM, UH, I RETIRED FROM THE CITY, UH, OF AUSTIN, UM, UH,
AND, UH, I'M NOW WORKING CONSULTING.
MY AIM IS, UM, TO SUPPORT, UH, THE JERSEY AND CITIZENS, UM, WITH, WITH CLEAN WATER AND WHATEVER THEY NEED.
AND YOU ARE DISTRICT ONE APPOINTEE, RIGHT? NATASHA HARPER MADISON? THAT IS CORRECT, YEAH.
AND THEN PAUL'S VANESSA FUENTES IS APPOINTEE PERRY.
OH, YOU'RE ON MUTE, PERRY? YES.
[00:05:01]
REAL ESTATE BUSINESS.I'M AN APPOINTEE IN DISTRICT THREE.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE DOWN TO SARAH FAUST.
OH, WHAT AM I DOING? THERE YOU GO.
UM, I'M A WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ATTORNEY.
I'M CURRENTLY WORKING AS A CONSULTANT WITH, UM, A LOT OF WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITIES ON VARIOUS ISSUES.
SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT, ALSO UTILITY MANAGEMENT.
UM, I AM KIND OF A CHRONIC CITY OF AUSTIN VOLUNTEER.
I'VE BEEN ON THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION, THE PARKS BOARD AND THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE AND IT'S LOT OF FUN.
SO I HOPE YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH US.
I'M APPOINTED BY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE DISTRICT SEVEN OR 11? SEVEN.
UM, I'M, UH, MY DAY JOB IS, UH, RUN A RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, UM, FOCUSED ON WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
BUT, UH, AND I THINK I'VE BEEN ON THIS GROUP FOR, IS IT EIGHT YEARS? SEVEN YEARS? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, WE MET THE OTHER DAY, UM, MADELINE ALSO DID THE TRAINING I DID ON FRIDAY.
SO NOW WE HAVE A, A SECOND PERSON THAT CAN HELP ME REMEMBER WHAT THEY TOLD US ACCURATELY, HOPEFULLY BETWEEN US BOTH.
UM, AND, UH, WE WON'T GO AROUND TO EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM.
WE'LL, UM, SINCE YOU'RE HERE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MEET FOLKS.
'CAUSE I, WE HAVE A VERY PACKED AGENDA TODAY.
UM, BUT I WANT YOU TO MEET THE OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
[2. Water supply outlook with Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) implementation update]
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO OUR NEXT ITEM.SO IF WE COULD PULL UP THE SLIDES FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO, OUR WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK WITH THE D C P IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE.
I DID WANNA TAKE JUST A BRIEF MINUTE, UM, TO INTRODUCE A NEW MEMBER OF THE WATER RESOURCES TEAM.
EMILY RAFFERTY HERE ON MY RIGHT.
UM, ONE OF OUR NEWEST MEMBERS, SHE IS GONNA BE HELPING US OUT WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TASKS WITH, UM, UH, ADDITIONAL PLANNING AND RESEARCH TASKS.
AND WE'LL ALSO BE TAKING THE REINS ON THE WATERFORD TASK FORCE LIAISON RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO WE'LL BE TRANSITIONING THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES OVER TIME AND YOU CAN EXPECT TO HAVE MORE EMAIL COMMUNICATION FROM EMILY IN THE FUTURE.
SO GO AHEAD INTO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO THIS IS PART OF OUR STANDARD WATER SUPPLY, UM, OUTLOOK AND UPDATE.
UH, WE GET THESE CHARTS THAT, UM, ARE COMPILED BY RICHARD HOFF POWER, OUR CONSULTING HYDROLOGIST.
THIS GRAPH SHOWS INFLOWS INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKE, SO WATER THAT'S FLOWING INTO LAKES, TRAVIS AND BUCHANAN ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
YOU CAN SEE THE INFLOWS FROM, UH, JANUARY THROUGH AUGUST, 2023 IN THE PURPLE BARS.
UH, THE UPDATE HERE IS THAT, UM, UH, JULY AND AUGUST INFLOWS WERE VERY LOW.
THE AUGUST INFLOWS WERE AT 86 ACRE FEET, WHICH IS THE LOWEST AUGUST ON RECORD.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PRETTY REMARKABLE, UM, ACROSS THE, THE PERIOD OF RECORD AS A WHOLE.
SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
IF YOU MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, HOLD ON.
UM, FOR THE AV CAN YOU PUT THE FOLKS UP IN CASE FOLKS WANNA ASK A QUESTION? I CAN SEE THEM.
IS THERE A WAY TO PUT THE LITTLE GRID WITH THEIR FACES IN THE CORNER? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE COMBINED STORAGE OF LAKES, BUCHANAN AND TRAVIS.
SO IF YOU ADDED UP THE VOLUMES OF WATER THAT'S STORED IN BOTH OF THOSE LAKES, UH, THE, WHICH ARE THE RESERVOIRS, UM, THAT WE USE, UH, FOR DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES OR FOR BACKUP TO OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, THE, THE FAR RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE CHART SHOWS WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY WITH OR THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1ST.
UM, WITH COMBINED STORAGE WE'VE DIPPED BELOW 900,000 ACRE FEET OF COMBINED STORAGE.
AND SO, UM, IT, WE HAVE MOVED INTO, UH, STAGE TWO, A DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN RESTRICTIONS AND WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE UPDATE FOR YOU, UM, IN A FEW SLIDES HERE FROM OUR WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION MANAGER ON THOSE DROUGHT RESTRICTIONS AND OUR CURRENT ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THOSE.
YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I THINK WE GOT A QUESTION TOMORROW.
SO, SO WHAT WAS, UH, UM, WHAT'S THE CAUSE OF THAT SUDDEN DROP THAT JUST HAPPENED, DO YOU KNOW? YEAH.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN EXPER UH, WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING,
[00:10:01]
UM, ABNORMALLY HIGH TEMPERATURES.UM, THE EVAPORATIVE LOSSES ARE HIGHER THAN NORMAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T, UH, SEEN, UH, HIGH NECESSARILY HIGHER DEMANDS THAT ARE CAUSING, UM, THOSE DROPS.
BUT I THINK THAT THOSE HIGHER TEMPERATURES AND THE LACK OF ANY SORT OF SIGNIFICANT, UM, RAIN OR INFLOW INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT STEEP DROP.
IT JUST SEEMS A, SEEMS ALMOST LIKE A RELEASE RATHER THAN WHAT YOU DESCRIBED BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN IN THOSE CONDITIONS ALL SUMMER.
UM, BUT NOT SAYING YOU'RE WRONG, BUT IT JUST SEEMED, IT SEEMS A LITTLE COUNTERINTUITIVE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT LIKE CLIFF DIVE EVERY TIME WE CROSS THAT THRESHOLD, EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE HERE IN 2013.
WELL, SHE, SHE HAS AN UPDATED VERSION THAT SHE SHOWED US VERSUS THE ONE IN THE HANDOUT.
SO IF YOU COULD BRING THAT BACK UP, WHAT'S GOING IT SHOULD BE THE SAME.
WE'RE MISSING THE LATTER PART THAT WE'RE MISSING THAT LAST ROUTE.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU MENTIONED WE LIKE OUR OURS, THE HANDOUT DOESN'T SHOW THE GOING BELOW STAGE TWO.
UM, YEAH, IT DOES, DOES IT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR, OH, YOURS DOES? THAT'S WEIRD.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE.
BUT, UM, MAYBE I'M LOOKING AT THE OLD VERSION.
YOU'LL GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO REDEEM YOURSELF.
I'M JUST LOWERING THE BAR FOR MADELINE.
SO
I BETTER WATER ALL MY TREES AND IT GOES UP OR A LITTLE BETTER STAYS IT'S BEEN STAYING PRETTY CONSTANT BETWEEN 180 200 MILLION GALLONS, UH, PER DAY.
UM, THROUGHOUT AUGUST AND THEN INTO SEPTEMBER, EVEN WHEN WE HIT THE MAGIC, UH, STAGE TWO DECLARATION, THAT USE CONTINUED ABOUT THAT SAME AMOUNT.
IT'S NOT JUST LIKE AN AUSTIN THING THAT'S LIKE, IT'S HOT.
AND IF YOU EVER HAVE A QUESTION LIKE THAT, PLEASE BRING IT UP.
'CAUSE I, IT COULD ALWAYS BE ME, I'M MM-HMM.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE, UH, LIKE THINGS WERE KIND OF LEVELING OFF AND THEN TOO JUST SUDDENLY DROPPED.
SO I'M JUST, JUST CURIOUS WHAT THAT REASON MIGHT BE.
UH, WELL, MAYBE WE COULD FOLLOW UP WITH THE WEEKLY INFORMATION.
THERE'S A LITTLE BUMP UP HERE.
YOU SEE THAT LITTLE TICK UP MM-HMM.
AND SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A TIME, IT'S REALLY SQUISHED UP BECAUSE THAT, THAT FROM THOSE GRAY LINE TO GRAY LINE, THAT'S A WHOLE YEAR.
UM, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE JUST WITH YOUR EYES BECAUSE OF THE, THE STEEP SOAP OF THAT LINE.
BUT THAT, THAT LINE FROM THAT TICK UP IN ABOUT, I THINK MAY DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT LINE, WHICH IS TAKING US THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
THAT COVERS, UH, THE, WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY RAIN THAT PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY RAIN.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO AND HOT DRY SUMMER.
I WATERED MY TREES A COUPLE OF TIMES, ROBERT.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S IT COMPLEX TO TRY TO PARSE OUT ALL THE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT IMPACT ALL OF THESE THINGS.
WE CONTINUE TO WATCH IT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, ANOTHER THING, RIGHT? IT'S BEEN HOT AND BEEN A LONG HOT SUMMER WITHOUT A DROP OF RAIN.
RIGHT? AND SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WATER SURFACE TEMPERATURE IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, RISING.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT SEEING INFLOWS TO SORT OF DROP THAT DOWN.
SO IT'S PROBABLY A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS.
WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN TO FIND MORE INFORMATION TO TRY TO TEASE THAT OUT.
BUT ALWAYS IN THE THROES OF DROUGHTS, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SORT OF MEASURE OUT EXACT REACTION AND RESPONSE.
BUT WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN TO KEEP YOU KIND OF APPRISED, REST ASSURED THAT WE'RE, UM, LOOKING AT IT EVERY DAY.
I MEAN, I THINK THE FACT THAT IT'S HOTTER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN, WE HAVEN'T HAD A DROP OF RAIN.
I MEAN THAT TRACKS THE SCALE, Y'ALL JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER PROJECTIONS, THE L C R A SIX MONTH PROJECTION WILL PUT THAT SCALED IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND THAT'S A PART OF IT TOO.
SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THIS IS JUST AN EXCERPT FROM TEXAS, UH, WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARDS, WEEKLY WATER REPORT THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER.
THIS IS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 5TH.
[00:15:01]
YOU'VE BEEN, IF YOU TRACK THESE WATER WEEKLYS OVER TIME, THERE HAS BEEN AN EXPANSION OF EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS WITHIN OUR REGION.UM, AND, UH, AN EXPANSION OF DROUGHT CONDITIONS AND DROUGHT SEVERITY WITHIN THE STATE.
WE'RE NOW ENTIRELY WITHIN EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
IF YOU MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND I'LL SAY TOO, WITH THE DROUGHT MAP FROM THIS WEEK, THE EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE FOR THE ENTIRE COLORADO RIVER BASIN DOWN TO THE COAST.
WE ALSO INCLUDE THIS THREE MONTH OUTLOOK FROM NOAA SHOWING, UM, THE TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK AS WELL AS PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FOR SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER.
WE HAVE, UM, ABOUT EQUAL CHANCES OF SEEING AVERAGE PRECIPITATION ACROSS THOSE THREE MONTHS THROUGH NOVEMBER OF 2023, ACCORDING TO THIS, UH, FORECAST ISSUED ON AUGUST 17TH, 2023.
AND WE HAVE ABOVE AVERAGE CHANCES, UM, FOR HIGHER TEMPERATURES DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME AS WELL.
DURING, IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL GET A LITTLE BIT OF A LOOK INTO WHAT THERESA WAS MENTIONING.
THIS, UH, PROVIDES A A LITTLE BIT, UH, EXPANDED SCALE SHOWING COMBINED STORAGE OVER TIME FROM SEPTEMBER, 2022, UH, THROUGH SEPTEMBER, 2023.
YOU CAN KINDA SEE WE'VE GOT SOME, UH, SOME LITTLE BUMPS IN HERE WHERE WE HAD SOME, UH, INFLOWS INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES AND THEN THAT DROP, UH, IN COMBINED STORAGE, UH, ACROSS THE SUMMER.
UM, THIS WAS RELEASED SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2023 OR A FEW DAYS AFTER THEN.
AND IT SHOWS THE UPDATED PROJECTIONS FOR THE SIX MONTH PERIOD THROUGH MARCH, 2024.
WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING ALONG THE EXTREME DRY CONDITIONS 99TH PERCENTILE RED LINE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THIS.
WE KNOW THAT WE ARE, UH, CURRENTLY IN EL NINO CONDITIONS AND THERE IS STILL A CHANCE, UM, THAT WE MAY GET ADDITIONAL RAIN AND INFLOW DURING THE FALL AND WINTER TIMEFRAME.
UM, WE'RE TRACKING THAT, WE'RE MONITORING THESE CONDITIONS, UM, AND WE ARE DOING PLANNING FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OUTCOMES INCLUDING, UH, CONTINUED DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
AT THIS POINT, I THINK I CAN HAND IT OVER TO, OR I GUESS YOU COULD MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, JUST WANTED TO SUMMARIZE
SO, UM, FOR, UH, UH, OUR, JUST TO SUMMARIZE SOME OF OUR ONGOING ACTIVITIES, UM, WE CONTINUE TO, UM, MONITOR CONDITIONS TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE AND TO IMPLEMENT OUR STRATEGIES AND OUR PLAN.
UM, SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO MONITOR HIGHLAND LAKE'S INFLOWS COMBINED STORAGE LEVELS, FORECASTED WEATHER CONDITIONS AND CLIMATE PATTERNS.
WE ARE CONTINUING OUR COORDINATION WITH THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY.
WE HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS WITH THEM, UM, AND AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS, UH, THROUGH OUR WATER PARTNERSHIP, UH, TO, UH, WORK TOGETHER ON MANY OF THESE MONITORING TASKS AS WELL AS PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, WE'RE CONTINUING OUR UPDATES TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, WORKING TOWARDS ANTICIPATED COMPLETION IN 2024.
AND WE'RE ALSO HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE REGION K WATER SUPPLY PLANNING PROCESS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF WATER FORWARD STRATEGIES, INCLUDING CONSERVATION AND REUSE STRATEGIES.
UM, IDENTIFYING PILOT PROJECT LOCATIONS FOR AN AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT, AS WELL AS PRELIMINARY PLANNING FOR INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE STRATEGY.
IF Y'ALL RECALL, THAT WAS AN EMERGENCY DROUGHT SUPPLY STRATEGY THAT WOULD BE TRIGGERED, UM, UH, IN BEYOND EMERGENCY, UH, CONDITIONS.
UM, THAT WOULD HELP TO SUPPLEMENT OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES.
AND AT THIS POINT, IF YOU MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS WHERE I'LL HAND IT OVER TO KEVIN K KKI.
UM, IF I HAVEN'T MET YOU, AND I THINK I'VE MET ALMOST EVERYONE BEFORE, MY NAME IS KEVIN KLUGE.
I'M THE WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION MANAGER.
AND THIS SLIDE TALKS OR SUMMARIZES REALLY THE RECENT ACTIVITIES.
AS WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, WHEN THE RESERVOIR RESERVOIRS ARE FULL, IT'S ABOUT 2 MILLION ACRE FEET OF WATER.
AND IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT EVEN WHEN THE RESERVOIR IS FULL, AUSTIN HAS ONE DAY A WEEK WATERING FOR AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. SO ALL THE TIME, ONE DAY A WEEK FOR AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, WHEN THE RESERVOIR
[00:20:01]
STORAGE LEVELS REACH 1.2 MILLION ACRE FEET, THEN IT GOES INTO STAGE ONE.AND THAT WAS REACHED BACK IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR.
OR I'M SORRY, 1.4 MILLION ACRE FEET.
I WAS A LITTLE AMBITIOUS THERE.
UM, OVER THE LAST 15 MONTHS, AFTER GOING INTO STAGE ONE, UH, WE'VE BEEN STEPPING UP OUR ONGOING DROUGHT MESSAGING MATERIALS GOING OUT, WHETHER IT'S SOCIAL MEDIA OR PAID ADVERTISING, REALLY TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT TO CUSTOMERS THAT WE ARE IN A DROUGHT, WE NEED TO BE SAVING WATER TOGETHER.
