Oct 11, 2023 Water and Wastewater Commission

COMMISSIONER ANGO SECONDS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS.

ALL ITEMS ARE APPROVED.

WE'RE FLYING THROUGH THE SECOND.

ALL RIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM ON

[11. Discussion on approval of 2024 Water and Wastewater Commission meeting schedule]

THE AGENDA IS DISCUSSION ON PO POSSIBLE ACTION FROM THE COMMISSION ON DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF THE 2024 WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE.

UM, COMMISSIONERS IN YOUR PACKET, YOU RECEIVED A SCHEDULE, UM, FOR THE MEETINGS FOR 2024.

UM, IT LOOKS LIKE AUGUST NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO 24 AND JULY AND JUNE.

JUST A TYPO THERE.

UM, AND THE ONES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED YELLOW, IS THAT FOR ANY PARTICULAR REASON? YES.

UH, THEY'RE TO SHOW THAT THEY'RE ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY INSTEAD OF SECOND WEDNESDAY BECAUSE OF CONFLICTS, UH, WITH COUNSEL, UH, MEETINGS.

COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE MOTIONS.

AND THEN OF COURSE, THE RED ONE IS THE FIRST WEDNESDAY IN THE MONTH.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE AGENDA FOR 2024? HEARING NONE.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE.

WE ACCEPT THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMITTEE MEET, MEET COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2024.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND? COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAINS SECOND.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW BY SIGNING YOUR, RAISING YOUR HAND.

CRAZY.

AND IT'S UNANIMOUS.

NON-VOTING ITEM, UH, AND IT'S FOR DISCUSSION.

UH, LET'S SEE, WHERE AM I? I LOST MY PLACE IN MY AGENDA HERE.

HERE WE'RE ALL RIGHT.

NEXT ITEM.

IT'S A

[12. Appointment to Public Involvement Committee for Austin Water Cost of Service Study]

UM, EVERY FIVE YEARS.

WE, UH, THIS ACTUALLY PERTAINS TO ITEM THREE ON YOUR AGENDA, UM, FOR THE RESIDENTIAL RATE ADVOCATE.

EVERY FIVE YEARS, UM, THIS, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, LOOKS AT OUR RATES AND ASSESSES THEM,

[00:05:01]

I GUESS, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS TO THIS.

SO, JOSEPH, CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE INSIGHT? IT'S BEEN A FEW YEARS.

, CERTAINLY JOSEPH GONZALEZ, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH AUSTIN WATER OR FINANCIAL SERVICES.

AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, EV AND ACTUALLY IT'S TYPICALLY EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS.

WE, WE DO A COST TO SERVICE STUDY THAT, THAT LOOKS AT, UM, THE METHODOLOGY THAT WE USE TO, TO, UH, ALLOCATE COST AND ULTIMATELY SET RATES FOR, FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.

AND PART OF THAT PROCESS INVOLVES A, UM, A PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, WHEREBY WE, WE MEET WITH, UH, CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVES FROM, FROM EACH OF OUR CUSTOMER CLASSES, UM, AND GO OVER THE METHODOLOGY, UM, PROVIDE, UM, PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE METHODOLOGY AND GET FEEDBACK, UM, TO, TO HELP US, UH, YOU KNOW, DETERMINE E EQUITY AND FAIRNESS.

AND, AND AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, UM, IN THE PAST, WE'VE ASKED FOR, UH, A, A COUPLE OF, UH, ACTUALLY THE LAST TIME WE HAD TWO COMMISSIONERS PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROCESS.

UM, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, UM, THE COMMISSION IS, IS, IS NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, FULLY SEATED.

UM, BUT IF WE COULD GET ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

WE'RE LOOKING AT STARTING THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROCESS IN, IN JANUARY, AND EXPECT TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, FIVE TO SEVEN MEETINGS, UM, POTENTIALLY ONE OR TWO A MONTH TO, TO GO OVER, UH, THE, THE COST SERVICE PROCESS AND AGAIN, GET, GET FEEDBACK AND INPUT INTO THE PROCESS.

AND THE, THE, THE COST ALLOCATION METHODOLOGY.

SO THE COMMITMENT IS FIVE TO SEVEN MEETINGS WITHIN A FOUR MONTH PERIOD, FOUR TO FIVE MONTH PERIOD? YES.

UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER PENN AND COMMISSIONER LEE SERVED ON THAT LAST TIME.

UM, BUT, UH, IS THERE ANY INTEREST IN THIS GROUP CHAIR? DO YOU THINK COMMISSIONER PENN MIGHT BE WANTING TO DO IT AGAIN? I MEAN, IF HE SAID ANYTHING, I HAVE NOT HAD A DISCUSSION WITH HIM.

UH, HE, I, I KNOW BLANCA SENT HIM THE DATES, BUT HE WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND TODAY, AND I, I DID NOT TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT.

AND WE NEED TO MAKE THIS DECISION, DECISION BY NEXT, MEET OUR NEXT MEETING.

SO WE DO HAVE, I I, IDEALLY BY MY NEXT MEETING.

UM, SO WE WANTED TO GET IT ON THE AGENDA, UM, AND IF WE COULD KNOCK IT OUT TODAY, THEN, THEN GREAT.

BUT IF IT PUSHES TO NOVEMBER, THAT'S, THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT AN ISSUE.

UM, WELL, WITH THREE VACANCIES, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE ONLY REQUESTING ONE OF US .

UM, BUT WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE A BACKUP IN CASE ONE PERSON CAN'T GO.

BUT, UM, UM, COMMISSIONERS THINK ABOUT IT, WE'LL REACH OUT TO COMMISSIONER PENN AS WELL, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ACTION ON THIS FOR NEXT MEETING, IF THAT'S OKAY.

UPDATES FOR JOINT SAINT JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE COMMISSIONER CHRIS MAXWELL GAINES.

MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM REPORTS BY COMMISSION SUBCOMMITTEES.

UH, THE NEXT ITEM

[13. Update from the Joint Sustainability Committee – Commissioner Chris Maxwell-Gaines]

WERE YOU ABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST MEETING? YES, MA'AM.