AND THEN ON AUGUST 15TH, WE WENT INTO STAGE TWO OF A DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN WHEN, UM, THE STORAGE LEVELS REACHED 900,000 ACRE FEET AND CURRENT STORAGE IS ABOUT 820,000 ACRE FEET.
UM, SINCE WE WENT INTO STAGE TWO, NEXT SLIDE.
SO I MENTIONED THAT, UM, ALL THE TIME.
WE HAVE ONE DAY A WEEK WATERING, BUT AS THE STAGES GO UP, AS WE WENT INTO STAGE ONE AND THEN STAGE TWO, WE RATCHET UP OUR RESTRICTIONS A LITTLE BIT IN EACH STAGE.
THESE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTED RESTRICTIONS IN STAGE TWO.
OF COURSE, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE YOU SEE LANDSCAPE WATERING, AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND HOSE END SPRINKLERS.
UH, WE, FOR AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, WE KIND OF RATCHET BACK HOW FAR INTO THE MORNING THEY CAN, UH, WATER.
IT USED TO BE 8:00 AM AND NOW THEY CAN NEED TO STOP WATERING BY 5:00 AM HOSE END SPRINKLERS.
IN STAGE ONE USED TO BE ABLE TO WATER TWO TIMES A WEEK, AND NOW THERE'S ONLY ONE TIME A WEEK ON THE WEEKENDS, SATURDAY OR SUNDAY.
AND WE'VE SINCE GOING INTO STAGE TWO, INCREASED ENFORCEMENT PATROLS AND INVESTIGATIONS.
UM, SO THE USUAL PATROL STAFF ARE GOING OUT MORE.
WE'VE HIRED A NUMBER OF TEMPORARY STAFF TO HELP US WITH THE PATROLS AND THE ADMINISTRATION PAPERWORK OF, UH, THE INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE FOUND.
AND NOW MOST EVERYONE IN OUR DIVISION IS TAKING TURNS, TURNS AT GOING OUT AND DOING SOME PATROLLING.
SO WE'VE REALLY KINDA STEPPED THAT UP ON THE RIGHT HAND.
UM, BASED UPON MY INVESTIGATIONS OF WALKING THE DOG AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, PEOPLE JUST HAVEN'T RESET THEIR AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. THEY'RE STILL JUST RUNNING.
AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S JUST SO HARD TO SEE, BUT THAT'S JUST GONNA BE THE REAL CHALLENGES.
AND I'VE SEEN SOME SOCIAL MEDIA FROM YOU ALL ABOUT RESETTING IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. LIKE DON'T FORGET TO DO THAT.
SO, SO THAT WAS A NICE, UH, SEEING THAT AND THEN SEEING A SOLUTION ONLINE THAT AUSTIN WATER POSTED.
AND I WOULD NOTE THAT, UM, IN ADDITION TO US STEPPING UP OUR OWN ENFORCEMENT, ONCE WE DID HIT, DID HIT STAGE TWO, WE SAW A LARGE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF 3 1 1 REPORTS, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THAT.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ALSO ARE OBSERVING AND THERE'S DEFINITELY A LAG TIME BETWEEN WHEN WE GET A REPORT WE'LL SEND OUT A WARNING.
SO SOMETIMES IT CAN SEEM TO TAKE A WHILE, BUT WE ARE RESPONDING TO THOSE REPORTS.
UM, SO I'M AN ATTORNEY, I'M NOT A MEDIA CONSULTANT, SO TAKE THIS FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
I AM REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT A LOT OF THE, UM, THIS SOCIAL MEDIA POST AND I SAW A PRINT AD THAT HAD A PICTURE OF LAKE TRAVIS AND I GO TO LAKE TRAVIS A LOT.
SO I SEE IT AND I SEE THE DIFFERENCE AND IT'S VERY DRAMATIC.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOOD MESSAGING.
I THINK CONSIDER MAYBE SOME PHOTOS WITH LIKE TWO PART, LIKE TRAVIS FULL VERSUS LAKE TRAVIS NOW, BECAUSE I THINK IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IT MAY NOT COME THROUGH THE SAME WAY.
THERE WAS A PICTURE THAT RAN, I THINK IN THE COMMUNITY IMPACT AND IT SHOWED, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHICH IT IS.
IT WAS SOME, SOME TRIBUTARY BASICALLY AND GRASS HAD GROWN WHERE WE ALL KNOW IT SHOULD BE WATER.
BUT JUST LOOKING AT THE PHOTO ACTUALLY SHOWED IT TO MY NEIGHBOR TO SEE WHAT SHE THOUGHT OF IT.
AND YOU REALLY COULDN'T TELL THAT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW.
SO JUST, YOU KNOW, SOME, UM, SUGGESTIONS.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT IS ON THIS PARTICULAR POST THAT YOU PUT IN HERE, IT SAYS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS RAN, IT WAS AFTER JULY OF 2023 'CAUSE THAT'S, IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE RECORD, BUT IT SAYS, CONSIDER SKIPPING THE CAR WASH OR CUTTING BACK ON WATERING YOUR LAWN TO MAKE IT LAST.
AND FROM WHAT I KNOW, CUTTING BACK ON WATERING YOUR LAWN IS WHAT WE'RE MANDATING AND WOULD BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND HELPFUL THING.
SO JUST, YOU KNOW, A COMMENT THAT YOU MIGHT THINK ABOUT MAYBE JUST EMPHASIZING THE IRRIGATION AS
[00:25:01]
OPPOSED TO THE, THE CAR WASHING OR STATING, YOU KNOW, PLEASE CHECK THE RULES FOR YOUR, THE NEW RULES ARE OUT, OR WHATEVER IT IS.AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU SAW A FEW OTHER HIGHLIGHTED, UH, RESTRICTIONS, UM, FINAL IT'S LANDSCAPE ESTABLISHMENT, UM, WILL BE SOMETHING GOING FORWARD THAT BUILDERS, UM, WILL NEED TO CONTEND WITH IN TERMS OF ESTABLISHING THEIR LANDSCAPES.
DO BUILDERS STILL HAVE TO PUT IN LANDSCAPES OR DO THEY WAIT UNTIL THE END OF, OF, UH, THIS DROUGHT STAGE IN ORDER TO, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE, DON'T YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR LANDSCAPE INSTALLED FOR YOUR CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY? THANK YOU.
UM, TEAMWORK, UM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR LANDSCAPE INSTALLED FOR THAT, BUT I REM I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS AUSTIN, BUT SOME CITY PASS WAS LIKE, WE'RE GONNA FOREGO THAT, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DEPOSIT DOWN TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK AND PUT THOSE LANDSCAPES IN AFTERWARDS.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA PUT IT IN AND NOT BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH IT.
THAT'S DOESN'T, THAT'S NOT A GOOD STRATEGY EITHER.
THAT, THAT, UH, FOREGOES OF, OF PUTTING IN THE LANDSCAPE IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN CONSIDERING.
UM, CURRENTLY NOW THE BEST OPTION FOR LAND OR DEVELOPERS WOULD BE TO SUBMIT A ZEROSCAPE LANDSCAPE.
VARIANCE, WHICH IS THE OTHER LOGICAL THING TO DO HERE IS TO PUT IN A VERY WATER CONSERVING LANDSCAPE.
AND THEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH IT WITH THE REGULAR WATERING SCHEDULE.
AND MANY OF THE BUILDERS ALREADY USE THOSE TYPES OF PLANTS IN TURF IN THEIR NORMAL CASE OF OPERATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE I HAD IN MY HAND UP, BUT I GUESS PROBABLY NOT.
UM, SO ON, ON THIS SLIDE, I WOULD LOVE JUST A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT OF ALL OF THIS.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M, I'M REALLY NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW THE PROCESS WORKS.
I'VE, I'M GETTING BITS AND PIECES LIKE JENNIFER'S WALKING AROUND HER NEIGHBORHOOD AND READY TO CALL 3 1 1 AT ANY MOMENT, WHICH IS GREAT.
SO LIKE YOU FOLLOW UP ON THAT, BUT JUST, AND SO WE'RE ALL DOING THAT MAYBE ACROSS AUSTIN AND THAT'S, THAT SEEMS IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT ON A, MAYBE LIKE A ZOOMED OUT SCALE, IF YOU GUYS HAVE A PICTURE OR OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE AND, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE LIKE MAJOR ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS GOING ON AGAINST MAJOR OFFENDERS? YOU KNOW, LIKE LET'S SAY JUST HYPOTHETICALLY, LET'S SAY ALL THE GOLF COURSES IN TOWN ARE IRRIGATING THEIR FAIRWAYS THREE TIMES A WEEK OR SOMETHING.
IS SOMEBODY LIKE INVESTIGATING THAT AND ENFORCING THAT? DO YOU HAVE A, DO YOU HAVE A HANDLE ON THAT? I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THAT PROCESS.
WELL, I WOULD SAY JUST FOR THE GOLF COURSES, UH, GIVE A BIT OF DEFENSE FOR THE GOLF COURSE.
THE, ALMOST ALL OF THEM USE RECLAIMED WATER OR SOME TYPE OF AUXILIARY WATER, UH, TO WATER THEIR, THEIR FAIRWAYS AND GREENS.
UM, SO THAT'S FORTUNATELY, FORTUNATELY TAKEN CARE OF PRETTY WELL IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT.
OUR PATROLS, WE HAVE STAFF GOING OUT.
A LOT OF THAT IS FOCUSED ON THE LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.
UM, SOME NEIGHBORHOODS ARE GOOD PLACES TO GO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, LANDSCAPE, UH, WATERING VIOLATIONS.
UM, BUT WE'VE DON'T FOCUS JUST ON THOSE.
AND WE ALSO LOOK OUT FOR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS ALSO IRRIGATING AT THE WRONG TIME.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE EXPANDING IN, WE, OUR OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WHO DON'T USUALLY GO OUT ON PATROL, WE ARE, UH, WORKING ON DISTRIBUTING, UM, SIGNS THE YARD SIGNS AROUND JUST TO CATCH PEOPLE'S EYE IN CASE THEY DON'T HEAR IT ON THE RADIO OR NEWS OR SOCIAL MEDIA OR ANY OTHER TYPES OF MEDIA.
AND WE'RE ALSO REACHING OUT MORE TO RESTAURANTS, UM, 'CAUSE THERE IS A, A RESTRICTION THAT RESTAURANTS NOT SERVE WATER UNLESS PEOPLE ASK FOR IT.
AND DO NOT USE PATIO MISTERS EXCEPT BETWEEN THE HOURS OF FOUR AND MIDNIGHT.
AND SO WE ARE FOCUSING ON THAT ALSO.
ANYTHING ELSE? THANKS, THANKS FOR THAT RESPONSE.
MY ONE FOLLOW UP THOUGHT ON THAT IS, UM, I WOULD ASK, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HERE KNOWS THE ANSWER TO THIS, IF THERE ARE ACTUALLY LIMITATIONS ON THE AMOUNT OF, UM, INFORMATION YOU CAN RELEASE PUBLICLY ABOUT YOUR INVESTIGATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS? BECAUSE AS I THINK WE ALL KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE IN, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, PUBLIC SHAMING.
UM, AND IF PEOPLE THINK THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY'RE DOING THE WRONG THING, THEN THEY'LL OFTEN STOP.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU CAN GET COMMERCIAL OPERATORS OR RESTAURANTS AND WHATNOT, LIKE,
[00:30:01]
YOU KNOW, THINKING OUT LOUD HERE, BUT YOU CAN HAVE A WORST VIOLATOR OF THE WEEK AND HIGHLIGHT THEM ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND PEOPLE CAN KNOW ABOUT IT AND AVOID THEM AS A BUSINESS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.I MEAN, I JUST THINK MAYBE WE NEED TO GET CREATIVE, BUT, UM, THERE MAY BE SOME LEGAL LIMITATIONS ON THAT.
BUT JUST A THOUGHT, THE NUMBER OF, UH, PENALTIES WE ACTUALLY GIVE OUT IS RELATIVELY LOW.
UM, MAYBE 10 OR SO FOR THE LAST MONTH.
BUT THE NUMBER OF WARNINGS WE GET ABOUT IS PROBABLY 200, 250 OR SO.
UM, AND A LOT OF THAT IS OUR INTENT ON EDUCATING PEOPLE TO REMIND THEM TO RESET THEIR, THEIR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS OR, UM, SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAY HAVE HAD IT SET BY THEIR IRRIGATOR AND NOT REALIZE THAT IT WAS RUNNING EVERY OTHER DAY.
UM, AND IT SHOULD BE JUST ONE, ONE DAY A WEEK.
SO A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT IS, ARE THESE WARNINGS AND THEN FOLLOWING UP ON THAT MM-HMM.
I CAN'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE.
I BELIEVE, WELL, WE HAVE PENALTY RANGES SET BY THE COUNSEL, UM, AND THE PENALTY RANGES CHANGE IN THE STAGE OF DROUGHT AND THE NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS THAT A PERSON HAS RECEIVED.
SO THEY GET A WARNING AND THEN THEIR FIRST VIOLATION, I BELIEVE FOR RESIDENTIAL IT STARTS AT 75 AND THE RANGE, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT GOES UP, BUT 75 TO A HIGHER NUMBER AND THEN THAT RANGE INCREASES MAYBE THE THIRD TIME THEY GET CAUGHT OR FOURTH TIME, WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, THE PENALTIES THAT WE ASSIGN ARE ALSO BASED ON HOW MUCH THEY HISTORICALLY HAVE USED IN IN THE PAST.
UM, SO SOMEONE WHO IS IN THE TOP 1% OF ALL RESIDENTIAL WATER USERS WILL RECEIVE A HIGHER PENALTY THAN THE BOTTOM 90%.
SO THERE IS A FORM ON OUR WEBSITE THAT I COULD FORWARD TO YOU, WHICH PROVIDES A BUNCH MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION
WHERE, WHERE WE ARE GONNA RUN OUT OF TIME FOR JUST ONE MORE.
UH, JUST ANOTHER SLIDE, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO JUST GOING FORWARD, AS I MENTIONED, UH, WITHIN AUSTIN WATER AS, AS KEVIN CRITTENTON MENTIONED, WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE RESERVOIR AND THE STORAGE LEVELS, UH, WE'RE DOING MORE ENFORCEMENT AND MORE OUTREACH.
AND FOR OUR CUSTOMERS, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO EMPHASIZE THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR WATER USE, CHECK THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, SIGN UP FOR MY A T X WATER, UH, TO GET LEAK ALERTS AND HIGH TIER ALERTS, AND THEN TAKE ACTION AND, UH, TAKE STEPS TO SAVE WATER.
UM, THANKS SO MUCH KEVIN AND MARISA.
UM, DEFINITELY NEED SOME RAIN HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
[3. Mandatory reuse ordinances update]
FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE MANDATORY REUSE ORDINANCE UPDATE.WE'VE GOT THREE IMPORTANT ITEMS COMING UP.
UH, AND THIS MEETING RUNS UNTIL TWO 30 TODAY.
UH, SO WHY DON'T WE HOLD OUR QUESTIONS TILL THE END OF CATHERINE'S PRESENTATION, JUST SO SHE CAN GET THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND THEN JUST IN CASE SHE ANSWERS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS OR SOMETHING, AND THEN WE CAN ASK THEM THEN, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH ALL OF OUR ITEMS IN TIME.
I'M CATHERINE JASINSKI, A SUPERVISING ENGINEER WITHIN THE UTILITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIVISION OF AUSTIN WATER, GIVING A BRIEFING ON THE MANDATORY WATER REUSE ORDINANCES THAT WERE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE 2018 WATER FORWARD PLAN.
I WILL JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE ORDINANCES.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THEM FOR, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AND TALK ABOUT SOME RECENT PUBLIC, UH, ENGAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION STEPS AND THEN, UH, TALK ABOUT THE FINAL STEPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
SO, JUST AS A BIT OF A BACKGROUND, UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE ORDINANCES SINCE ABOUT MAY OF 2019 WHEN WE WERE DIRECTED BY, UH, CITY COUNCIL TO INCLUDE WATER FORWARD CODE REVISIONS INTO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISION PROCESS THAT WAS ONGOING AT THAT TIME, WE WERE SPECIFICALLY ASKED TO ADDRESS CODE CHANGES FOR LARGE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAD 250,000 SQUARE FEET OR MORE OF GROSS FLOOR AREA.
AND WE HELD MULTIPLE PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS
[00:35:01]
OVER THE SUMMER OF 2019.UM, BUT ULTIMATELY THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISION, UH, DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD.
BUT WE DID GET A LOT OF, UH, STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, UM, IN 2019 ABOUT THE, THE SHAPE OF THE ORDINANCES AND THE, AND THE PROGRAMS THEMSELVES.
THE NUMBER ONE, UH, STAKEHOLDER CONCERN THAT WE HEARD WAS ABOUT THE COST OF THESE SYSTEMS AND IMPLEMENTING THEM WITHIN NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
UH, THE SECOND ONE WAS WE WERE ASKED TO, UM, OFFER DEVELOPER INCENTIVES TO OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS.
THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY WANTED TO AVOID INCREASING PROJECT REVIEW TIME DUE TO NEW REGULATIONS FROM THE ORDINANCES.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THEY, WE JUST NEEDED TO CLARIFY WHAT THE MANDATORY REUSE PROGRAMS WOULD LOOK LIKE, WHAT SORT OF WATER SOURCES WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE COLLECTED, AND WHAT WOULD THEY BE USED FOR WITHIN THESE NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
AND SO, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE ONSITE WATER REUSE PROGRAM, WE, UH, NEEDED TIME TO KIND OF DEVELOP OUR, UH, RESPONSES TO THESE CONCERNS.
AND SO OUR APPROACH, UM, WAS TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM AND THE ORDINANCES IN A PHASED APPROACH.
AND PHASE ONE BEGAN IN DECEMBER OF 2020.
THAT'S WHEN WE ADOPTED A NEW SET OF REGULATIONS WITHIN, UH, CHAPTER 1513 OF THE CITY CODE FOR THE DESIGN, PERMITTING AND OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS. PREVIOUSLY, THE REQUIREMENTS WERE IN THE PLUMBING CODE.
THEY WERE HARD TO INTERPRET AND UNDERSTAND.
AND SO THAT WAS, UH, AN ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS SORT OF LIKE PERMITTING CLARITY FOR THESE SYSTEMS. AND THEN WE FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH A, UH, PILOT INCENTIVE PROGRAM, UH, FOR THESE SYSTEMS TO ENCOURAGE VOLUNTARY ADOPTION OF, UH, ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS BEFORE PHASE TWO WOULD BEGIN, UH, THE MANDATORY PHASE OF THE PROGRAM AND SHOULD MENTION THAT THE THE VOLUNTARY PERIOD WAS SET UP TO BE A, A THREE YEAR PERIOD TO ALLOW US TO GET, UM, SUCCESSFUL SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTED TO GET SOME EXPERIENCE WITH THESE SYSTEMS, UM, AND TO, UH, COLLECT SOME OF THE COST INFORMATION AND THEN COME UP WITH OUR FINAL SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT THE FINAL MANDATORY PROGRAM WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, THAT'S WHEN COUNSEL DIRECTED US TO, I MENTIONED THAT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISION PROCESS, UH, KIND OF GOT, UM, TABLED, UH, BY THE CITY.
AND SO COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO JUST PUT THE WATER FORWARD CODE AMENDMENTS INTO THE CURRENT LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
UM, AND TWO OF THOSE CODE REQUIREMENTS WENT IN, WENT INTO EFFECT DECEMBER 1ST, 2021.
THOSE, UH, RELATE TO WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATIONS, WHICH IS FOR ALL NEW DEVELOPMENTS, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS TO DO A WATER USE ASSESSMENT, WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DEVELOPMENT STAGE TO ASSESS WATER NEEDS FOR THE PROJECT, AND THEN TO LEARN ABOUT INCENTIVES AND CODES THAT WE HAVE FOR CONSERVING WATER WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT BEFORE YOU START TO BUILD ANY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN WE ALSO EXPANDED THE RECLAIMED WATER CONNECTION ORDINANCE.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM REQUIREMENT WAS, UH, PUT INTO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF DECEMBER 1ST, 2023, WHICH IS LATER THIS YEAR.
AND FOR THE RECLAIMED WATER REQUIREMENTS, WE'VE HAD A RECLAIMED CONNECTION ORDINANCE SINCE 2012.
UH, IT'S STIPULATED THAT ALL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN 250 FEET OF A RECLAIMED WATER MAIN WOULD HAVE TO CONNECT AND USE THE RECLAIMED WATER FOR NON-POTABLE NEEDS LIKE IRRIGATION AND COOLING AND TOILET FLUSHING.
AND WITH THE 2021 CODE AMENDMENT, WE EXPANDED THE REQUIREMENTS TO SAY THAT THOSE LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WITH 250,000 SQUARE FEET OR MORE, IF, IF THOSE PROJECTS ARE WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM, THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE TO CONNECT AND USE RECLAIMED WATER FOR THE SAME TYPES OF USES, IRRIGATION, TOILET FLUSHING, COOLING.
UM, BUT THERE WAS ALSO A STIPULATION PUT INTO THAT AMENDMENT THAT THE VARIANCES WOULD BE GRANTED FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING PROJECTS UNTIL DECEMBER 1ST, 2023.
AND THAT WAS TO ADDRESS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS.
AND SO, YEAH, SO HERE'S KIND OF THE EXACT LANGUAGE FROM THAT ORDINANCE THAT, UH, SAYS THAT BE ON OR BEFORE DECEM, SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2023, WHICH IS LATER THIS MONTH.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS TO PROVIDE A REPORT AND POSSIBLE, POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE, UH, IMPACTS TO HOUSING AFFORDABILITY FROM THESE NEW WATER REUSE ORDINANCES.
AND SO WE'RE CURRENTLY FINALIZING THAT REPORT TO BE SUBMITTED TO COUNCIL BY THE END OF THE MONTH.
UM, AND IT WAS SORT OF A, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ADOPTED THE CODE AMENDMENTS IN 2021
[00:40:01]
WITH, WITH FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION DATES, AND THAT WAS TO GIVE STAFF TIME TO DEVELOP THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE APPLICABILITY FOR, FOR THE MANDATORY PROGRAMS AND THEN TO ALSO COMPILE COSTS AND SAVING ESTIMATES FOR THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS.AND JUST TO SUMMARIZE THE ACTIVITY FROM THE VOLUNTARY PROGRAM, THE KIND OF THREE YEAR PERIOD WHERE WE'RE DEVELOPING THE MANDATORY, UH, PROGRAM IN TERMS OF ONSITE REUSE PERMIT APPLICATIONS, WE HAD TWO COOLING SA COOLING TOWER SYSTEM APPROVALS AS RE CONDENSATE TO COOLING TOWER REUSE SYSTEMS. WE HAD TWO PILOT INCENTIVE APPLICATIONS WHERE, UM, WE HAD VOLUNTARY, UH, INSTALLATION OF RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE REUSE SYSTEMS. AND THEN WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO BLACKWATER, UM, SYSTEM APPLICATIONS THAT ARE KIND OF, UH, UH, ANIMAL, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT WORD TO USE, BUT, UM, THOSE ARE KIND OF NEW AND INNOVATIVE AND NOT GONNA BE REQUIRED AS PART OF OUR, OUR MANDATORY PROGRAM, BUT WE'VE HAD CUSTOMERS INTERESTED IN THOSE AND SO WE'RE HELPING TO WORK THOSE THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
THROUGH THE T C E Q, WE COMMISSIONED OUR, UH, OSCAR AND CLARA DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, WHICH ARE RIGHT BEHIND US HERE.
THERE'S, THAT'S THE BLACK WATER REUSE SYSTEM FOR THE TOILET FLUSHING IN, IN THIS BUILDING.
AND THEN THE AC CONDENSATE AND RAINWATER SYSTEM FOR LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION.
IT'S BEEN FULLY OPERATIONAL SINCE MAY OF 2022, AND WE'VE BEEN GIVING TOURS TO THE PUBLIC, JUST GAVE A TOUR TO SOME M E P ENGINEERS YESTERDAY.
UM, SO GETTING GOOD, GOOD, UH, DEMONSTRATION KIND OF USE OUT OF THE SYSTEMS. IN TERMS OF THE WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATIONS, WE'VE REVIEWED OVER 300 SITE PLANTS SINCE DECEMBER OF 2021, AND THAT'S BEEN A GOOD TOUCH POINT WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO START GOING THROUGH THE WATER ASSESSMENTS FOR THEIR PROJECTS AND TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE FUTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR RECLAIMED CONNECTIONS AND ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS. AND THEN, UH, THOSE, THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE LARGE 250,000 SQUARE FEET OR GREATER HAVE HAD TO MEET WITH US IN PERSON TO HAVE A MORE KIND OF INTIMATE SORT OF, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, THE POTENTIAL FOR WATER SAVINGS IN THEIR PROJECT.
AND THEN WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON INTEGRATING INTO THE CITY'S OVERALL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEW REQUIREMENTS ARE ALIGNED WITH ALL OF THE CURRENT KIND OF CITY PRACTICES FOR REVIEWING DEVELOPMENT PERMITS, PERMITS.
AND THAT'S TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FROM STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT NOT WANTING NEW REGULATIONS TO REALLY ADD TIME TO THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PROJECT.
AND SO, UH, OUR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MANDATORY ONSITE WATER RE PROGRAM ARE TO REQUIRE RAINWATER AND AC CONDENSATE AS THE ONSITE SUPPLIES.
AND DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT YOU ARE, WE'VE SORT OF LUMPED THEM INTO TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
YOU'RE EITHER A SINGLE BUILDING OR MAYBE, UM, THREE BUILDINGS, BUT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE STORIES, KIND OF BIG DENSER TYPE OF DEVELOPMENTS OR YOU'RE WHAT WE'RE CALLING A SUBURBAN MULTIFAMILY, WHICH IS A MAYBE 24 BUILDING THREE STORY THAT EACH HAS THREE STORIES IN THEM AND THEY'RE VERY DISPERSED AND THEY'RE MORE KIND OF IN THE OUTLYING AREAS OF, OF THE CITY.
AND SO DEPENDING ON WHICH OF THOSE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS YOU ARE, THAT WILL DETERMINE WHAT YOU NEED TO USE THE ONSITE WATER FOR.
AND SO THE SUBURBAN SPREAD OUT, UM, SYSTEMS, THEY'LL, THEY'LL JUST BE REQUIRED TO USE THE WATER FOR IRRIGATION.
BUT THE OTHER TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS WILL HAVE TO USE THE WATER FOR ANY NON-POTABLE DEMANDS THAT THEY HAVE IN THE, IN THE BUILDINGS, INCLUDING TOILET AND URINAL, FLUSHING, IRRIGATION, COOLING, AND CLOTHES WASHING.
AND THEN THERE'S JUST A COUPLE NOTES AT THE BOTTOM THAT THE AMOUNT OF RAINWATER THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE COLLECTED IS BASED ON THE ROOF AREA AND, UH, YOU HAVE TO SIZE IT TO COLLECT ONE INCH OF ROOF RUNOFF.
AND THEN IF YOU DO HAVE ACCESS TO RECLAIMED WATER, OR IF YOU WANTED TO USE ANOTHER SOURCE WATER SUCH AS GRAY WATER OR BLACK WATER THAT YOU COULD CHOOSE TO DO THAT, AS LONG AS YOU MEET THE SAME AMOUNT OF, UM, POTABLE WATER OFFSET THAT YOU WOULD'VE UNDER THE, THE STANDARD, UH, RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE SYSTEM REQUIREMENT.
AND SO WE DID SOME MODELING AND PROJECTING BASED ON CURRENT DEVELOPMENT TRENDS AND HOW MANY LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS HAVE COME THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS IN THE RECENT, UH, THE RECENT PAST.
UM, IF WE IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM, WE SHOULD GET IN THE RAIN, LIKE THIS IS PROJECTING THAT WE WOULD MEET OUR TARGET OF 5.7 M G D BY 2040.
UM, AND THIS CHART IS ALSO SHOWING
[00:45:01]
THE BREAKDOWN THAT 40% OF THE WATER WOULD COME FROM COMMERCIAL PROJECTS AND THE REMAINING 58% WOULD BE COMING FROM THE KIND OF MORE MULTI-FAMILY SECTOR OF PROJECTS.IN TERMS OF THE REPORT FOR, UM, THE COSTS OF THESE REQUIREMENTS, WE DID, UH, UM, A FULL BLOWN ASSESSMENT OF THE COSTS AND ALSO COMPARE THEM TO THE SAVINGS OR IN INCENTIVES THAT THE CITY OFFERS.
AND SO, UH, THEY INCLUDE CAPITAL COSTS, UH, TO INSTALL A COLLECTION AND TREATMENT SYSTEM, UH, THE COST TO DUAL PLUM BUILDING AND SUPPLY NON POTABLE WATER TO THE DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S JUST AN ASTERISK THERE BECAUSE YOU HAD A, A CONSULTANT STUDY TO HELP US FIGURE OUT THE, THE COST OF THE DUAL PLUMBING.
THERE'LL BE OPERATIONAL COSTS, UH, FOR THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND O AND M A**L CROSS CONNECTION AND BACKFLOW TESTING, AND THEN YOU'LL NEED AN OPERATOR AND SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL ELECTRICITY AND CHEMICALS TO MAINTAIN YOUR ONSITE SYSTEM.
THE TYPES OF SAVINGS THAT THESE PROJECTS WILL REALIZE ARE REDUCED IMPACT FEES AND METER CHARGES FROM A REDUCED RELIANCE ON THE CITY'S, UH, CENTRALIZED INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU'LL SEE REDUCED, UM, UTILITY BILLS FROM USING LESS WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICE.
AND, UH, WE'VE ALSO, UH, WORKED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO GET RELIEF FROM SUB-METERING, UM, MULTI-FAMILY UNITS IF YOU HAVE A NON-POTABLE WATER SUPPLY IN YOUR BUILDING.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, A REDU REDUCED WATER QUALITY VOLUME TO MEET OUR STORM WATER MANAGEMENT ORDINANCES.
THAT'S ANOTHER CONSULTANT STUDY THAT WE HAVE WORKED ON AND WORKED WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT TO KIND OF DETERMINE THE CRITERIA FOR THAT.
AND SO, UH, OVERALL, NEXT SLIDE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NET COSTS AFTER FACTORING ALL OF THE COSTS AND SAVINGS, THERE STILL WILL BE A NET IMPACT TO, UM, UH, TO HOUSING UNITS.
UH, AND THEY KIND OF VARY BASED ON THE TYPE OF BUILDING.
UM, MID RISES ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN HIGH RISES JUST BECAUSE OF THE, THE LAYOUT OF THE BUILDING.
YOU NEED MORE HORIZONTAL RUNS OF PIPING, SO THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL PLUMBING COST THAT YOU HAVE TO, UM, FACTOR IN.
AND SO, BUT IN, IF YOU'RE COMPARING THOSE COSTS TO MARKET RATE UNITS, MULTIFAMILY UNITS SOLD IN AUSTIN, THIS IS SOME RECENT DATA THAT WE PULLED, UM, WHICH ARE SELLING FOR 500,000 TO $5 MILLION RANGE.
THE RE ORDINANCES CAN ADD 0.02 TO 1.42% TO THE OVERALL COST, AND THAT'S ASSUMING THAT THE COST WOULD JUST BE PASSED ON TO THE BUYER OF THE UNIT.
AND THEN NEXT SLIDE, WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE COSTS ON MORE OF LIKE A MONTHLY BASIS.
SO LOOKED AT THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE PROJECT AND THE BUILDING AND, UH, FACTORED IN THE, THE SAVINGS AND VERSUS THE COST OVER 30 YEARS AND CALCULATED THE NET PRESENT VALUE AND THEN, UM, DIVIDED THAT INTO A MONTHLY AMOUNT.
AND SO THAT KIND OF WOULD REPRESENT HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL RENT SOMEONE WOULD PAY FOR THESE UNITS.
UM, AND SO FOR THE HIGH RISE TYPES OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE EXPANDING A RECLAIMED MAIN 500 FEET TO THEIR PROJECT, THERE'S ACTUALLY A NET SAVINGS TO THE PROJECT OVER 30 YEARS.
AND SO, UM, THAT WAS THE ONLY SORT OF LIKE TYPE OF BUILDING WHERE YOU'D SEE SAVINGS OVER TIME.
UM, AND THEN THE MID RISES ARE EIGHT TO $10 PER MONTH PER UNIT FOR A MID-RISE MIXED USE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LESS.
AND THEN FOR THE SUBURBAN MULTIFAMILY, FOUR TO $5 PER MONTH, THE RAINWATER AND AC SYSTEMS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN JUST UTILIZING RECLAIMED RANGING FROM A $3 TO $23 PER MONTH.