SO THE, THE LAST MEETING, THE, UH, SEPTEMBER 27TH MEETING WAS A JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.

UM, UH, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF, OF PRESENTATIONS, AND THEN THERE WAS, UH, A BUNCH OF UPDATES FROM THE VARIOUS OTHER COMMISSIONS AS WELL.

BUT, UH, UH, KIND OF THE TWO BIG, UH, UM, DISCUSSIONS, UM, PRESENTATIONS WAS ON THE, UH, UH, AUSTIN CARBON FOOTPRINTS.

AND, UH, IT'S REALLY A FASCINATING, UH, KIND OF METHODOLOGY, HOW THEY ANALYZE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND THEN THEY EXPAND OUT, YOU KNOW, CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, IN TERMS OF THE BUILDINGS AND THINGS THAT EVOLVED IN THE, IN RUNNING THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO THEN ALSO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND WHAT'S THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT.

AND THEN ALSO THEY EXPAND IT, I THINK, TO THE E T J.

AND SO THEY HAVE BASICALLY THREE DIFFERENT LAYERS.

AND SO, UM, EARLY ON IN THE 2010S OR SO, IT WAS, UH, UH, I DON'T WANNA SAY HIGH CARBON FOOTPRINT, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT IN THE 2010S IT REALLY STARTED TO DECLINE.

AND THAT WAS MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE, UH, CHANGE IN AUSTIN ENERGY'S, UM, USE OF, OF, OR CHANGE TO SOLAR AND WIND ENERGY.

SO THAT REALLY STARTED TO DECLINE.

AND THEN THE, UH, COVID YEARS REALLY ACCELERATED THE, UH, DECLINE IN CARBON FOOTPRINT.

BUT SINCE THEN, THEY'RE STARTING TO SEE AN UPTICK

[00:10:01]

IN THE CARBON FOOTPRINT.

SO, UM, AND IN, IN 2021, SO OBVIOUSLY THIS IS KIND OF BACK A COUPLE YEARS BECAUSE OF ANALYZING TIME AND EVERYTHING, BUT IN 2021, UH, THE TOTAL CARBON FOOTPRINT WAS 11.8, UH, METRIC TONS OF CARBON.

AND THE GOAL WAS, UH, 10.3 METRIC TONS.

AND SO KIND OF OFF OF THE, OFF OF THE GOAL, BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS STARTING TO TICK BACK UP AFTER THE, THE COVID YEAR.

SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND JUST REALLY FASCINATING ON JUST SO MUCH DATA AND HOW THEY CAN PUT THAT ALL TOGETHER TO TRY TO COME UP AND, UH, WITH A, A NUMBER LIKE THAT.

RIGHT.

SO, UM, AND THEN THE OTHER MAJOR, UH, PRESENTATION WAS, UM, UH, FOR THE, UH, E P A CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANTS.

SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, RECENTLY IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THEY RECEIVED A $1 MILLION GRANT.

UH, AND THESE ARE THE PLANNING GRANTS.

SO BASICALLY, UM, THEY HAVE THREE MILESTONES, AND THIS IS SO THAT THEN THE CITY CAN WORK WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, EVEN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, TRAVIS COUNTY, ALL THESE PLACES LIKE THAT, IN ORDER TO PUT TOGETHER A PACKAGE, UM, IN ORDER TO SUBMIT FOR THESE MUCH LARGER GRANTS.

SO THERE WILL BE $4.6 BILLION WORTH OF GRANTS.

UM, AND SO THIS IS JUST A, A PLANNING GRANT, BASICALLY TO, TO ALLOW CITIES TO PUT TOGETHER THESE OTHER GRANTS, UM, APPLICATIONS AND WHATNOT.

SO, UM, SO ANYWAY, SO, UH, A REALLY AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR THE, THE AUSTIN METROPOLITAN AREA.

AND THEN LAST, UM, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE HAS, UH, THREE WORKING GROUPS.

ONE OF 'EM IS SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, THE OTHER ONE IS, UH, TRANSPORTATION.

AND THEN YOU HAVE CONSUMPTION AND NA UH, NATURAL SYSTEMS. AND SO, UM, AS PART OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UH, PUT TOGETHER SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF HOW TO ACCELERATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.

SO AT THIS MEETING, WE BASICALLY TRIMMED UP THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PUT FORWARD FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO THE CITY OF BOSTON.

SO THAT'S THE, UH, THE MEETING.

THAT WAS A VERY INTERESTING UPDATE.

UM, DOES ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO.

HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE COMMISSIONER MARTY, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE FOR US TODAY? I DO.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.

THAT WAS ACTUALLY VERY, VERY INTERESTING.

UM, NEXT WE

[14. Update from the Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force – Commissioner William Moriarty]

THE, UH, WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE MET IN SEPTEMBER 12TH, AND, UH, COVERED SEVERAL MATTERS.

UH, WE WERE GIVING A WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT FOLLOWED THE LAKE LEVELS, I BELIEVE, UH, EARLIER THIS WEEK, I NOTICED THAT THE COMBINED STORAGE IN LAKE TRAVIS AND LAKE BUCHANAN ARE SITTING AT 40%.

UM, AUSTIN WATER REPORTS THAT NOT MUCH REACTION TO THE RECENT RAINFALL WE HAD LAST WEEK.

SO, UH, WE WERE, OF COURSE, HE HEADING INTO THE RAINY SEASON, AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME HEALTHY RAINS THIS WINTER.

UM, THE MANDATORY REUSE ORDINANCE WAS DISCUSSED, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU, UH, HAVE FOLLOWED THIS CLOSELY, UH, AS PART OF WATER FORWARD, WE, WE HELP THE CITY DRAFT A WATER CONSERVATION ORDINANCE WITHOUT GOING INTO THE WEEDS TOO DEEPLY.