AND SO IN ADDITION TO JUST THE, THE SORT OF LIKE NET COSTS OF, UH, IMPLEMENTING THESE SYSTEMS AND NEW DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO BE INCLUDING WITHIN OUR REPORT SOME, UM, LESS TANGIBLE SORT OF, UH, COSTS OR SAVINGS THAT RESULT FROM THESE SYSTEMS. UM, WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE, UH, PROPOSING EXEMPTIONS TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, UM, BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD THAT THOSE PROJECTS DON'T HAVE, UH, UH, REALLY, UH, THE BUDGET TO EVEN INCREMENTALLY PAY ANOTHER ADDITIONAL 1%.
AND SO THE MARGINS ARE VERY TIGHT FOR THOSE, THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, WE'RE RECOMMENDING CONTINUING THE ONSITE REUSE PILOT INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE, UM, EITHER LESS THAN 250,000 SQUARE FEET OR JUST NOT REQUIRED FOR WHATEVER REASON TO MEET OUR ORDINANCES.
BUT WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE AN EXEMPT, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT BUT STILL WANTED TO IMPLEMENT ONE OF THESE, YOU COULD APPLY FOR THE INCENTIVE.
[00:50:01]
OTHER LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE CHANGES, UM, THAT ARE UNDER COUNCIL CONSIDERATION IN THE NEAR FUTURE THAT COULD OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS OF DOING THESE, SUCH AS REMOVING PARKING MINIMUMS FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.OUR INITIAL KIND OF ANALYSIS HAS SHOWED THAT THAT WOULD MORE THAN OFFSET THE COST OF INSTALLING A REUSE SYSTEM IN A NEW DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN ALSO MENTIONING THAT PACE FINANCING IS A VIABLE OPTION FOR, UM, MAKING THESE SYSTEMS COST NEUTRAL IF IT WORKS OUT FOR YOUR PROJECT.
UM, THERE'S OTHER, UM, BENEFITS TO INSTALLING THESE TOO, SUCH AS OVERLAP WITH OTHER CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR, UM, THE FUNCTIONAL GREEN CODE CHANGES THAT ARE, UM, UNDER, UNDER CONSIDERATION SOON BY COUNCIL.
AND THEN ALSO THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING PROGRAM IS REQUIRING DUAL PLUMBING FOR, UM, NON-RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
SO THERE'S OVERLAP WITH OTHER CODES WITHIN THE CITY.
SO THEY SORT OF HAVE LIKE A MULTI, LIKE A MULTILAYERED BENEFICIAL, UM, OVERLAPPING REQUIREMENT THAT IT'S HARD TO QUANTIFY THE EXACT SAVINGS, BUT THERE ARE SAVINGS THERE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE COST OF INACTION, UM, OF NOT, UH, IMPLEMENTING THESE REUSE ORDINANCES, UM, AND JUST NOT BEING PREPARED AS A CITY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND BEING VERY RESILIENT AND, AND FORWARD THINKING.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE FACED WITH WHAT PHOENIX IS LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, WHERE THEY'VE OVER SORT OF ALLOCATED DEVELOPMENT PERMITS WITHOUT ENSURING THAT THERE'S A SUFFICIENT WATER SUPPLY AT THE MOMENT TO, TO SERVE THOSE DEVELOPMENTS.
SO SOME RECENT AND NEXT STEPS.
WE HAD STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS IN JUNE TO PRESENT THESE FINAL, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN COLLECTING STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK OVER THE SUMMER THAT THE COMMENT PERIOD HAS ENDED, AND WE'RE JUST NOW FINALIZING OUR, UM, OUR COST REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS DUE TO COUNCIL AND AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, MENTIONED SEPTEMBER 28TH.
UM, AND THEN, UM, TRY GETTING EVERYTHING READY TO BE IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTING THE MANDATORY PROGRAMS BY DECEMBER 1ST.
THERE ARE STILL SOME CODE CHANGES THAT, UH, COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO, UM, ADOPT TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMS. AND SO, UM, WE'RE JUST KIND OF ALL PREPARING THAT ALL OF THAT WOULD BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER 1ST WHEN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES OF THESE PROGRAMS WILL BE MANDATORY.
UM, ALSO UPDATING OUR GUIDANCE AND PROGRAM CRITERIA FOR PROJECT APPLICANTS AND PLANNING SOME WEBINARS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY ON HOW TO, UM, GET YOUR PROJECT READY FOR SITE PLAN SUBMITTAL BEGINNING DECEMBER 1ST TO MEET THE, THE NEW PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
UM, QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS UP ON THE SCREEN.
PERRY AND PAUL PERRY, YOU CAN GO FIRST.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF BIG USERS HAVE NOT A LOT, A HANDFUL HAVE DRILLED WELLS AND ARE PUMPING IT OUTTA THE GROUND AND SORT OF THUMBING THEIR NOSE AT THE CITY.
OTHER PEOPLE GET WATER OUT OF THE LAKE, UH, THAT ARE ON THE LAKE.
IS ANY OF THAT REGULATED OR IS THIS SIMPLY IS WHAT'S REGULATED, UH, AUSTIN WATER SUPPLYING WATER OR DO WE KNOW, MARISA, DO YOU WANNA TAKE THAT? SURE, I CAN START OFF.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE A, A BEVY OF EXPERTS OVER HERE, UH, KEVIN, KEVIN AND THERESA WHO CAN ADD TO THAT.
UM, UH, SOME FOLKS WHO DO DRILL WELLS THAT DEPENDING ON WHERE THAT FALLS, IF THAT FALLS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE BURTON SPRINGS EDWARDS AQUIFER, UM, CONSERVATION DISTRICT OR OTHER, UM, CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, THERE MAY BE SOME LEVEL OF AUTHORITY THAT THOSE HAVE.
CITY OF AUSTIN DOES NOT HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THOSE, UM, WELLS.
UH, SOME FOLKS WHO ARE PULLING WATER FROM THE LAKE OR UM, FROM THE COLORADO RIVER, WE TYPICALLY DO NOT REGULATE, UM, THEIR WITHDRAWAL OF WATER.
UM, THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN ENTITIES THAT ARE DRAWING WATER, UM, FROM THE LAKE OR FROM THE COLORADO RIVER.
AND UM, THEY, IF THEY'RE WITHDRAWING THAT WATER UNDERNEATH THE CITY'S, UH, CURRENT WATER RIGHTS AND CONTRACTS, THEN THAT'S MONITORED AND REPORTED, UH, BY THE CITY.
UM, AND, UM, WOULD FALL UNDERNEATH OUR, UH, AVAILABILITY OF, OF WATER SUPPLIES.
UM, THERESA OR KEVIN, DID YOU ALL WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? YEAH, I THINK, I THINK PROBABLY THE KEVIN CRITTENDON, UM, I THINK PROBABLY THE MOST DIRECT ANSWER IS, UH, THERE'S NOT ANY BLANKET PROHIBITION AGAINST SOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES.
[00:55:01]
I THINK WHAT WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT IS SITE BY SITE APPLICATION WHEN IT COMES TO INDIVIDUAL, UM, ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCES.AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE AND KIND OF SEEING WHAT DIFFERENT SITES MAY OFFER AND WHAT DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS MAY CHOOSE.
UM, WE WANNA BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCENTIVIZE, UM, LOOKING FOR OTHER OPTIONS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY KIND OF HOW WE CRAFT THIS PROGRAM BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, SO I, I THINK, UH, PART OF YOUR ANSWER IS SORT OF STAY TUNED AND WE'LL KIND OF SEE HOW IT'S PLAYED OUT.
I MEAN, IN SOME CASES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO WANNA ENCOURAGE THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLIES THAT THAT OFFSET WHERE WE WOULD NORMALLY HAVE TO GO TO OUR CORE DRINKING WATER SUPPLY, WHICH IS COLORADO RIVER.
UM, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE BY HAVING THEM, YOU KNOW, USE GROUNDWATER.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, RIGHT, I MEAN, TO THE EXTENT THAT DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS AND THERE'S WHAT, WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS, YOU KNOW, NUISANCE, YOU KNOW, OR EXTRANEOUS GROUNDWATER IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO WASTE THAT WATER.
SO IT'S A BIT OF A NUANCE, KIND OF A SITE BY SITE KIND OF REVIEW THAT WE'LL HAVE TO BE KIND OF DEALING WITH AS WE GET MORE FAMILIAR WITH KIND OF HOW WE'RE GONNA APPLY THIS.
UM, THANKS CATHERINE FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, MY QUESTION'S KIND OF A MULTIPLE PARTS HERE, BUT IT'S BASED ON THE IDEA THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THIS ORDINANCE IS ONLY GONNA APPLY TO DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE CITED WITHIN 500 FEET OF A RECLAIMED WATERLINE, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY, CORRECTLY IF I'M WRONG.
SO I GUESS HOW EXTENSIVE IS OUR CURRENT NETWORK OF RECLAIMED WATERLINES AND DO YOU FEEL THAT, DOES AUSTIN WATER FEEL THAT WE'VE SORT OF ADEQUATELY CAPTURED ALL OF THE, THE BIG, THE BIG DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE'RE LIKE, THAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE OR THAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO KIND OF, I'M SURE WE HAVE SOME FORECASTS OF LIKE, WELL, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS PART OF TOWN AND HERE AND HERE AND HERE, AND OUR RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM CURRENTLY IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO CONNECT TO THOSE, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
SO WE'RE GONNA CAPTURE THEM WITH THIS ORDINANCE.
AND THEN I GUESS THE LAST QUESTION WOULD BE, ARE THERE, I'M SURE THERE ARE, BUT ARE THERE PLANS TO EXPAND THE NETWORK RECLAIMED WATER LINES IN THE FUTURE? YEAH, THANKS.
SO THE, THE ORDINANCES APPLY, IT'S, IT'S, I THINK IT'S MAY MAYBE BETTER TO THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY THAT THE MORE OF THE TRIGGER IS THE SIZE OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF YOU'RE A LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT'S 250,000 SQUARE FEET OR MORE, YOU'RE EITHER GONNA HAVE TO CONNECT TO THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM OR INSTALL AN ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM.
AND SO IF YOU'RE WITHIN 500 FEET, YOU'RE MORE THAN LIKELY JUST GONNA INSTALL, UM, CONNECT TO THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, A MILE AWAY FROM IT OR WHATEVER YOU WOULD INSTALL THE ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM INSTEAD.
UM, IN TERMS OF WHO HAS ACCESS TO THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM, WE HAVE BEEN STRATEGIC ABOUT WHERE WE HAVE INSTALLED, UM, A LOT OF OUR MAINS.
AND SO THERE'S A SYSTEM THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
IT DOESN'T COVER ALL OF DOWNTOWN, BUT IT REACHES, UH, THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
WE EXPECT A LOT OF LARGE DEVELOPMENTS TO BE, UM, DEVELOPED IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN OVER TIME AS NEW PROJECTS COME IN AND START INCREMENTALLY EXPANDING, YOU KNOW, 500 FEET AT A TIME AND HELPING US BUILD OUT THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM THAT WILL ALLOW ADDITIONAL USERS TO CONNECT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S SORT OF THE APPROACH OF THAT.
THIS, THE UTILITY HAS PUT IN STRATEGIC PIPES AND THEN THE, UM, THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS WILL HELP US EXPAND IT IN INCREMENTALLY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, A PLANNING PROCESS WHERE WE LOOK AT, UH, WHERE NEW GROWTH IS EXPECTED AND NEW DEMANDS.
AND WITH OUR C I P PROGRAM, WE WOULD, UM, CHOOSE TO INSTALL, UM, ADDITIONAL PIPING INTO FUTURE AREAS OF THE CITY WHERE GROWTH IS ANTICIPATED.
PAUL, THERE HAS BEEN IN THE PAST, I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE LATELY, THERE USED TO BE A QUARTERLY REUSE OR RECLAIM LINE SYSTEM UPDATE IN THE WAY BACK.
UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE LATELY, BUT THERE ARE MAPS WITH THE EXISTING AND PROPOSED AND PERHAPS THAT COULD BE SHARED WITH THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS SINCE THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF, OF, UM, OF REDUCING OR, YOU KNOW, SWITCHING POTABLE WATER USE TO NON POTABLE WATER USE WHERE APPROPRIATE.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE JUST A HANDY DATA POINT FOR FOLKS TO HAVE.
MAYBE WE CAN INCLUDE IT IN THE PACKET FOR THE NEXT MEETING OR
[01:00:01]
EMAIL IT AROUND TO FOLKS.WHAT I WAS GONNA MENTION IS THAT, UH, THERESA ACTUALLY MADE A PRESENTATION TO AWO THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL IN AUGUST, I THINK 2023.
AND WE CAN SEND OUT A LINK TO THAT LAST MONTH PRESENTATION, UM, TO THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS TO WATCH.
AND UM, YOU CAN SEE THE MATERIALS, THE BACKUP MATERIALS ONLINE AS WELL.
THAT WAS ABOUT THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM.
IT INCLUDES SOME SYSTEM MAPS AND PLANS FOR EXPANSION.
UM, AND THEN, YEAH, JUST APPRECIATE CATHERINE KIND OF EXPLAINING WE'RE, WE ARE TRYING TO CAPTURE THOSE BIG DEVELOPMENTS, UM, BY EITHER MEANS BY THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM WHERE IT'S AVAILABLE OR BY THESE ONSITE REQUIREMENTS.
WITH THE P F A P F A S CONTAMINANTS AND STUFF IN THE WATER, IS THERE, UH, ANYTHING THAT THE RECLAIMED WATERS GOING THROUGH BEFORE, JUST BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THERE'S SOME RESEARCH SHOWING THAT IT CAN CONTAMINATE GROUNDWATER AS WELL, SO LIKE IN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IS RELA AND GLAD ARE GONNA BE USED AT THE SAME LEVEL AS OTHER AREAS THAT AREN'T AS SENSITIVE? YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I GUESS YOU'RE MAYBE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH USING RECLAIMED WATER FOR IRRIGATION OUTDOOR AND APPLYING IT.
YEAH, SO THERE ARE, UM, ALREADY WITHIN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE YOU CAN'T USE RECLAIMED WATER WITHIN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.
CRITICAL, UH, WATER QUALITY FEATURES, UM, THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE AND UM, THERE'S, SO THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS ALREADY IN THE CODE ABOUT NOT USING IT FOR IRRIGATION IN, IN UH, UH, DESIGNATED AREAS.
SO, UH, UM, ARE MORE PEOPLE USING THIS BUILDING 'CAUSE CLARA'S HIBISCUS, UM, LOOKS FANTASTIC RIGHT NOW.
HAVE YOU SEEN IT? THERE ARE LIKE MORE PEOPLE COMING TO THE BUILDING.
WE EVEN HAD A GRADUATION, A C C GRADUATION RECENTLY AND UM, THE OPERATORS NOTICED THEY'RE LIKE, WHOA, A LOT OF TOILETS GOT FLUSHED THIS WEEK.
UM, SO YEAH, WE ARE GETTING GOOD USE OUT, OUT OF THE BUILDING.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A CORRELATION BETWEEN FLOWERING OF THE HIBISCUS AND TOILET USAGE IN THE BUILDING.
I THINK THERE IS, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT 'CAUSE IT'S THE REST OF THE PLANTS DO NOT LOOK LIKE THAT
YES, IN THE, UH, BIOME OF THE BLACKWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM.
UM, SO THE SUBURBAN MULTI-FAMILY CARVE OUT, UH, CAN YOU TELL ME AGAIN HOW YOU'RE DEFINING WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY IS A SUBURBAN MULTIFAMILY? IS IT TOWNHOUSES? I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY.
YEAH, I DIDN'T INCLUDE THE DEFINITION, BUT IT'S A VERY, UM, INTERESTING ONE.
SO IT'S THREE MORE THAN THREE BUILDINGS WITH A FLOOR TO AREA RATIO.
LESS THAN ONE, I BELIEVE IS THE CRITERIA THAT IT HAS TO MEET.
AND SO THIS, IF YOU SUBMIT SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMITS, THESE ARE TERMS THAT WOULD BE VERY FAMILIAR TO YOU.
THESE ARE ALREADY THING CRITERIA THAT YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT AND DESIGNATE.
FLORIDA AREA RATIO IS OKAY, REPRESENTATIVE.
IS IT A ZONING CLASSIFICATION OR WHAT? IT'S NOT TIED TO A SPEC.
IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T MATCH ANY CURRENT LIKE ZONING DESIGNATION.
IT'S, SO, IT'S A, WHAT ZONING CLASS? COULD YOU BUILD IT IN? WHAT ZONING CLASS? SO FOR THE FIRST IS YOU'D HAVE TO BE AN ALL RESIDENTIAL PROJECT AND THEN YEAH.
BUT IS IT SEP THREE? IS IT, I'M TRYING TO PLACE THIS WITHIN CONTEXT.
SO IT DOES NOT APPLY TO, UH, UH, ONE AND TWO FAMILY UNIT, UM, UH, LIKE CONDO REGIMES.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THREE OR MORE UNITS IN, IN YOUR BUILDING.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY THE, I I CAN LOOK THAT UP FOR YOU THOUGH.
SO IT'S MORE THAN THREE UNITS.
AND THEN HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE SUBURBAN PART? HOW FAR FROM DISTANCE FROM CENTRAL CITY? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS.
IT'S MORE THE FLORIDA AREA RATIO.
SO IT COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
UM, WELL, 'CAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED IS THAT 34% OF THE OFFSETS IS PROJECTED TO COME FROM THIS CATEGORY.
AND THEY'RE MOSTLY, IT'S ALL IRRIGATION IS THE OFFSET.
SO YET THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANY REAL SAVINGS ON IMPACT FEES.
THAT'S BECAUSE THEY, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE CITY.
THEY COULD BE, OR WHERE YOU'RE BUILDING LONGER LINES.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE BIGGER.
I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS CAN BE URBAN DEVELOPMENTS.
SO BASED ON THE KIND OF CONSTRAINTS.
SO YOU HAVE TO FIRST OF ALL BE, HAVE 250,000
[01:05:01]
SQUARE FEET COMBINED GROSS FLARE.SO YOU'RE A REALLY LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
AND THEN YOU ARE, UM, NOT VERY DENSE.
AND SO YOU HAVE MORE THAN THREE BUILDINGS, AND THEN YOU HAVE VERY FEW STORIES COMPARED TO HOW MUCH LAND AREA YOU HAVE.
SO NATURALLY YOU'RE CONSTRAINED TO WHERE YOU HAVE BIG LAND AREA.
AND WE'VE, WE'VE MAPPED WHERE THESE, UH, TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS HAVE OCCURRED, AND THEY'RE DEFINITELY IN THE OUTER RINGS OF, THAT'S WHY WE KIND OF CALL THEM SUBURBAN MULTIFAMILY.
BUT, UM, THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE THOSE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS.
IF YOU'RE A MID-RISE BUILDING THAT'S THIS LARGE, YOU'RE, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TYPOLOGY, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE IN THE CENTRAL CORE AND THEN OTHER AREAS.
SO YOU'RE, I GUESS, I MEAN, ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS LIKE, YOU'RE FAIRLY CONFIDENT IN THE RATE OF DEVELOPMENT OF THESE TYPES OF FACILITIES TO PUT SO MUCH OF THE OFFSET TO PLANT FOR THAT, LIKE YOU'RE CONFIDENT IN ACHIEVING THIS OFFSET? I WOULD WITH 4% BEING SUBURBAN MULTIFAMILY.
SO THAT IS JUST, WE TOOK THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT TRENDS FROM THE PAST FEW YEARS AND PROJECTED OUT JUST IF, IF, IF GROWTH WAS STEADY AND IT WAS, IT MIRRORED EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS IN THE LAST, UM, YEAR AND A HALF, THAT THAT'S OUR ESTIMATED, UM, OFFSET.
BUT MORE THAN LIKELY THE TRENDS WILL CHANGE.
UM, WE'VE JUST KIND OF SHOWED THAT WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE BALLPARK OF REACHING OUR TARGET.
AND THEN, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS, UH, A FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT GETS UPDATED, WE'LL BE TRACKING THE SAVINGS OVER TIME, AND WE'LL HAVE TIME TO ADJUST THE PROGRAM IF NEEDED.
THERE'S ALSO, UM, WITHIN THE INITIAL, THE 2018 WATER FORWARD PLAN, THERE WAS ALREADY A PHASE TWO OF THIS ORDINANCE THAT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED MAYBE FOR SMALLER BUILDINGS OVER TIME IF WE NEEDED.
SO THIS IS JUST OUR FIRST KIND OF INITIAL PROGRAM THAT WE WILL MONITOR OVER TIME.
UM, AND WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED WITH THIS BECAUSE WE FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START.
UM, AND, BUT WE HAVE TIME TO ADJUST IF NEEDED.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS.
ONE IS WITH THE, THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU'RE DEVELOPING, UM, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID.
YOU'RE DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNSEL.
WITH THE EXEMPTIONS FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, IS THERE ANY, UM, CONSIDERATION OF, OF AN EXEMPTION, BUT ALSO PROVIDING AT AUSTIN WATER OR AT AUSTIN WATERS COST OR LIKE SERVICES TO HELP SEEK GRANT FUNDING WHERE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS AND, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THIS ADVANCED WATER SAVINGS TO ALL LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT? RIGHT.
SO WE, THAT'S, WE ARE RECOMMENDING EXTENDING OUR PILOT INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT WOULD PAY UP TO $500,000 PER PROJECT.
UM, SINCE THEY'RE EXEMPT, THEY COULD QUALIFY FOR, UH, THIS INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
THEY CAN'T, UH, WE CAN'T INCENTIVIZE ANYTHING THAT'S REQUIRED BY CODE.
SO BY PROVIDING THEM A STRAIGHT EXEMPTION, IT ALLOWS THEM TO, UM, I SEE.
UM, OH, AND THEN I, I GUESS JUST THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, HOW DOES IT WORK? I JUST DIDN'T THINK THIS THROUGH.
IF YOU HAVE A LARGE MULTI-FAMILY PROJECT THAT'S A COMBINATION OF MARKET RATE AND AFFORDABLE, I MEAN, I SEE THE EXEMPTIONS ONLY FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE, SO I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT TO KNOW IF THOSE GET COMBINED VERY OFTEN.
THERE'S, UM, THERE ARE DEFINITELY DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE JUST A PORTION OF THEIR, UH, UNITS THAT ARE SLATED TO BE AFFORDABLE.
THEY'RE TYPICALLY ONLY AFFORDABLE FOR LIKE FIVE YEARS.
UM, IT'S JUST THE MORE LONGER TERM, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE PROJECTS LIKE THE ONES THAT MEET AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED CRITERIA.
I HAVE JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, UM, SO WE HAD ORIGINALLY TALKED IN SOME OF THE WORKSHOPS.
YOU ALLUDED TO THE EARLY WORKSHOPS ABOUT GRAY WATER AND BLACK WATER BEING INCLUDED HERE.
AND IT LOOKS, I MEAN, WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IS, IS AC CONDENSATE IN RAINWATER, UM, IT'S A CONSIDERABLE LEVEL MORE COMPLEXITY TO HAVE THOSE TYPES OF SYSTEMS. AND I THINK THAT THE CITY REALLY IS DEDICATED TO THOSE TYPES OF
[01:10:01]
SYSTEMS. BUT THIS WOULD ALLOW, I'D LOVE TO HEAR KIND OF THE RATIONALE BEHIND THAT, BUT ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING IS KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU WERE TELLING SARAH, IS WE CAN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL STILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INCENTIVE FUNDS FOR THOSE PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BEING REQUIRED ONCE THINGS BECOME ORDINANCE AND THEY'RE REQUIRED, WE CAN NO LONGER INCENTIVIZE THEM.'CAUSE EVERYBODY HAS TO DO THEM.
SO, UM, BUT, BUT WHY ARE WE, JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, LAURA DECIDED TO NOT REQUIRE GRAY WATER AND BLACK WATER.
I MEAN, BLACK WATER MAKES MORE SENSE.
DOESN'T REQUIRE, BUT YEAH, NO, GOOD QUESTION.
WE HAD PRESENTED IT TO THE STAKEHOLDERS IN JUNE, OUR RATIONALE FOR, UH, SELECTING RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE.
AND IT WAS, UM, STRICTLY DUE TO THE COST.
UM, IT'S WAS TWO TIMES TO SIX TIMES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT WAS LARGELY DUE TO THE ADDITIONAL, UM, WELL, THE ADDITIONAL, UH, DRAINAGE PLUMBING THAT YOU NEED WAS QUITE EXPENSIVE.
AND THEN IT'S ALSO REQUIRES MORE TREATMENT FOR RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE.
YOU JUST NEED FILTRATION AND SOME DISINFECTION FOR GRAY WATER.
YOU NEED A MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR.
SO THE COST OF HAVING TO IMPLEMENT THAT WAS, IT WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO WHERE OKAY.
AND I DON'T CONSIDER GRAY WATER GOING DOWN THE DRAIN IN AN URBAN SYSTEM A WASTE BECAUSE IT GOES TO Y'ALL'S TREATMENT FACILITY, WHICH CAN THEN BE REUSED OR IT'S TREATED IN, PUT INTO THE RIVER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS OR DOWNSTREAM WATER USERS.
BUT IT DOES, IT IS, UNLIKE RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE, IT IS ABLE TO MEET A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE NON-POTABLE DEMAND WITHIN A BUILDING.
UM, BUT THE, THE COST TRADE OFF WAS ULTIMATELY WHAT MADE US START WITH RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE.
I'M THINKING HOUSEHOLD USE GOING OUTSIDE FOR A GARDEN OR SOMETHING.
SO, UM, SO WE'RE SETTING THOSE ASIDE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO WHEN WE HAD FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS, WE WERE LOOKING AT OFFSETTING LIKE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF NON-POTABLE WATER NEEDS.
THAT WAS THE ASPIRATIONAL GOAL.
UM, I SUSPECT WITH CAPTURING THE FIRST INCH OF RAINWATER AND ACCOM AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE MAY GET THERE IN SOME BUILDINGS, WE MAY NOT IN OTHERS, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF THAT ABOUT HOW MUCH OF THE NON-POTABLE WATER USE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO OFFSET? YEAH.
FR FROM LOOKING AT, UM, GRAY WATER TO RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE, YOU CAN SET OFF OFFSET 60, THE LOWEST IS KIND OF 60% OF THE AMOUNT THAT GRAY WATER COULD HAVE.
LIKE IN SOME CASES, RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE COULD MEET THE SAME AMOUNT FOR GRAY WATER.
THAT WOULD BE MORE FOR COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS, BUT FOR MULTI-FAMILY IT WAS AROUND 60 TO 70%, UM, OF THE OFFSET FROM RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE.
HOLD ON, ROBERT, I HAVE ONE MORE, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, SO THE AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT THAT'S GONNA BE PUT TOGETHER, THAT WAS KIND OF REALLY ONE OF THE LINCHPINS WHEN THIS FIRST GOT WENT TO COUNCIL, UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND, AND WE'RE LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT'S DUE TO COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 28TH.
UM, WE WILL YOU SHARE IT WITH THE TASK, MAKE SURE AND SHARE IT WITH THE TASK FORCE TOO.
I'M VERY, VERY INTERESTED IN KIND OF HOW THAT COMES OUT, BUT IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THIS INFORMATION HERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS IS, AND YOU KNOW, I'M NO SOOTHSAYER ABOUT COUNSEL.
I JUST READ WHAT I READ IN THE NEWSPAPER, BUT THAT THERE'S VERY LITTLE TO NO TOLERANCE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH ANY ORDINANCE.
SO ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR HOUSING.
UM, AND, AND I KNOW THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE RELATIVELY SMALL FROM, YOU KNOW, $8 TO 23.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S APPOINTED BY COUNCILMAN, EVERYBODY'S APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT SOME FOLKS ARE WORKING FOR THE CITY AND WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT ROLES TO PLAY.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO GO TALK TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROGRAM AND THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS AND THE, THE THINGS THAT CANNOT BE COUNTED IN THE MONTHLY COST.
FOR EXAMPLE, FUTURE WATER RESILIENCE, UM, AND THE OTHER THINGS.
SO I'VE ENCOURAGED FOLKS TO LOOK AT THAT REPORT WHEN IT COMES AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PERSON THAT HAS APPOINTED YOU UNDERSTANDS THE CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH THIS CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, IT'S GONNA COST A LITTLE, A FEW MORE DOLLARS A MONTH.
UM, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME CONTEXT AND CONVERSATION AROUND THAT.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SHARE THAT WITH FOLKS.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, IF, IF THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE TO HAVE THAT, TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, UM, AS I'M SURE FOLKS KIND OF REACH OUT TO THE FOLKS THAT HAVE APPOINTED THEM AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND ADVICE ON THINGS.
UM, ARE YOU HEARING ANY KIND OF RUMBLINGS
[01:15:01]
IN THE DISTANCE ABOUT AFFORDABILITY? I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN THOUGHTFUL IN YOUR APPROACH AND YOU ARE STILL PRESERVING, BEING ABLE TO INCENTIVIZE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH IS GREAT MM-HMM.UM, BUT I PERSONALLY THINK IT'S, IT'S, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCES AND MAKE ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCES AVAILABLE TO, TO ALL TYPES OF HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY IF WE'RE ABLE TO.
UM, I'M SORRY, THE QUESTION IS, IF, IF WE HEARD, OH, I WAS, IS IT PART SPEECH? MAYBE THERE'S A QUESTION IN THERE.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY, ANY PUSHBACK, ANY CONCERN, UM, ON THAT? AND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT.
YEAH, NO, WE DID GET ONE, UM, LETTER FROM THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL OF AUSTIN, UM, POSTED ON OUR, UM, SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE, OR I THINK THEY HAD TO EMAIL IT.
UM, AND WE'VE POSTED OUR RESPONSE TO, TO THEIR, UM, CONCERNS.
THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST AND YOU KNOW, KIND OF THOSE, THOSE FOUR BULLETS THAT WE PUT OUT ABOUT WHAT THE CONCERNS WERE, THOSE WERE ORIGINALLY FROM REKA TOO AND THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THEY, THEY STILL HAVE SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS ABOUT THE COST AND JUST, UM, NOT WANTING THEIR PROJECTS TO BE DELAYED BECAUSE THAT ADD ADDS COST TO IT TOO.
UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN MEETING, WE'VE HAD A, WE HAD A FOLLOW UP POLICY BRIEFING WITH THEM AND SOME KIND OF BACK AND FORTH.
UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE MET WITH THE AUSTIN HOUSING COALITION TO KIND OF GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, UH, EXEMPTION AND WHAT SORT OF CRITERIA TO MEET THERE.
AND, UM, REALLY THE, THE, THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL AUSTIN LETTER WAS THE ONLY SORT OF, UM, HIGHLIGHTED CONCERNS THAT THEY STILL HAD.
UM, WE SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF THE TIME, BUT ASK YOUR QUESTION JUST REAL, JUST REAL QUICK.
UM, SO CONDENSATE WATER IS A PRETTY FIRM, UM, SUPPLY, BUT RAINWATER, UM, MAY OR MAY NOT BE FIRM DEPENDING ON THE DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM.
AND SO IN, IN THESE NUMBERS, ARE THOSE, IS IT ASSUMED THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE, UM, DESIGNED AND OPERATED IN A WAY WHERE THEY HAVE ACTUALLY A FIRM YIELD SO THEY PROVIDE WATER THROUGH THESE REALLY BAD DROUGHTS, OR ARE THEY GONNA USE THE RAINWATER AND THEN GO BACK TO THE SOURCE SUPPLY WHICH MIGHT NOT BE DESIRABLE? UM, IN THE BIG PICTURE? YEAH, CORRECT.
SO CONDENSATE IS THE FIRM'S SUPPLY AND IT'S MOST PLENTIFUL IN THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN IT'S NOT RAINING.
AND SO EVERY DAY THERE WILL BE WATER GOING INTO THESE REUSE TANKS.
AND SO THAT, THAT IS KIND OF THE BENEFIT OF COMBINING AND, AND CO-MINGLING THESE TWO SOURCES.
AND THEN THE RAIN IS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THE CONDENSATE WILL GET YOU MORE OR LESS A DAY'S SUPPLY AND THEN THE RAIN IS GONNA GET YOU LIKE EXTRA SUPPLY TO GET THROUGH, GET THROUGH THE SUMMER MONTHS, UM, IN ANY SORT OF PEAK IRRIGATION DEMAND.
SO THEY REALLY, UM, GO WELL TOGETHER.
BUT YOU ARE, YOU WILL NEED SUPPLEMENTAL WATER FROM THE CITY.
UM, I'M SORRY, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION AND THEN I PROMISE TO STOP.
BUT, UM, SO I HAVE SEEN MANY IN MANY PLACES, LIKE RAINWATER TANKS GOING MAINLY AT SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES, AND THEN THEY KIND OF DON'T REALLY GET USED.