BASICALLY, IF A NEW DEVELOPMENT IN EXCESS OF A QUARTER MILLION SQUARE FEET, UH, IS PROPOSED, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL REQUIRE THAT THEY TAKE MEASURES TO UTILIZE RAINWATER, AIR CONDITIONING, CONDENSATE, AND IF REASONABLY CLOSE TO A RECLAIMED WATERLINE HOOKUP, SO THAT BASICALLY THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS ONLY REQUIRE LESS THAN 10% OF THE WATER THAT THEY WOULD OTHERWISE.

SO, UH, THAT ORDINANCE HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED, AND IT GOES INTO EFFECT THIS DECEMBER.

AND, UH, REAL ESTATE COUNCIL OF AUSTIN HAS VOICED OPPOSITION AND HAD THEIR LENGTHY LETTER.

UH, I THINK THE ESSENCE OF THE LETTER IS WE DIDN'T, WE DON'T REALLY WANNA SPEND ANY MONEY ON THIS SORT OF THING.

AND, UH, MYSELF AND MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE ARE HAVING INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS, WHICH EACH CITY COUNCIL OFFICE, INCLUDING MAYOR WATSON,

[00:15:02]

TO UH, KIND OF REINFORCE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WATER CONSERVATION ORDINANCE.

THOSE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE AND WILL BE TAKING PLACE UNTIL EARLY NOVEMBER.

UH, THE REMAINDER OF THE MEETING WAS ON VARIOUS TECHNICAL MATTERS RELATED TO, UM, WATER FORWARD PLAN.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I CONCLUDE MY REPORT.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ATTEMPT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER MORTY? HEARING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT WAS, THAT WAS, UH, VERY HELPFUL AND INTERESTING, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE REUSE ORDINANCE.

UM, ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON, STAFF BRIEFINGS.

[15. Staff briefing on My ATX Water Annual Update]

UH, WE HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING ON MY ATEX WATER ANNUAL UPDATE FROM RANDY JENKINS.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, AS MENTIONED, MY NAME IS RANDY JENKINS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AT AUSTIN WATER.

AND SO, I AM HERE AND EXCITED TO BE HERE TO, UM, DISCUSS OUR DEPLOYMENT PROG PROGRESS WITH THE MY A T X WATER PROJECT.

UM, WE'LL GO OVER THAT PROGRESS AND OUR CUMULATIVE METER INSTALLATIONS AND MILESTONES AMONGST OUR CITYWIDE IMPLEMENTATION, AS WELL AS AN OVERVIEW OF OUR CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS AND BENEFITS FROM THIS PROGRAM TO DATE.

SO, UM, TO DATE, THE CUMULATIVE METER INSTALLATIONS ARE, UM, 177,000 180 6, AND ACTUALLY AS OF THIS MORNING, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THAT.

WE'RE ALMOST TEETERING TO 180,000.

WE'RE AT 1 79, 980.

SO WE HAVE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS SINCE WE, I LAST REPORTED OUT, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME.

UM, MY REPORT OUT STATED WE WERE RIGHT UNDER 75,000, SO WE'VE, UM, HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND, AND ADDED ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UH, MY A T X WATER METERS TO OUR POPULATION.

AND SO, A LITTLE BIT OF AN ADDITIONAL UPDATE ON O ON OUR CITYWIDE IMPLEMENTATION.

WE HAVE INSTALLED A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR DATA COLLECTION UNITS.

THEY ARE INSTALLED OPERATIONAL AND, UM, ARE DOING EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.

SO AS A REMINDER, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NEW TO THE COMMISSION, UM, THE DATA COLLECTION UNITS ARE THE READERS THAT ARE UP ON, UM, POLES THAT ARE PULLING THE DATA FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL METER AND COLLECTING THE READS AND SENDING IT TO OUR BACKEND SYSTEM SO THAT WAY WE CAN MONITOR WATER USE AND, UM, USE THAT FOR BILLING.

UM, AND THEN, AS I NOTED, OUR, OUR INSTALLATIONS WERE APPROXIMATELY 70% THROUGH OUR, UM, DEPLOYMENT OF THIS PROJECT.

IN ADDITION TO JUST INSTALLS, OUR, UM, CONTRACTOR IS ALSO GOING OUT AND DOING PRE-INSTALL FIELD SURVEYS.

UM, THAT GIVES THEM, UH, THE ABILITY TO GO OUT AND SEE THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THESE METER BOXES.

THEY PERFORM, PERFORM SOME PRE-SITE CONDITION WORK.

THEY, UM, USE A VECTOR TRUCK TO REMOVE SILT AND DIRT FROM THE METER BOXES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CLEAN.

AND THAT WAY WHEN THE INSTALLER DOES ARRIVE, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THAT IN A FAST AND EFFICIENT MANNER.

ADDITION, HAVE A 10 STEP CERTIFICATION PROCESS AFTER INSTALLATION.

SO, UM, ONE OF THE ASPECTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I COVERED THIS EVENING WAS AN OVERVIEW OF OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE AND METER TO BILL PROCESS WITH THIS PROJECT.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS COMING THROUGH ABOUT WHAT OUR QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES ARE, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THIS HIGHLIGHT AND OVERVIEW.

YOU KNOW, IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART TO OUR PROJECT SUCCESS THUS FAR.

UM, AND THIS WAS THE CASE, UH, EVEN BEFORE MY A T X WATER, BUT CERTAINLY JUST AS A REMINDER, EACH METER BEFORE AUSTIN WATER IS IN RECEIPT OF THAT METER UNDERGOES TESTING BY THE MANUFACTURER TO ENSURE ACCURACY BEFORE WE RECEIVE IT.

UM, IF IT DOES NOT PASS THOSE ACCURACY TESTS, IT IS NOT SENT TO AUSTIN WATER.

HOWEVER, JUST TO FURTHER VALIDATE THOSE TEST RESULTS, AUSTIN WATER CONDUCTS ADDITIONAL TESTS ON A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE TO VALIDATE THOSE ACCURATE REGISTERED READINGS.

SO WE HAVE SEVERAL METER TEST BENCHES IN OUR METER SHOP.

UM, AND SO WE PULL THE, WE PULL A SAMPLE OF EACH PALLET OF METERS THAT WE RECEIVE, AND WE MAKE SURE, UM, AND SO TODAY WE'VE HAD A EXTREMELY HIGH SUCCESS RATE ON VERIFYING THAT ALL OF THE A M I METERS ARE IN FACT ACCURATE.

UM, AND THOSE THAT HAVE NOT PASSED HAVE BEEN SENT BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER TO BE REPLACED WITH A NEW SET.

UM, ADDITIONALLY, ONCE THE METER IS INSTALLED AT A PROPERTY, BEFORE WE MOVE AND MIGRATE THAT METER TO AN AUTOMATED BILLING SYSTEM, WE CONDUCT TWO MANUAL READS, AND IN

[00:20:01]

SO, UM, EVEN THOUGH THE NEXT DAY, IN THEORY, WE COULD TURN THOSE METERS ON TO BE READ MANUAL, I MEAN AUTOMATED, UM, AND SENT TO OUR BACKEND BILLING SYSTEM, WE DON'T ALLOW IT TO DO THAT.

WE, UM, MONITOR FOR TWO MONTHS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE MANUAL METER READ THAT IT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, WHERE A METER READER GOES OUT, MANUALLY COLLECTS A READ, SENDS IT IN THAT THOSE TWO READS MATCH.

AND, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO OUTSTANDING SERVICE REQUESTS ON THAT METER, WHETHER THAT'S CUSTOMER OR SYSTEM INITIATED.

UM, WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING CONSISTENT READS THROUGH THE SYSTEM, AND, UM, THIS GOES ON FOR A TWO MONTH WINDOW BEFORE WE FLIP IT.

AND THEN AT THAT TIME, WE FLIP THE METER TO THAT BILL ONCE WE IT HAS PASSED OUR 10 STEP CERTIFICATION TEST.

ONE MORE.

SO NOW I'LL MOVE INTO, UM, CUSTOMER BENEFITS AND OVERALL COMMUNICATIONS.

UM, SO OUR COMMUNICATIONS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY STRONG, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT, UM, WE ARE EXCEEDING INDUSTRY AVERAGES WHEN IT COMES TO OUR CUSTOMER PORTAL.

SO THIS IS, IN MY OPINION, UM, THE BIGGEST BENEFIT THAT WE'VE SEEN OUT OF THIS PROJECT.

YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THAT IT WOULD, UM, MOVE US FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD AND BE ABLE TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN A NEW WAY FOR AUSTIN WATER.

BUT REALLY, UM, THE PURPOSE OF, OF THE A M I PROJECT WAS TO PUT WATER USE IN OUR CUSTOMER'S HANDS SO THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO MONITOR AND ADJUST THEIR USAGE AND AFFECT THEIR OWN BILLS, UM, AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

AND SO, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE ENGAGE OUR CUSTOMERS FROM THE BEGINNING IS THAT THEY RECEIVE A, A, UH, INSTALL AND PORTAL RECRUITMENT EMAIL ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE, UM, I'M SORRY, EXCUSE ME, ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THEIR METER IS INSTALLED.

AND THEN THE WEEK OF THEIR INSTALL, THEY RECEIVE ANOTHER COMMUNICATION.

UM, AND THEN FOLLOWING THEIR INSTALL, WE REACH OUT TO THEM AGAIN.

AND SO OUR EMAIL OPEN RATE IS ABOUT 70%, WHICH ANYTIME YOU'RE DOING ELECTRONIC EMAIL CAMPAIGNS, UM, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONALLY SEEING AROUND 20%, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT OPEN RATES.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO SEE SUCH ENGAGEMENT FROM OUR CUSTOMERS RIGHT OFF OF THE BAT.

SINCE LAST OCTOBER, WE'VE SENT, UM, NEARLY 2 MILLION PORTAL COMMUNICATIONS THAT IN, THAT INCLUDES THEIR INITIAL, UM, YOU KNOW, RECRUITMENT EMAIL TO ASK THEM TO JOIN THE PORTAL AND INTERACT WITH THE PORTAL TO LOOK AT THEIR WATER USE.

BUT WE'VE ALSO USED THE, UM, COMMUNICATION TOOL FOR DROUGHT EDUCATION, OUR WATER QUALITY REPORT.

UM, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WE ALSO UTILIZE COMMUNICATION TO DIRECTLY TALK IN CHAT WITH OUR CUSTOMERS.

IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PORTAL OR IF THEY RECEIVED ONE OF THE PORTALS NOTIFICATIONS, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE.

AND, UM, THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS.

YOU KNOW, IN THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN WATER, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN ONE STEP REMOVED FROM OUR CUSTOMERS IN TERMS OF THEIR BILL.

UM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT, UM, THE UTILITY CONTACT CENTER AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR UNIFIED CITY OF AUSTIN BILL.

UM, WHEREAS NOW WE ARE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH THEM DIRECTLY, UM, AND QUITE OFTENTIMES BEFORE THEIR BILL IS EVEN SENT.

UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CERTAINLY BE UTILIZING THIS TOOL FOR, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT OUR, OUR FUTURE RATE INCREASE.

AND, UM, THAT GOES INTO EFFECT NOVEMBER 1ST, UM, THAT WAS JUST PASSED, UM, THAT CAME THROUGH COMMISSION AND THROUGH COUNCIL FOR 3.3% INCREASE, UM, AS WELL AS UPCOMING WASTEWATER AVERAGING PERIOD.

RELATIVELY RECENTLY IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS WAS A BILL FORECAST NOTIFICATION.

SO I'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT OH ONE BACK.

SO I'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT OUR PORTAL.

UM, RECENTLY WE, UM, LAUNCHED A, A NEW, I WON'T CALL IT A NEW CAMPAIGN, BUT WE DRAFTED A, UM, A NEW POCKET GUIDE TO HAND OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AT DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT WE TABLE AT.

THAT WAY THOSE WE, THEY HAVE A SIMPLE CAN THROW IT IN THEIR POCKET OR THEIR PURSE GUIDE THAT TELLS THEM HOW TO REGISTER, LOG ON, AND UTILIZE THEIR PORTAL IN THREE EASY STEPS.