PROBABLY 'CAUSE LIBRARIANS AND SCHOOL TEACHERS GOT TRAINED TO DO 'EM AND IT'S NOT REALLY THEIR JOB.
AND THEN THEY, THEY DON'T WANNA RUN 'EM
UM, AND IF NOT, THEN YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PAYING, YOU'RE PAYING LIKE, YOU KNOW, QUADRUPLE THE RATE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
NOT REALLY, BUT UM, BUT MAYBE, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THE REQUIREMENT IS TO INSTALL AND USE, USE THE SYSTEMS. AND SO, UM, OUR, UM, PROGRAM WILL REQUIRE THAT THERE IS A DEDICATED BACKUP METER THAT FEEDS ONLY THE REUSE SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN MONITOR THE AMOUNT OF WATER, UM, BEING USED TO SUPPLEMENT THAT SYSTEM.
AND THEN, UM, OUR ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED IS, UM, ENVISIONING A FEE THAT CAN BE ASSESSED FOR WHEN YOU'RE NOT USING YOUR TANK OR BYPASSING IT, UM, BECAUSE IT IS A REQUIREMENT TO USE IT.
I MEAN, THIS IS A BIG DEAL THAT WE'RE GOING INTO, SO THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM'S WORK ON THIS.
[4. Overview of Water Forward 2024 100-year water demand projections]
INTO POPULATION AND WATER DEMAND PROJECTIONS.WHO'S DOING THAT ONE? SARAH'S GONNA TAKE US.
[01:20:01]
RESOURCES ENGINEER IN THE SYSTEMS PLANNING DIVISION, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE POPULATION AND DEMAND PROJECTIONS THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED AS A PART OF THE WATER FORWARD 24 UPDATE.SO WE'VE JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR LAST WATER FORWARD PLAN FROM 2018, AND THIS IS ALL DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE ARE REVIEWING THAT INFORMATION AND UPDATING AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN GENERAL A LITTLE BIT OF THE PLANNING CONTEXT, THE PURPOSE OF POPULATION AND DEMAND PROJECTIONS, SOME OF OUR KEY CONSIDERATIONS, HOW WE'VE DEVELOPED THE DEMANDS, UM, THE RESULTS OF OUR DISAGGREGATED DEMAND MODEL, THE D D M AND OUR NEXT STEPS.
SO AS WE'RE LOOKING TO UPDATE OUR WATER FORWARD PLAN, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A REPEAT FOR A LOT OF YOU, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF USEFUL CONTEXT TO REVISIT.
WE ARE ARE TRYING TO INCORPORATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF DEEP UNCERTAINTY IN OUR PLANNING PROCESS.
AND WE, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WRONG IN OUR PLAN.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THROUGH A BETTER APPROACH TO INCORPORATING UNCERTAINTY.
AND FOR US THIS TIME, THAT MEANS DEVELOPING A MORE CONCRETE PLAN FOR THE FIRST 50 YEARS AND THEN AN ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SECOND 50 YEARS.
UM, FOR THAT FULL 100 YEAR PLANNING HORIZON, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A HIGH MEDIUM AND A LOW PROJECTION FOR OUR DEMAND.
AND OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT ENVELOPE WILL ENCOMPASS SORT OF THE RANGE OF LIKELY FUTURE DEMANDS.
AND ANOTHER WAY TO THINK OF THIS IS THAT WE'VE KIND OF MENTIONED THIS PLAN GETS UPDATED ON A FIVE YEAR CYCLE.
AND AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH THIS PLANNING PROCESS, WE ARE AT EACH OF THOSE INCREMENTS.
WE ARE UPDATING OUR INFORMATION TO THE MOST CURRENT, YOU KNOW, POPULATION WATER USE INFORMATION.
AS WE MOVE OVER TO OTHER PARTS OF THE UPDATE, IT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT DIFFERENT UPDATES THAT ARE GETTING INCORPORATED.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE BUILDING OUR TEAM'S CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY FOR DEVELOPING DEMAND PROJECTIONS.
WE'RE GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AT IT, AND WE HAVE A LONGER RUN OF GOOD DATA THAT WE CAN USE TO PROJECT FORWARD.
AND SO THESE, THESE FUTURE UPDATES TO THE PLAN, WE'LL KEEP SORT OF HONING IN AND COURSE CORRECTING SO THAT WE GET A BETTER AND BETTER, UM, PLAN PROJECTION.
AND AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, I THINK IT'S USEFUL ALSO TO REMEMBER THAT IT'LL CONTINUE TO BE A HUNDRED YEAR PLAN IN FIVE YEARS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO CREEP UP AT A FIVE YEAR INCREMENT TO SOME SORT OF ULTIMATE 2120 EXISTENCE WHERE WE'RE EITHER RIGHT OR WE'RE WRONG.
YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT REALLY LONG RANGE PLAN.
AND A PART OF THAT ADAPTATION IS GONNA BE LOOKING OUT THAT FAR IN THE FUTURE JUST BECAUSE OF THE NEED FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE TIME AND THE INVESTMENT THAT IT TAKES IN ORDER TO MEET THOSE FUTURE WATER NEEDS.
SO ANOTHER BIG PART OF THE CONTEXT FOR THESE DEMAND PROJECTIONS IS THAT THIS IS OUR BASELINE DEMAND PROJECTION.
WE DEVELOP BASICALLY A PROJECTION OF THE DEMANDS AS THOUGH WE ARE ONLY IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
THIS IS NOT A PROJECTION OF HOW WELL FUTURE CONSERVATION IS GOING TO BE INTEGRATED.
THIS IS JUST IF, THIS IS BASICALLY OUR DO NOTHING DEMAND PROJECTION.
SO THE VALUE OF THAT IS THAT THEN WHEN WE GET INTO THIS NEXT STAGE, WHICH IS IN THE RIGHT BOX, WE START TO LOOK AT WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND THE PORTFOLIOS OF WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.
AND THOSE WILL BE ADDRESSING THE DEMANDS.
SO WE'LL HAVE DEMAND REDUCTION STRATEGIES BOTH IN THE FORM OF REUSE AND RECLAIM LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AS WELL AS CONSERVATION.
UM, AND THEN ALSO BRINGING ON ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES.
SO, SO LOOKING AT THAT DEMAND AND SUPPLY WATER BALANCE EQUATION AND, UM, ADDING IN THE DEMAND REDUCTION AND THE FUTURE SUPPLIES TO BALANCE US OUT IN THE FUTURE.
SO THE PROCESS FOR HOW WE DEVELOP OUR DEMAND PROJECTIONS.
I PRESENTED SIMILAR SLIDES TO THESE I THINK IN MAY.
SO I WANTED TO KEEP WITH SORT OF JUST THE SAME FORMAT IF WE REALLY LIKE SEEING THE SAME THING OVER AGAIN.
UM, BROKE IT OUT INTO THREE IS WHAT WE OFTEN REFER TO AS OUR SORT OF DEMOGRAPHICS, THE POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT THAT WE EXPECT TO BE SERVING THROUGHOUT THAT A HUNDRED YEAR PLANNING HORIZON.
THE NEXT MIDDLE CHUNK OF WORK IS THE WATER USE BASELINE.
SO TAKING THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS AND PAIRING IT WITH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CURRENT WATER USE AND WATER USE PATTERNS.
AND THEN THE LAST IS PULLING THOSE TOGETHER FOR A DEMAND PROJECTION.
[01:25:03]
SO THE POPULATION SERVED HAS BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE, BUT HERE IT IS AGAIN.UM, WE HAVE SHOWN THE HIGH, MEDIUM AND LOW, SO GREEN, BLUE AND YELLOW DOTTED LINES AS COMPARED WITH THE WATER FORWARD 2018 POPULATION SERVED, WHICH IS IN THAT FUCHSIA.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY STAY PRETTY CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER.
THEY START TO REALLY DIVERGE AT ABOUT 2080.
AND OF COURSE THAT'S WHERE WE START TO ENTER A PERIOD WHERE WE HAVE GREAT UNCERTAINTY FOR WHAT THINGS ARE GONNA BE LIKE.
UM, HOWEVER WE HAVE GOTTEN SOME, UH, FEEDBACK FROM OUR CITY DEMOGRAPHER AND OTHER FOLKS THAT THE, THIS SORT OF CONTINUING DOWNWARD TREND TOWARD THE END, THE DOWNWARD GROWTH TREND TOWARD THE END OF THE A HUNDRED YEAR PLANNING HORIZON IS LIKELY MORE REPRESENTATIVE.
AND IF WE CAN ACTUALLY GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY.
SO OUR DISAGGREGATED DEMAND MODEL IS BOTH SPATIALLY DISAGGREGATED AND DISAGGREGATED DOWN TO AN END USE DEGREE.
BUT THIS SLIDE SHOWS SOME OF THE, UM, SOME OF THE PROJECTIONS OF POPULATION DENSITY FOR THAT A HUNDRED YEAR PLANNING HORIZON.
AND AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE WRONG, BUT WE HAVE TO ALLOCATE THESE, THESE PEOPLE AND EMPLOYEES TO SOMEWHERE AROUND THE CITY.
SO THIS IS SORT OF USING OUR BEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION TO ALLOCATE WHERE THOSE MIGHT BE.
BUT IT DOES SORT OF ALSO HELP TO DESCRIBE WHY IN 2120 WE MAY NOT CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE TWO AND 3% ANNUAL GROWTH RATES THAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA HAVE A VERY DENSE CITY AT THAT POINT.
AND THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A LOT OF AVAILABLE GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT WHEREIN YOU SEE THOSE BIG LEAPS FROM REALLY LOW DENSITY TO REALLY HIGH DENSITY.
WE'LL HAVE, UM, A LOT OF THE CITY WILL ALREADY BE PRETTY WELL DEVELOPED.
WE'LL HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, INCREASED INFILL OVER THAT A HUNDRED YEAR PLANNING HORIZON.
AND, AND WE'LL PROBABLY IF, IF WE MIRROR SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE OF SIMILAR SIZE AND PATTERNS THAT WE'VE SEEN, WE'LL START TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A DECLINE IN THE GROWTH RATE.
THERE'S STILL GROWTH, IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT SLOWER WITHIN THE CITY.
SO ONCE WE'VE GOT OUR THREE ESTIMATES OF POPULATION AND EMPLOYEES OUT FOR THAT A HUNDRED YEARS, UH, THE NEXT STEP IS TO START TO REALLY DIG INTO OUR RECENT WATER USE DATA.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE ALIGN DIFFERENT SECTORS AND SUB-SECTORS OF OUR WATER USERS WITH DIFFERENT PROJECTIONS FOR HOW THOSE PEOPLE AND EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO, TO PROLIFERATE OVER TIME.
UM, WE HAVE OUR SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNITS ARE SEPARATED OUT INTO TWO SEPARATE METRICS AND THAT'S DEVELOPED OVER THE PLANNING HORIZON.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE COMMERCIAL SUB-SECTOR, WHICH, OR COMMERCIAL SECTOR, WHICH IS DIVIDED INTO A NUMBER OF SUB-SECTORS.
IT GOES DOWN TO HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, OFFICES.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE LARGE VOLUME AS A PART OF THAT LARGER UMBRELLA, UM, WHOLESALE PROJECTIONS AND PROJECTIONS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO EACH OF THOSE WE HAVE HISTORICAL WATER USE AND WE HAVE ESTIMATES OF THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OR UNITS IN THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.
AND THEN YOU JUST, IT'S SIMPLE MULTIPLICATION FROM THERE ALL OUT.
SO THAT'S HOW WE DEVELOP OUR BASELINE WATER USE FACTORS.
SO THAT'S HOW MUCH WATER IS USED PER EMPLOYEE OR PER UNIT FOR EACH OF THOSE SUB-SECTORS.
UM, AND ROBERT, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT WAS IT'S WFS AND ITS MEOW, MEOW, MEOW.
YEAH, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON A WAY TO INTEGRATE THE MEOW ACRONYM IN I
I, IT IS A, IT IS A, IT'S A PROFESSIONAL GOAL OF MINE.
SO WE'VE GOT OUR BASELINE WATER USE FACTORS UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WATER HAS BEEN USED PER EMPLOYEE AND PER RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
AND AS WE'RE PROJECTING THAT OUT, WE HAVE CHANGES IN OUR DEMOGRAPHICS OVER TIME, GROWTH IN PEOPLE AND EMPLOYEES.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE THIS TIME INCORPORATED A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO HOW WE EXPECT THOSE WATER USE FACTORS TO CHANGE OVER TIME.
UM, LOOKING AT HISTORICAL WATER USE PATTERNS, SO THIS IS A, A TRENDING APPROACH, WHICH IS INTENDED TO CAPTURE PASSIVE CONSERVATION TRENDS.
UM, IT CAN ALSO BE USED TO CAPTURE, FOR INSTANCE, TRENDS IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PER HOUSEHOLD UNIT AND, UH, WATER USE PER EMPLOYEE.
SO AT A SUB-SECTOR LEVEL, WE LOOKED HISTORICALLY TO SEE WHAT THE TRENDS WERE AND PROJECTED THEM OUT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A, A SORT OF SAFETY FACTOR TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE WATER USE FACTORS LOOK LIKE OVER TIME.
SO THE FIGURE JUST SHOWS YOU THAT WE HAVE A, A REDUCTION IN THE EXPECTED WATER USE THE
[01:30:01]
WFS PER EMPLOYEE AND PER UNIT.THAT STARTS OUT A LITTLE BIT HIGHER REDUCTION AND THEN TAILS OFF AS YOU START TO GET, YOU KNOW, THOSE LOW HANGING FRUIT CONSERVATION ITEMS HAVE ALREADY SORT OF BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
SO THAT RESULTS THE COMBINATION OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE WATER USE RESULTS IN A, THE, IT'S REALLY HARD TO SEE THAT SET OF COLORS.
AND THE 2020 DEMANDS SORT OF DIVIDED AMONG SUB-SECTOR AND IN THE 2120 DEMANDS THAT DIVISION IS, YOU KNOW, AS WE WOULD EXPECT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EASIER TO SEE IN THE PRINTOUT, BUT IT'S OKAY.
YOU CAN AT LEAST SORT OF SEE IT.
SO THE RESULT OF ALL OF COMBINING THOSE DIFFERENT PROJECTIONS IS OUR OVERALL DEMAND PROJECTIONS.
SO THIS IS SHOWING THE HIGH, MEDIUM AND LOW PROJECTIONS AN ACRE FEET PER YEAR OUT TO 2120.
WE ALSO HAVE THAT HERE BY, UM, SORT OF THE MAJOR SECTORS AND YOU CAN LOOK AT SORT OF HOW THOSE ARE EXPECTED TO RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER OVER TIME.
AND THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO SORT OF PUT IN THAT REMINDER THAT THE CONSERVATION AND DEMAND REDUCTION GETS APPLIED ON TOP OF THIS.
SO THIS IS THE BASELINE THAT WE GET TO WORK WITH.
THIS IS THE POOL THAT WE GET TO USE TO PULL OUR CONSERVATION FROM BASICALLY.
NEXT SLIDE AGAIN, THE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR WATERING.
SO THIS IS JUST ALL OF THE SUB-SECTORS COMBINED.
UM, WHAT PORTION OF OUR BASELINE IS COMPRISED OF WHAT WE EXPECT TO BE INDOOR WATER USE AND WHAT WE EXPECT TO BE OUTDOOR WATER USE.
SO THAT GREEN POOL IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT LOOKING AT REDUCING WITH OUR OUTDOOR CONSERVATION AND REUSE STRATEGIES.
AND THIS LAST SLIDE IS A COMPARISON OF THE DEMAND PROJECTIONS THAT WERE THE FINAL SET OF DEMAND PROJECTIONS IN WATER FOUR 18 WITH OUR HIGH, MEDIUM AND LOW PROJECTIONS FROM THIS CYCLE.
AND I DUNNO IF YOU CAN MOVE THE LITTLE, UH, YEAH, THERE WE GO.
SO WE CAN SEE THOSE LATER YEARS.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE INPUTS THAT ARE DRIVING THESE FINAL PROJECTIONS.
SO WE'VE GOT THAT SHIFT IN THE POPULATION PROJECTION.
IT, IT'S SORT OF TAILS DOWNWARD, SO TAILING UP TOWARD THE END OF THE PLANNING HORIZON.
WE ALSO HAVE THE REVISION IN THE WATER USE FACTOR PROJECTION METHODOLOGY, WHICH IS USING, LOOKING AT THAT HISTORICAL TRENDING.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE UPDATED INPUTS, SO UPDATED WATER USE ENCOMPASSING THE LAST FEW YEARS AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE 2020 CENSUS INFORMED POPULATION IN EMPLOYEE COUNTS.