SO THAT, UM, CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN GOING REALLY WELL.

AND TO DATE, WE HAVE JUST UNDER 40,000 CUSTOMERS REGISTERED ON THE MY A T X WATER PORTAL.

AND AS A REMINDER, I, I KNOW I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE IN PRIOR REPORT OUTS, BUT REGISTRATION DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T COMMUNICATE AND THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR INFORMATION.

IT JUST MEANS THAT THEY'RE PHYSICALLY, THEY WENT IN, THEY FILLED OUT, UM, THEIR CUSTOMER INFORMATION AND ARE ACTUALLY SIGNED UP, BUT WE, WE ARE STILL ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AND STILL ABLE TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM THEM AND FROM THEIR METER.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO, DIGGING INTO CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS, UM, ONE OF THE NEWEST, UM, ITEMS THAT WE ADDED TO THE PORTAL, UM,

[00:25:01]

SO THIS WAS NOT AN OUT OF THE BOX OPTION THAT THE PORTAL, UM, CAME WITH.

WE ASKED FOR THAT TO BE AN ENHANCEMENT, UM, WHICH WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF BENEFITS OF.

SO WE, UM, AS YOU'RE AWARE, AUSTIN WATER, UM, HAS A TIERED RATE BILLING STRUCTURE, AND THIS BILL FORECAST NOTIFICATION, UM, SENDS OUT, UM, IMP PINGS THE CUSTOMER WHEN THEY'RE MOVING FROM ONE TIER TO ANOTHER.

THIS ALLOWS THEM TO CHANGE THEIR WATER USE PATTERNS FOR THAT MONTH TO AFFECT THEIR BILL, UM, WHICH, WHICH POTENTIALLY CAN, YOU KNOW, REDUCE HIGH BILL COMPLAINTS AND PUTS THEM ON NOTICE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE ABLE TO DO THAT.

AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON IN THEIR PRIVATE SIDE SYSTEM, IT ALSO ALLOWS THEM TO CHECK, DO THEIR OWN CHECKS.

UM, SO WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE NOTICED FROM THESE BILL FORECAST NOTIFICATIONS THUS, THUS FAR, IS THAT WHEN THOSE HAVE GONE OUT, UM, 58% HAVE BILLED AT A LOWER VOLUME THAN FO FORECASTED.

SO JUST TALKING IN WATER SAVINGS ALONE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT ALL TRANSLATES TO DOLLARS FOR THE CUSTOMERS.

BUT IN WATER SAVINGS ALONE, THAT'S 50 MILLION GALLONS IN SAVINGS, UH, JUST FROM THOSE BILL FORECAST NOTIFICATIONS.

IN ADDITION TO THE BILLING SIDE OF THE HOUSE, UM, WE ALSO PUSH OUT CONTINUOUS USAGE OR A K A LEAK ALERTS.

SO IF THE SYSTEM BELIEVES THAT THERE IS A LEAK ON PREMISE ON THE CUSTOMER'S SIDE OF, OF THE CONNECTION, THEN IT WILL SEND THEM A CONTINUOUS USAGE ALERT.

AND DEPENDING ON THE VOLUME, UM, THAT COULD BE A BURST, THAT COULD BE A, UM, SMALL LEAK, UM, LIKE A TOILET FLAPPER THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

SO IT, IT IS SENDING THEM NOTICES AND, AND GIVES THEM A COURSE OF ACTION FOR THINGS TO CHECK.

AND THEN THEY CERTAINLY HAVE ACCESS TO STAFF AT AUSTIN WATER IN ORDER OR TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS IF THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP INFORMATION NEEDED.

AND THEN I MENTIONED A LOT ABOUT OUR CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS, BUT JUST SINCE, UM, 2021, WITH OVER 9,000 OF THOSE OCCURRING THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE HAD, UM, JUST UNDER 15,000 DIRECT CUSTOMER COMMUNICATIONS.

UM, THE MAIN TOPICS, OF COURSE, ARE CONTINUOUS USAGE AND LEAKS, AND THEN OVERALL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PORTALS.

AND, UM, LASTLY, I'LL JUST MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE FOLLOWED ALONG WITH THIS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE VERY CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SEE AN INCREASE IN, UM, BILLING COMPLAINTS OR JUST, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS OR CURIOSITY AND, BUT, UM, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THAT THERE ARE NO BACKLOG OF OPEN BILLING CASES, AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN THAT INCREASE.

SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE TO DATE.

AND SO, I ALWAYS TAKE A CHANCE TO THROW IN ADDITIONAL, UM, WATER SAVINGS THAT THE PORTAL IS ALLOWING US TO CAPTURE.

SO SINCE THE FIRST, THE VERY FIRST MY A T X WATER METER WAS INSTALLED, WE, UM, THE PORTAL HAS ESTIMATED THAT WE HAVE SAVED OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR OWN WATER SUPPLY, 400 MILLION GALLONS.

NOW, AGAIN, WE INSTALLED OUR VERY FIRST METER IN LATE 2020.

UM, SO THIS HAS BEEN A COUPLE YEARS WORTH OF WATER SAVINGS.

UM, BUT WE ARE JUST NOW REALLY RAMPING UP INTO, YOU KNOW, SEEING A FULL SYSTEM-WIDE DEPLOYMENT OF OUR METERS.

AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT, THAT NUMBER AND THAT VOLUME AND WHAT THAT MEANS TO OUR WATER SUPPLY AND OUR CUSTOMER'S BILLS.

LAST SLIDE.

AND AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.

SO HOW DID WE START WITH THE INSTALLATION? DID WE START FROM ONE SIDE OF THE CITY AND MOVE ON? OR HOW DID, HOW DOES THAT WORK? YES.

SO WE HAVE, UM, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED WITH OUR INITIAL FIRST FEW HUNDRED METERS, UM, WE REALLY WERE CHALLENGING THE OUTSKIRTS OF OUR SERVICE AREA ONLY BECAUSE OF THE TERRAIN THAT IT BRINGS.

UM, BUT WE ALSO WENT, YOU KNOW, INTO THE INNER CITY WHERE THERE WERE, WAS MORE CONCRETE AND MORE THINGS TO GET THROUGH, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR METERS WERE CAPABLE OF READING.

SO ONCE WE GOT THROUGH THE PILOT AREAS, UM, THEN WE HAVE, UM, PERFORMED MASS DEPLOYMENT IN EVERY, UM, DISTRICT.

SO WE ARE, WE ARE MOVING ACROSS THE CITY IN EVERY AREA EQUALLY.

MM-HMM.

, ANY OTHER, UM, QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? UM, WHEN SOMEONE CALLS THAT THEY NEED THE CARE IT ONE MORE TIME.

NO, IT'S GREEN.

TRY TURNING YOURS OFF.

THERE YOU GO.

IF IT'S IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE INSTALL, THE VENDOR GOES BACK OUT.

UM, WHEN SOMEONE CALLS, WHEN A CUSTOMER CALLS AND THEY NEED REPAIR, WHO GOES OUT TO, TO FIX THAT? IS IT AUSTIN WATER CREW, OR IS IT, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE VENDOR FOR THE METER?

[00:30:02]

WE HAVE, UM, SEVERAL COORDINATORS THAT WE DEPLOY TO GO DO AN IMMEDIATE CHECK, KIND OF LOOK AT THE SITUATION, AND THEN THEY CALL BACK AND BRING THE CONTRACTOR BACK OUT.

IF IT'S, UM, FURTHER DOWN AFTER THE REPAIR, THEN TYPICALLY AUSTIN WATER WILL GO BACK OUT, AND THEN WE'LL DO AN ASSESSMENT.

AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CONTRACTOR NEEDS TO FIX, THEN WE WILL SEND THEM BACK OUT.

BUT OTHERWISE, TYPICALLY, UM, AUSTIN WATER WILL REPAIR IT ON SITE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? YES, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL? NOT, NOT A QUESTION, JUST A COMMENT.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, RANDY.

UM, IT WAS A VERY FITTING OR TIMELY, UH, LAST WEEK.

UM, I NOTICED WHEN I GOT HOME, IT WAS MUD AROUND MY BASIN, MY, UH, MY WATER METER BASIN.

AND, AND I OPENED IT UP AND IT WAS JUST COMPLETELY, YOU KNOW, THE METER WAS EXPOSED, RIGHT? AND I KNEW SOMETHING WAS GONNA HAPPEN .

UM, AND SO THAT'S GREAT.

SO MY METER IS COMING, THAT'S AWESOME.

BUT THEN TODAY I WAS DRIVING AROUND AND I SAW A GUY DOING THE WORK TO CHANGE OUT THE METER, SO I PULLED OVER, STOPPED, AND THIS GUY WAS PROBABLY LIKE, WHO IS THIS GUY? UH, BUT HE, THE CONTRACTOR'S VERY, UH, UH, GOOD WITH EXPLAINING, YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT HE WAS DOING.

AND I WAS ASKING, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG DOES IT, YOU KNOW, TAKE, HOW, HOW MUCH TIME DOES PEOPLE NOT HAVE WATER? AND HE'S LIKE ME, PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.

I MEAN, IT JUST, HE IS A REALLY GOOD GUY AND JUST EXPLAINED EVERYTHING.

AND HE RAN ME THROUGH HOW THEY DID THE, UH, TESTING, THE INITIAL TESTING WITH A LITTLE PAD.

SO IT WAS REALLY A GREAT EDUCATIONAL, UH, UH, TIME FOR ME, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, BUT YEAH, JUST, UH, IT'S GREAT THAT THIS UPDATE WAS TODAY THAT, AND THEN THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

AND SO I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT MY, UH, MY T A T X METER COMING TO MY HOUSE.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, .

I LOVE HEARING THAT STORY.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING.

UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, AS A LITTLE SIDE NOTE AND A PLUG, UM, ANY OF YOU ARE A, ARE WELCOME AND ABLE TO GO TO MY ATX WATER.ORG.

UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, INSTALLATION VIDEOS ON THERE AND FAQS THAT ARE, YOU'RE ABLE TO, TO SEE AND UTILIZE.

AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, TYPICALLY, UM, THE INSTALLATION TAKES NO MORE THAN 20 MINUTES.

I MEAN, THAT SHOULD BE THE MAX TIME THAT A CUSTOMER WAS EVER IMPACTED, UM, FROM THE METER EXCHANGE PROCESS.

ON OUR AGENDA IS ANOTHER STAFF RE BRIEFING ON THE LEAD SERVICE ANNUAL UPDATE FROM MATT CULLEN.

GREAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT WAS INTERESTING.

UM, NEXT

[16. Staff briefing on Lead Service Annual Update]

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS MATT CULLEN.

I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER OF PIPELINE ENGINEERING AND OPERATION SUPPORT AT AUSTIN WATER.

GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UH, SO TONIGHT, JUST WANNA GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE STAND AND HOW WE'RE DEALING WITH, UH, LEAD AND LEAD SERVICES AND, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH THE, UH, LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISION.

UH, SO AS YOU MAY REMEMBER OR KNOW, UM, WE'RE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE A SERVICE LINE MATERIAL INVENTORY FOR BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SIDE OF ALL THE SERVICES IN OUR SYSTEM.

PREVIOUSLY HAD NOT BEEN REQUIRED TO DO THIS BECAUSE OUR LEAD CONCENTRATIONS AND OUR SAMPLING WERE SO LOW.

UH, BUT EVERYBODY'S REQUIRED TO DO THIS, UH, NOW.

AND ESSENTIALLY, UH, EVERY SERVICE GETS CATEGORIZED INTO FROM THE APA E P A STANDPOINT, ONE OF FOUR CATEGORIES, NON-LEAD, WHICH WOULD BE YOUR COPPER, YOUR H D P E, POLYBUTYLENE, WHATEVER ELSE, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY NOT THE LEAD, LEAD SERVICES, WHICH WHEN OUR, UH, INVENTORY IS DONE, THERE WILL BE NONE OF THOSE, I'M SURE, OF THAT LEAD STATUS UNKNOWN.