SO THOSE ARE ALL DRIVERS FOR WHY THEY LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT REASSURING WHEN OUR PREVIOUS PROJECTION IS ENCAPSULATED BY THE ENVELOPE OF OUR FUTURE PROJECTIONS.
SO I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE SAME, IN THE SAME BALLPARK AND I BELIEVE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, SO, SO THIS SET OF DEMANDS GETS USED IN OUR PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS.
AND THE PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS IS PRE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY NEEDS ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF OUR BASELINE NEED.
UM, AND THEN WE START TO LOOK AT APPLYING THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, DEMAND REDUCTION RECLAIMED THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THIS COMPONENT, UM, AS WELL AS NEW SUPPLIES.
AND WE'LL CHARACTERIZE THOSE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND THEN, UM, START TO DO SOME MODELING TO UNDERSTAND WHICH ONES PERFORM WELL, WHICH WE CAN TALK ABOUT IN JUST A MOMENT.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
DO WE, DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR SARAH ABOUT THAT? IT'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF WORK IN HERE.
UM, SO THESE DEMAND PROJECTIONS WILL THEN, UM, THE POPULATION PROJECTIONS WILL BE COMBINED, WILL GET DEMAND OUT OF THOSE.
UM, AND ARE THEY VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN REGION K? I CAN'T REMEMBER.
THEY'RE, OURS ARE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S DEMANDS ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S IN THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING GROUP.
THEY, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE REGION K DEMANDS IN PART BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRAINTS WITHIN REGION K IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN DO FOR POPULATION MM-HMM.
[01:35:01]
FROM A SCENARIO PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, THE MORE PROJECTIONS THE BETTER.WE DO, WE DID INCLUDE WITHIN, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT WE PROVIDED TO T W D B, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION ABOUT OUR POPULATION PROJECTIONS AND SOME OF THE BASES FOR THAT.
AND THEN WE DID GET, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF ADDITIONAL POPULATION.
T W D B UM, DID ADD A LITTLE BIT OF POPULATION TO CITY AUSTIN.
UM, SO THESE ARE ALL JUST, THESE ARE COMPONENT PIECES OF WHAT'S GONNA GO INTO THE, THE BUILDING OF OUR NEXT ITERATION OF OUR WATER FORWARD PLANT, WHICH WILL BE ALL COMING TOGETHER DURING 2024.
THAT'LL BE A BIG YEAR FOR PLANNING COMING TOGETHER JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO GET ALL THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES AND, AND IMAGINE HOW THEY COME TOGETHER INTO THE WHOLE PLAN, AT LEAST FOR ME.
SO IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE, UM, EVEN THOUGH THE POPULATION IS, IS SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER, UM, A HUNDRED YEARS OUT AT LEAST MM-HMM.
UM, THE DEMANDS ARE HIGHER OVERALL.
SO THAT TO ME, THAT'S KINDA LIKE THE BIG TAKEAWAY IS THAT'RE LOOKING AT SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER POPULATION FROM THE CURRENT PLAN MM-HMM.
UNTIL THE VERY END OF THE PLANNING HORIZON.
AND I THINK I, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD ENCOURAGE LOOKING AT THAT RANGE OF DEMANDS AS REALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNCERTAINTY.
SO I WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, CLINGING TOO MUCH TO A MIDDLE OR A MORE LIKELY SCENARIO 'CAUSE WE JUST DON'T KNOW, UM, THAT IT IS WITHIN THE ENVELOPE OF OUR, OUR DEMAND PROJECTIONS.
HOWEVER, I THINK, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS TIME IS HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THAT PASSIVE CONSERVATION PROJECTION THAT WAS USED IN WATER FOUR 18 MIGHT ACTUALLY BE PLAYING OUT.
SO BEING ABLE TO USE A FEW YEARS OF HISTORICAL DATA OF, YOU KNOW, PER UNIT DEMANDS ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE AND PER EMPLOYEE DEMANDS ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT THOSE TRENDS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN IN WATER FOUR 18.
THERE WAS A REALLY SUBSTANTIAL EFFORT TO LOOK AT SORT OF A BOTTOM UP END USE BASED, UM, YOU KNOW, PASSIVE CONSERVATION COMPONENT AND HOW, WHAT HOUSING AGE AND WHAT NUMBER OF APPLIANCES AND FIXTURES MIGHT BE REPLACED.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'VE SORT OF COME BACK TO IS THAT MAYBE THAT PROJECTION IN WATER 14 EXPECTED A LOT TO HAPPEN BY 2040 AND THEN TAILED OFF.
AND MAYBE THAT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE GRADUAL.
SO THAT RESULTS IN OVERALL JUST A LITTLE BIT HIGHER DEMANDS.
AS THE BASELINE BEFORE WE START LAYERING ON CONSERVATION AND REUSE STRATEGIES, INCLUDING THE WATERFORD 18 STRATEGIES.
WELL IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS YEAH, GOOD JOB.
AND WE STILL GOT A FEW MINUTES FOR, I KNOW WE HAVE SO MUCH TIME LEFT ON SO MUCH TIME.
WELL WE SUBMITTED THE MEETING TIME TILL TWO 30, SO OH, GOOD.
[5. Overview of Water Management Strategies (WMS) characterization approach]
CAN WE GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE, UH, WAS IT NUMBER FIVE? YES.SO WE WILL TRANSITION STRAIGHT INTO THAT FIRST LOOK AT THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA BE CHARACTERIZED, UPDATED FOR THIS PLAN.
QUICK LOOK AT OUR SORT OF OVERALL PROJECT PLAN.
AND AS JENNIFER, YOU'RE NOTING LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF COMPONENT PIECES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE HAVE THIS, UH, TASK THREE COMPLETED, WHICH IS TALKING A LOT ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO, WHAT OUR METHODOLOGY IS FOR PLANNING.
TASK FOUR WAS THE BASELINE WATER DEMANDS, WHICH WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
TASK FIVE, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH ALSO COMPLETE, IS UPDATING OUR CLIMATE AND HYDROLOGY ANALYSIS.
SO THOSE ARE THE, YEAH, THE MAIN INPUTS TO OUR BIG, UM, EVALUATION PROCESS.
SO TUSK SIX IS LOOKING AT THOSE PRELIMINARY WATER RESOURCE NEEDS.
[01:40:01]
SORT OF EVALUATE THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHICH FEEDS INTO TASK EIGHT, DEVELOPING A 50 YEAR PORTFOLIO, AND NINE THE A HUNDRED YEAR ADAPTIVE PORTFOLIO.SO SOME OF THESE THINGS OF COURSE ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING SIMULTANEOUSLY.
BUT, UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK, YOU KNOW, THE TASK FOUR OUTPUT AND TASK FIVE OUTPUT BASICALLY ALLOW US TO GET THAT PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TURNING THE CRANK ON THAT ON ONE SIDE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKING AT OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A, A REPEAT OF WHAT I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DEMAND PROJECTION PRESENTATION THAT, UM, I'M, I'M PUTTING LOTS OF SAILBOAT PICTURES INTO THESE PRESENTATIONS 'CAUSE I WANNA TALK ABOUT COURSE CORRECTION.
THAT THE GOAL IS NOT TO COME BACK AND REVISIT THE WATER FORWARD PLAN AND REDO IT FROM THE BOTTOM UP AND REINVENT THE WHEEL EVERY FIVE YEARS.
WE HAVE NO INTENTION, NOR DO WE HAVE STAFF CAPACITY OR PATIENTS TO DO THAT.
HOWEVER, IT'S REALLY USEFUL TO STEP BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK, THAT ALL OF OUR INPUTS ARE UPDATED AND WE HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE INFORMATION.
UM, AND THAT OUR, THE PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS IN THIS CASE FOR THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY UPDATE, UM, ARE ARE BEING UPDATED THAT WE HAVE ANY SORT OF CONCEPT LEVEL OR PROJECT CONFIGURATION ALTERNATIVES THAT WE WANNA LOOK AT AND EVALUATE.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TIME IN THE LAST FEW YEARS TO TALK TO STAFF ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WATER FOUR 18 AND OTHER FOLKS ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WATER FOUR 18.
AND THIS GIVES US A CHANCE TO HEAR THE FEEDBACK AND, AND TRY OUT SOME DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THOSE AND EVALUATE THE, THE FEASIBILITY AND POTENTIALLY, UH, COST AND YIELD COMPARED WITH OTHER STRATEGIES.
UM, WE ARE REVISITING PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS AND SORT OF VERIFYING AND REFINING THE, THE RECOMMENDATION IN SOME CASES.
FOR INSTANCE, OUR WATER CONSERVATION.
THIS IS ANOTHER INSTANCE WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN, WHICH INFORM OUR PROJECTION FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW STRATEGIES WERE CHARACTERIZED AND EVALUATED IN THE LAST PLAN AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHERE SOME OF THE STICKING POINTS WERE, LIKE WHERE MAYBE IT DIDN'T FEED, YOU KNOW, DIRECTLY INTO THE REGIONAL WATER PLAN OR OTHER ISSUES THAT WERE HAD AND TRYING TO TO SMOOTH THAT OUT AND IMPROVE OUR PROCESS.
SO THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE UPDATING THE CHARACTERIZATION FOR FALL INTO THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
WE HAVE WATER SUPPLY STRATEGIES, THOSE WHICH EXPAND OR MAKE BETTER USE OF EXISTING SUPPLIES.
DEMAND MANAGEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES BOTH CONSERVATION AND REUSE, AS WELL AS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
AND THIS IS A DISTINCT CATEGORY THAT INCLUDES OUR COLORADO RIVER LAND ANALYSIS AND A FEW OTHER, UM, SORT OF GROUPS OF STRATEGIES WHICH MAYBE DON'T LEAD TO A CONCRETE YIELD OF WATER, BUT HELP US TO MEET SOME OF THE GOALS OF WATER FORWARD.
SO THE, THE PROCESS TO UPDATE THIS CHARACTERIZATION, UH, BEGINS WITH THE IDENTIFICATION AND SCREENING OF WHICH WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES WE'RE GOING TO CHARACTERIZE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, OF COURSE, ALL OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WERE RECOMMENDED IN WATER FORWARD 18, AND THEN REVIEWING SOME OF THOSE STRATEGIES THAT WERE EVALUATED BUT NOT RECOMMENDED IN WATER FOUR 18.
SO THEY WERE CONSIDERED FEASIBLE.
THEY PASSED THE FEASIBILITY THRESHOLD IN WATER FOUR 18, BUT THEY DIDN'T GET RECOMMENDED.
UM, AND IF WE STILL CONSIDER THEM FEASIBLE, WE CAN UPDATE THAT INFORMATION SO THAT THEY'RE ON THE TABLE, EXCUSE ME.
AND THEN WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR SOME FEEDBACK FROM, UM, VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES THAT FOLKS MAY WANNA SEE EVALUATED.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MARKING THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD IN WHICH WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL AS STAKEHOLDERS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CONCEPTS OR TWEAKS OR NEW IDEAS THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO CONSIDER, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HEAR THAT.
UM, WE ARE ALSO, WE HAVE A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UM, PROCESS STARTING IN JANUARY THAT WILL HELP TO, TO HEAR SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC.
THE STRATEGIES THAT ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION ARE GOING TO GET SORT OF REVIEWED, CONSOLIDATED IN SOME CASES.
THERE ARE VERY SIMILAR STRATEGIES OR STRATEGIES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING TOGETHER OR WE'RE CONSIDERED SEPARATE IN THE LAST PLAN.
WE CAN SORT OF RE-AGGREGATE THOSE APPROPRIATELY.
[01:45:01]
FOR INSTANCE, UM, OUR ONSITE REUSE IS GONNA LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT NOW BECAUSE THE SHIFTS IN THAT PROGRAM SINCE IT WAS RECOMMENDED IN WATER FOUR 18, LIKE TALKING ABOUT JUST THE AC CONDENSATE AND RAINWATER AS A DISTINCT COMPONENT.SO I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, TALLY THAN WATER FOUR 18 DID BECAUSE WE WERE EARLY IN THAT PROCESS AND SORT OF LOOKED AT EVERY CONCEIVABLE ONSITE REUSE OPTION.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, SOME CONSULTANT RESOURCES COMING ON BOARD, WHICH ARE GOING TO HELP US TO UPDATE 14 WATER SUPPLY STRATEGIES AND 14 DEMAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, WHICH WILL GET, UH, DETAILED COST AND YIELD EVALUATION.
SO AS WE'RE WORKING WITH CONSULTANT AND PROVIDING AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN ABOUT THE, THE IMPLEMENTATION SO FAR FOR THESE STRATEGIES, WE'RE GONNA GET THE FOLLOWING DELIVERABLES THAT YOU'D SORT OF EXPECT, UM, COST ESTIMATES INCLUDING BOTH IN, YOU KNOW, O AND M AS WELL AS CAPITAL COSTS.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT GIVEN THE ONSITE REUSE CONTEXT TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER THAT COST IS BEING BORN BY THE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS OR BEING BORN BY THE CITY.
AND SO THOSE DISTINCTIONS WILL, WILL BE NOTED AND MAINTAINED AS WELL AS YIELD ESTIMATES.
UPDATED HYDROLOGY WILL GIVE US SOME NEW YIELD ESTIMATES AND, UM, ALSO RECENT INFORMATION ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION WILL HELP TO IMPROVE OUR YIELD ESTIMATES.
AND THEN THE, THE RATE OF IMPLEMENTATION, I THINK ASKED ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE LIKELIHOOD OF ANY PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT TYPOLOGY AND THE TYPE OF REUSE IT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO SERVE IT.
WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE TEAM THAT CATHERINE HAS TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE ESTIMATES AND UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE LIKELY TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, USE OF OUR CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM WHERE WE MIGHT SEE ONSITE AND WORKING THROUGH PARSING A LOT OF THAT SORT OF GEOGRAPHICALLY AS WELL AS VOLUMETRICALLY AND WHEN IN TIME IT MIGHT HAPPEN.
AND THAT SPEAKS TO THE LAST ONE, SO TIMING, UM, OF IMPLEMENTATION AND WHERE WE ARE TO DATE, AND ALSO WHAT THE EXPECTED LIFETIMES ARE FOR ALL THESE STRATEGIES.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE I WILL, UM, GET A BREAK AND BE ABLE TO PASS IT OVER TO MARISA TO REVIEW SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WERE INCLUDED IN WATER FORWARD 18 AS A QUICK REFRESHER.
YEAH, SO THESE ARE, UH, UH, THIS IS A VERY SMALL LIST.
THIS IS ALSO WITHIN THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, AND WE CAN SEND OUT, UM, LINKS TO THAT PLAN AS WELL AS THE, UM, SHEETS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THESE STRATEGIES JUST TO REMIND US OF WHAT THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE STRATEGIES ARE, THE YIELD COSTS AND TIMING OF THEM.
UM, WE'LL BE REVISITING THESE STRATEGIES AND UPDATING THE YIELDS AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
WE'LL ALSO BE DOING SOME GROUPING AND COMBINING THE STRATEGIES.
SO IF YOU LOOK IN UNDERNEATH THE DEMAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES LIST, D EIGHT THROUGH D 12 WERE CONSIDERED AS INDEPENDENT STRATEGIES.
ALL OF THOSE ARE LOT SCALE NOW WE'RE REFERRING TO THEM AS ONSITE REUSE STRATEGIES.
AND SO THOSE WILL BE COMBINED INTO ONE ONSITE REUSE STRATEGY.
WE'LL ALSO BE REVISITING SOME OF OUR CONSERVATION STRATEGIES IN, IN TERMS OF ORDINANCES AND INCENTIVES AND OTHER STRATEGIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT KIND OF GOOD, UM, GROUPING OF THOSE AND, AND KIND OF GOOD CATEGORIZATION OF THOSE ON THE WATER SUPPLY STRATEGIES.
UM, SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE HAD INCLUDED UNDER WATER SUPPLY NOW ARE, UM, EITHER DECENTRALIZED OR CENTRALIZED RECLAIM STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING WITHIN THIS PLAN UPDATE TO BE A POTABLE DEMAND REDUCTION.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE SOME REC CATEGORIZATION THERE AS WELL.
OTHER STRATEGIES LIKE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY, BRACKISH GROUNDWATER DESAL, UM, CAPTURE LOCAL INFLOWS TO LADYBIRD LAKE INDIRECT PORTABLE REUSE AND NEW OFF CHANNEL RESERVOIR.