THOSE ARE THE ONES WE, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T, UH, DETERMINED YET.

AND THEN THIS GALVANIZED REQUIRING REPLACEMENT.

AND SO, JUST A LITTLE EXPLANATION ABOUT THAT.

UM, THAT THE POLICY THROUGH THE RULE IS THAT ANY GALVANIZED PIPING THAT IS OR EVER HAS BEEN DOWNSTREAM OF LEAD PIPING IS TO BE CONSIDERED LIKE LEAD, UH, FROM A NEED TO REPLACE STANDPOINT.

AND SO, UM, THAT'S CALLED GALVANIZED REQUIRING REPLACEMENT.

UM, THE, THE ISSUE IS THAT, UH, AT THIS POINT, BASICALLY ANYTHING THAT WE FIND GALVANIZED LEANING TOWARDS IT BEING IN THE GALVANIZED REQUIRING REPLACEMENT CATEGORY, UH, 'CAUSE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A WAY TO PROVE THAT IT HASN'T EVER BEEN DOWNSTREAM OF LEAD.

BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT'S STILL BEING TALKED ABOUT AT THE E P A AND T C Q, EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF PROOFS, UH, UH, GO IN THERE, UH, TO, TO BE ABLE TO VALIDATE WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING'S

[00:35:01]

GALVANIZED VERSUS GALVANIZED REQUIRING REPLACEMENT.

BUT ANYWAYS, THOSE ARE THE FOUR CATEGORIES, UH, THAT, UH, UH, THAT WE'LL PUT THE SERVICES IN.

UH, AND THAT HAS TO BE TURNED INTO THE T C E Q, WHICH IS A PRIMACY AGENCY FOR THE RULE, UH, BY OCTOBER OF NEXT YEAR.

AND SO, UH, WE'VE GOT AROUND 252,000 METERS IN OUR SYSTEM.

UH, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AROUND 196,000 THAT WERE NON-LEAD BECAUSE AUSTIN DISALLOWED THE USE OF LEAD PIPING ON THE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SIDE AS OF 1967.

SO ANYTHING THAT WAS FIRST BUILT AFTER THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE AS BEING NON-LEAD.

UH, AND THEN WE'VE DONE FIELD INVESTIGATIONS OF 24 AND A HALF THOUSAND, ROUGHLY.

AGAIN, THESE, THESE NUMBERS ARE TICKING, UH, EVERY DAY.

UM, WE'VE IDENTIFIED ON THE, UH, PUBLIC SIDE ABOUT 1,459 THAT ARE AT GALVANIZED, WHICH RIGHT NOW WE'RE TREATING AS GALVANIZED REQUIRING REPLACEMENT.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, WITH THE NUMBER THERE, WE'VE GOT ROUGHLY 29,000 THAT, UH, STILL NEED TO BE FIELD INVESTIGATED.

UM, AND AGAIN, CONFIDENT, UH, THAT WILL BE DONE, UM, BY SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR AND HAVE PLENTY OF TIME GET THE, UH, INVENTORY TURNED INTO THE T C E Q.

UH, THIS IS JUST THE PIE CHARTS ON THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SIDE, BASICALLY SHOWING THAT, THAT SAME INFORMATION THAT I HAD ON THE, ON THE LAST SLIDE, GO AHEAD IN ADVANCE.

UM, AS FAR AS FEDERAL FUNDING GOES, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BILLS AND WAYS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS, UH, THROWN, UH, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.

WE KEEP AN EYE ON THAT.

UH, WE'VE GOT A, A COMMITTEE WITHIN THE UTILITY THAT MONITORS ALL OF THAT.

WE'VE TURNED IN, UH, SOME FORMS, UH, TO SOME OF THE PROGRAMS EXPRESSING INTEREST, BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN SELECTED AS OF YET, UH, FOR THAT.

AND ESSENTIALLY FOR US, WHERE, UH, WE MIGHT AT SOME POINT BE ABLE TO, UH, GET SOME REIMBURSEMENT OR, OR, UH, USE FEDERAL FUNDING WOULD BE EITHER THIS INVENTORY PROCESS, UH, UH, WHICH WE'RE TRACKING ALL OF THAT RIGHT NOW.

SO IF IT COMES TO A POINT WHERE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION FOR THAT.

UM, AND THEN, UH, OUR GALVANIZED SERVICE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.

WE'VE GOT A C I P PROJECT OUT THERE.

AND SO, UH, AGAIN, AT THIS POINT, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SECURE ANY FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT WE'RE KEEPING OUR EYES OUT FOR THAT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, SO BESIDES THE, UH, THE INVENTORY AND, AND FOR US, UH, PROBABLY REPLACING THE GALVANIZED SERVICES, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY LEAD SERVICES.

IF WE HAPPEN TO COME ACROSS ONE, IT GETS REPLACED.

WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE BIG CITIES THAT HAVE 400,000 LEAD SERVICES.

THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN AND EVERYTHING TO PLAN THAT OUT.

WE'RE IN A POSITION, VERY GOOD POSITION, UH, THAT IF WE FIND ONE, WE JUST REPLACE IT, UM, AT ONCE.

UM, ANOTHER BIG IMPACT FOR US THOUGH, AND IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY, OF COURSE, IS THE REQUIREMENT TO DO, UH, TESTING AT SCHOOL AND CHILDCARE FACILITIES.

UH, UM, AND IT'S NOT JUST TESTING.

THERE'S, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE ESSENTIALLY, UH, THE KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS AND CHILDCARE FACILITIES.

UH, GONNA PROVIDE THEM, UH, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND, AND BE SOMEONE THAT THEY CAN REFER TO.

UM, THE E P A HAS SOME REALLY GOOD MATERIALS AND, AND WE'RE GONNA LEAN ON THOSE AND USE THOSE.

WE'VE USED THEM ALREADY IN SOME CASES, UH, AND BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.