UM, THOSE STRATEGIES WILL REMAIN ON THE, UM, SUPPLY AUGMENTATION SIDE OF THINGS.
UH, WE HOPE THAT WE CAN BEGIN THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH TASK FORCE MEMBERS TO START GETTING YOUR IDEAS, UM, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE COULD MAKE IN OUR PLANS FOR IMPLEMENTATION TO SOME OF THE FUTURE STRATEGIES, DIFFERENT, UH, UH, KIND OF CONCEPTUAL, UM, UH, UH, CONFIGURATIONS OF THESE STRATEGIES OR IDEAS FOR NEW STRATEGIES THAT WE COULD CONSIDER WITHIN THESE, UH, PLANNING PROCESSES, TASK FORCE MEMBERS ABOUT THIS.
AND SO WE'RE TAKING THAT FEEDBACK INTO ACCOUNT TOO.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING WITHIN THIS PROCESS ARE ALSO ALIGNING WITH THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND VALUES THAT WE'VE SET OUT, UM, AS PART OF WATER FORWARD.
YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
[01:50:01]
THEN THIS IS JUST TRYING TO PROVIDE LIKE THE HIGH LEVEL PROJECT TIMELINE.THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN EACH OF THESE TASKS, BUT IF YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE WHERE IT SAYS W F T F, THAT ACTUALLY STANDS FOR WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER RATHER THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
AND, UH, AFTER, UH, THAT W F T F, WE'VE GOT SOME PROPOSALS FOR ITEMS RELATED TO THE WATER 4 20 24 UPDATE THAT WE'RE HOPING TO BRING TO THE TASK FORCE.
THE LITTLE BLACK STARS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, UM, ALONG THE SCHEDULE SHOW WHEN WE WOULD BE HOPING TO BRING THOSE ITEMS TO THE TASK FORCE FOR REVIEW AND INPUT.
IF YOU SEE A LITTLE GRAY STAR ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THAT JUST MEANS THAT THERE'S A, THERE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY IN WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO BRING THAT, UM, ITEM TO THE TASK FORCE.
SO IN RELATION TO THIS, UH, WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, UH, CHARACTERIZATION HERE IN SEPTEMBER, WE'RE PRESENTING ON DEMANDS AND OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CHARACTERIZATION APPROACH.
IN NOVEMBER, WE'LL BE COMING BACK WITH THE RESULTS OF OUR PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS IN JANUARY.
WE WANNA COME BACK WITH SOME PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ON OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CHARACTERIZATION.
AND THEN WE ALSO ARE PLANNING TO HOLD PUBLIC WORKSHOPS TO GATHER PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON THOSE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN MARCH.
UM, WE HOPE TO COME BACK WITH OUR FINALIZED WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CHARACTERIZATION, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO, UM, TO MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION ANALYSIS THAT WILL BE PERFORMING, UH, TO INFORM OUR 50 YEAR PORTFOLIO OF, UH, CONSTRUCTION AND EVALUATION.
I WON'T TAKE US OUT TOO MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT BECAUSE IT'LL, WE'LL START TO GET INTO SOME OF THE OTHER TASKS.
WE'LL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH SOME MORE INFORMATION AS WE MOVE ALONG.
UH, CAN WE MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE? I NEED WATER.
UM, SO SOME OF OUR NEXT STEPS, UH, LIKE SARAH MENTIONED, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN OUR CONSULTING ONBOARDING PROCESS AND WE'LL BE SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE CONSULTANT, UM, TO INFORM THEIR UPDATES TO OUR WATER FOUR 18 STRATEGY YIELDS AND COSTS.
OUR STAFF WILL ALSO GONNA BEGIN OUTREACH TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS SERVING, UH, MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES TO BEGIN GETTING SOME INPUT ON OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, UH, UPDATES, UH, HERE IN THE FALL, WE'RE HOPING TO SEND OUT AN EMAIL BLAST THIS MONTH.
AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING TOWARDS, UH, POSTING A PUBLIC WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY SURVEY AND THEN PLANNING FOR THOSE JANUARY, UH, 2024 PUBLIC WORKSHOPS.
WE ARE PLANNING TO PRESENT A PROGRESS UPDATE ON OUR WORK AND CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION AT OUR OCT OCTOBER 11TH, UH, TASK FORCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, AND THEN IN THE NOVEMBER TASK FORCE MEETING, WE'LL HAVE A, A FURTHER PROGRESS UPDATE TO SHARE WITH Y'ALL GREAT QUESTIONS FROM, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS OR OTHER FOLKS HERE ABOUT THIS.
UM, I GUESS IT'S SORT OF A BIG PICTURE QUESTION ABOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS.
'CAUSE I'M NOT A PLANNER, SO MY PROFESSIONALLY, SO MY BRAIN DOESN'T REALLY WORK THE SAME WAY I GUESS, BUT I I I'M ASSUMING THAT THE DEMAND, THE DESEGREGATED DEMAND MODEL, THE PROJECTIONS THAT WE HAVE, AND EVEN TO SOME EXTENT THE LIKE STRATEGY MANAGE, UH, THE, THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CHARACTERIZATION PROCESS ALL TAKES PLACE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF LIKE CURRENT POLICY CONSTRAINTS.
LIKE THERE'S NO, UNLESS I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT, IS THERE, IS THERE A SPACE IN THIS PROCESS FOR, UM, ACTUALLY REFLECTING ON POLICY REFORM THAT AUSTIN WATER MIGHT ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE IN ORDER TO POSSIBLY ON THE ONE HAND, LIKE AFFECT THE DEMAND PROJECTIONS IN SOME WAY OR LIKE POLICIES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT WOULD HELP THEM IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES BETTER, DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT THEY COULDN'T POSSIBLY THINK OF WITHOUT POLICY REFORM? IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
I JUST WONDER TO WHAT EXTENT THAT'S A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
LEMME KNOW IF I NEED TO CLARIFY THAT.
YEAH, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE THINKING WHEN YOU SAY POLICY REFORM.
UH, SOME THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CODE CHANGES, UM, FUTURE CODES AND ORDINANCES THAT WE COULD, UM, BRING TO BEAR OR EVALUATE AS PART OF THE THIS PROCESS, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA HEAR ABOUT AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA INCORPORATE WITHIN THIS PROCESS.
YOU MAY BE THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE THOUGH, SO IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO EITHER
[01:55:01]
HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE OR TO HAVE AN OFFLINE CONVERSATION, UM, SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.YEAH, I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP TOO MUCH SPACE HERE AND WE CAN CERTAINLY DO IT ANOTHER TIME AS LONG AS I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT MM-HMM.
THAT, THAT WOULD BE A, A GOOD DISCUSSION FOR US TO HAVE.
YOU KNOW, UH, SARAH MENTIONED BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND EVEN WITHIN THE LAST WATERFALL PLAN WE HAD IDENTIFIED BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT RELATED TO CODES OR PROGRAMS OR POLICIES THAT ARE KIND OF IMPLEMENTATION, UH, UH, THAT WOULD ASSIST WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
SO IN THAT CONTEXT, I THINK THERE'S ROOM TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING AND CAPTURING THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UM, MY QUESTION'S KIND OF MORE BROAD, BUT RELATED TO PLANNING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE WATERSTONE DAM ON THE SOUTH LANO RIVER.
ARE WE, UM, HAVING THE ABILITY TO KIND OF PROJECT HOW THOSE TYPES OF PERMITS, IF THEY DO GO THROUGH, WILL AFFECT THE OVERALL COLORADO RIVER AND OUR HIGHLAND LAKES AND EVERYTHING? SO I'LL JUST GENERALLY, WE'RE NOT OBVIOUSLY POSTED TO DISCUSS THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC, BUT WE DO EXPECT SOME DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL IN THE NEXT STEP, I THINK THIS WEEK.
UM, JUST AS A BROAD TOPIC, WE OBVIOUSLY WATCH EVERY WATER RIGHTS PERMIT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ISSUED IN THE BASIN, SO WE'RE ALWAYS ATTENTIVE TO THAT.
UM, AND WE'LL EXPECT, UH, TO WAIT AND HEAR FROM COUNCIL SOON.
AND THEN JUST MORE BROADLY, UH, WE UH, WORK WITH THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY QUITE OFTEN AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE DOING A STUDY LOOKING AT SMALL IMPOUNDMENTS THAT ARE OFTEN FOR DOMESTIC AND LIVESTOCK PURPOSES THAT ARE, UM, UH, UH, SOMETIMES CREATED WITHIN THE HIGHLAND LAKE BASIN AND WHAT KIND OF IMPACT THAT HAS.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERESA HAS ANOTHER POINT SHE WANTS TO MAKE.
AND I, I THINK YOU ARE ALSO KIND OF ASKING KIND OF FROM A, A LITTLE BIT BROADER PERSPECTIVE TOO OF, UM, WHEN WE DO OUR ANALYSIS AND DO OUR PLANNING, WE DO MODELING OF THE HYDROLOGY OF THE, THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN AND WORK TO UM, KIND OF SIMULATE POSSIBLE FUTURES AND SCENARIOS INTO THE FUTURE THAT WE CAN TEST OUR STRATEGIES AGAINST.
AND THOSE ANALYSES INCLUDE, UM, ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE CHANGING CLIMATE FUTURES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT KIND OF TEST A RANGE OF, UM, POSSIBLE HYDROLOGY.
SO I WANTED TO MENTION THAT TOO, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST IN TERMS OF HYDROLOGY, BUT ALSO LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE, HOW HOW DO OUR STRATEGIES PERFORM AGAINST, UM, SOME POSSIBLE CHANGED HYDROLOGY IN THE FUTURE.
SO I THINK THAT KIND OF ALSO KIND OF DOVETAILS IN INTO YOUR QUESTION.
WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION AT OUR NEXT TASK FORCE MEETING, SHARING THE RESULTS OF OUR PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS THAT PULLS TOGETHER OUR MUNICIPAL DEMAND PROJECTIONS, REGIONAL DEMAND PROJECTIONS, AS WELL AS THE HYDROLOGY COMPONENT THAT THERESA WAS TALKING ABOUT.
SO THAT'S ALL OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS. IF FOLKS DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, UM, WE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
DO HAVE, UH, WATERFORD 24, UM, COMMITTEE MEETING, NO WAIT WORK GROUP MEETING COMING UP.MY BRAIN HAD TO MY MOUTH, HAD TO CATCH UP WITH MY BRAIN OR VICE VERSA.
ON OCTOBER 11TH AT 10, WE HAVE THE WATERFORD 18 A K A R IMPLEMENTATION, UM, WORK GROUP COMING UP ON OCTOBER 27TH AT 10.
UM, AND THEN OUR FULL TASK FORCE MEETING, NEXT ONE SCHEDULED IS NOVEMBER 14TH.
I BELIEVE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RESCHEDULE THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GONNA BE OUT OF TOWN AT THE ONE WATER SUMMIT IN TUCSON.
[02:00:01]
FOR COMMUNICATION FROM MARISA, EMILY FOR NOW.IT'LL COME FROM ME AND IN THE FUTURE IT'LL COME FROM EMILY AND IF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS AND ARE SENDING EMAILS TO ME, IT WILL BE GREAT TO ALSO START CCING EMILY.
SO I'LL PROVIDE HER EMAIL INFORMATION.
I DON'T WANNA HOLD ANYBODY UP.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING SUPER RESPONSIVE TO FOLKS.
SO EMILY WILL HELP US TO DO THAT.
AND I HAVE ON MY LIST OF STUFF TO SHARE OUT THE RECLAIMED WATER PRESENTATION FROM AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
UM, THE AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.
UM, AND THEN THE RICO RESPONSE LETTER.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIND STUFF ON THE BOARDS.
WHAT ARE THEY CALLED? ANYWAY, SPEAK.
I MEAN, THE RESPONSE LETTER THAT YOU ALL WROTE, I'VE SEEN THE LETTER, UM, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AUSTIN WATERS RESPONSE.
IF Y'ALL CAN SHARE THOSE ITEMS WITH US, UM, THAT WOULD BE SUPER MM-HMM.
ANYTHING ELSE? FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OH YEAH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I'M NOT EVEN LOOKING AT MY AGENDA.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THANK YOU.
I SHOULD LOOK, REFER TO MY AGENDA WHEN, WHEN A CHAIRING A MEETING.
THEY DIDN'T TELL ME TO DO THAT AT THE TRAINING LAST WEEK BECAUSE I FORGOT.
UM, ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, FOLKS.
SO I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION INCENTIVES AND GIVEN, UM, WELL THE DROUGHT AND WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE'S YARDS LOOK LIKE.
GIVEN THE BIG FREEZE IN 2021, GIVEN THE ICE STORM, IT FEELS LIKE A REALLY GOOD TIME TO JUICE THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION INCENTIVES.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY POSSIBILITIES FOR MAKING THAT MORE ACTIVE.
I DON'T EVEN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MARKETING, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MORE INCENTIVES, BUT IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THINKING THIS REALLY ISN'T WORKING ANYMORE IN CONSIDERING TRANSFORMING THEIR LANDSCAPE.
SO MAYBE WE COULD, YOU COULD LET ME KNOW.
YOU CAN DO IT NOW OR IF YOU GUYS HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT OR THERE'S ANYTHING IN THE WORKS, WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK MORE ABOUT IT.
IN THE SPRING WE DID DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF INCENTIVE OH GOOD.
UM, WHICH REALLY KIND OF PUMPED THINGS UP.
YOU KNOW, IT MAYBE WENT FROM 10 APPLICANTS TO 20 APPLICANTS.
IT DIDN'T SUPERCHARGE IT, BUT WE DID, UH, DID INCREASE THE AMOUNT RECENTLY ON RETRO RETROSPECT CONSIDERING THE SUMMER WE HAVE.
MAYBE THAT'S A SMALL BLESSING.
YES, YOU'RE RIGHT, RIGHT THERE.
BIGGER THAN LIFE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, UM, OKAY, WELL STAFF CAN LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS, IF THIS IS NOT EVEN WORTHY OF A AGENDA, FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD GET AN UPDATE ON, I THINK THERE WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND UT REGARDING WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES THAT I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, AND IF THEY HAVE, IF THERE'S AN UPDATE ON THAT, IF THEY'VE ISSUED, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE ISSUED ANY REPORTS OR IF THEY'RE STILL EVEN DOING THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO CIRCLE BACK TO.
I HAD IT IN MY NOTES AND UM, I DIDN'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF IT.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'D BE INTERESTING FOR THIS TASK FORCE FOR SURE.
SO THAT WILL BE A PERFECT FIT FOR THE NOVEMBER MEETING, UM, WHEN WE ARE PRESENTING THE PRELIMINARY NEEDS ASSESSMENT BECAUSE THE CLIMATE WORK FEEDS RIGHT INTO THE HYDROLOGY, UM, THAT WE'RE USING FOR OUR WATER AVAILABILITY MODELING AND SETTING THAT RANGE OF FUTURE POSSIBLE NEEDS.
SO WE CAN PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE OUTCOME OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH UT.
UM, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL DRAFT TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM THAT THE, UH, THE FOLKS AT UT HAVE PREPARED AS WELL AS THE TM THAT WAS PREPARED BY OUR CONSULTING HYDROLOGIST.
THOSE HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY OUR CLIMATE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP.
THAT INCLUDES A COUPLE OF TASK FORCE MEMBERS, JENNIFER AND ROBERT MACE, AS WELL AS, UM, FOLKS, UH, EXTERNAL EXPERTS LIKE OUR, UH, STATE CLIMATOLOGIST, JOHN SEN GAMMON.
UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING AND, UH, KIND OF REFINING, UH, A FIFTH TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM AND THEN AN OVERALL SUMMARY TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM.
THESE ARE TECHNICAL AND SO WE WANNA HAVE A SUMMARY DOCUMENT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCESSIBLE.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REFINING THAT AND UH, WE'LL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT IN GOOD SHAPE, UM, BY NOVEMBER SO THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT.
[02:05:01]
THE COLLABORATIVE AND COLLEGIAL RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE ABSOLUTELY.THIS IS A LOT OF CONTENT TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE MEATY PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
REALLY WAS A DARK-SKINNED GIRL WITH RAVEN HAIR.
I WAS A RIVER VOGUE GAMBLER ON THE MISSISSIPPI QUEENS WHERE I FOUND HER MAN MEANS ON MY WAY FROM KENTUCKY.
ALL DAY LONG I'VE BEEN FEELING LOOKING, I WENT LOOKING FOR A GAME, A CHANCE.
THAT'S WHEN I HAPPENED UPON MISS.