UH, BUT THEN THE BIG THING IS, UH, ONCE THAT OCTOBER 24TH, 2024 DATE COMES ALONG, UH, WE'LL HAVE A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, UH, TO COORDINATE TESTING AT EVERY SCHOOL AND CHILDCARE FACILITY THAT WE SERVE, UH, FIVE SAMPLES AT EACH SCHOOL TO, UH, AT EACH CHILDCARE FACILITY.

UM, AND WE WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION, THE BOTTLES AND THE ANALYSIS, AND GIVE THEM THE RESULTS AND BE THERE FOR THEM IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS.

OF COURSE, ANY KIND OF REMEDIATION THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE THAT'S ON THEIR PLUMBING SIDE WOULD, UH, WOULD BE UP TO THEM.

UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF TRACKING THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THAT AND A LOT OF TESTING.

AND WE'RE GEARING UP FOR THAT NOW.

WE'LL BE RARING TO GO, UH, WHEN OCTOBER, 2024 COMES ALONG.

UH, TO DO TESTING, YOU KNOW, AHEAD OF, UM, THAT DEADLINE DATE, CAN DO IT NOW.

UM, AHEAD OF THE 2024, OF COURSE, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO A NUMBER OF OUR SCHOOLS.

UH, A I S D HAS BEEN, UM, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? PROGRESSIVE, I GUESS.

UH, THEY DID TESTING A NUMBER OF YEARS BACK, UH, AND THEY'VE ENROLLED IN T C Q HAS A FREE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOLS AND CHILDCARE FACILITIES,

[00:40:01]

AND SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE THOSE CONTACTS, UH, BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS AND THE T C Q TO, UM, GET INTO THAT, UH, GET INTO THAT PROGRAM.

UM, AND AGAIN, WORKING ON OUR, OUR EDUCATION MATERIALS, UH, AGAIN, THE THREE T'S, IF YOU LOOK IT UP FROM A E P A, IS A EXTENSIVE DOCUMENT THAT REALLY IS A STEP BY STEP, UH, WORKS VERY WELL.

UM, WE, WE DEALT WITH IT WITH A, WITH A DAYCARE, UH, AND IT'S VERY INFORMATIVE AND DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF ADDRESSING THE ISSUE.

UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT OUR WEBPAGE, UH, AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/LEAD THAT HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION, UH, UH, WITH MORE TO COME.

UH, THIS WILL, UH, HAVE A LINK HERE TO ACCESS.

ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE RULE IS THAT OUR, UH, INVENTORY, WE HAVE A MAP AND THAT IT BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND THAT WILL END UP HERE, UH, AND BE ACCESSIBLE FROM THIS POINT.

UM, THERE'S A PLACE ON THERE, HAS CONTACT INFORMATION TO REQUEST TESTING.

'CAUSE WE DO THAT NOW.

UH, IF A CUSTOMER CALLS IN AND, AND HAS CONCERNS FOR WHATEVER REASON, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL GO DO THAT TESTING TO, UM, UM, GIVE THEM CONFIDENCE, UH, THAT, THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING EXPOSED TO LEAD.

UM, SO IF, UH, YOU HAVE INTEREST, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION THERE.

AND LIKE I SAY, THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME OVER THE NEXT YEAR.

UM, SO, UH, IN SUMMARY, I, I DIDN'T KIND OF START OFF WITH SOME OF THIS, BUT, UM, OUR CUSTOMERS ARE AT VERY LOW RISK FOR EXPOSURE TO LEAD THROUGH WATER.

UM, AND THAT'S PARTIALLY A BIG PART OF THAT IS 'CAUSE AUSTIN WATER'S BEEN, UH, KIND OF OUT FRONT, UH, BACK IN THE SIXTIES.

IT'S CLEAR WE HAD A PROGRAM TO REPLACE LEAD SERVICES AND TO GET RID OF THEM.

UM, SO SINCE THEN, WHAT WE'VE COME ACROSS FROM TIME TO TIME HAVE KIND OF BEEN STRAGGLERS THAT WERE MISSED.

BUT THERE ARE VERY, VERY FEW LEAD SERVICES IN OUR SYSTEM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT TOO FROM OUR, OUR PLUMBING CODE DISALLOWING, THE USE OF LEAD COMPLETELY AS OF 1967, WHERE SOME OF THESE OTHER LARGE CITIES WERE STILL REQUIRING THE USE OF LEAD UP TO THE POINT THAT THE E P A DISALLOWED IT IN 1986.

SO WE WERE WELL AHEAD OF THAT.

UM, AND SO THERE'S HARDLY ANY LEAD, UH, OUT IN OUR SYSTEM, IN FACT BEEN LOOKING.

AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, NOT AWARE OF ANY IN OUR SYSTEM.

UM, AND OF COURSE, OUR TREATMENT PROCESS AND, AND OUR WATER CHARACTERISTICS PLAY A BIG ROLE TOO.

UH, OUR WATER IS SCALE FORMING AS OPPOSED TO BEING CORROSIVE.

UH, SO IF THERE HAPPENS TO BE SOME LEAD OUT THERE, IT'S, IT'S STAYING IN THE PIPE AND NOT GETTING, UM, CORRODED OUT.

UH, SO OUR CUSTOMERS CAN BE VERY CONFIDENT THAT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, LEAD EXPOSURE THROUGH WATER IS, IS, UH, NOT A, NOT A RISK FOR THEM.

UM, SO, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, ALL THE OTHER THINGS I MENTIONED, WERE WELL POSITIONED TO COMPLY WITH THE LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISION REQUIREMENTS.

UM, WE'RE ALREADY PROVIDING TESTING, UM, AT AS REQUESTED.

UM, THE SERVICE LINE INVENTORY IS MOVING ALONG.

UM, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA NEED A LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM BECAUSE WE JUST TAKE CARE OF 'EM AS WE FIND THEM.

UH, AND IT'S BEEN PROBABLY A YEAR AND A HALF SINCE WE CAME ACROSS ONE.

UM, AND WE ALREADY HAVE A PROJECT IN OUR C I P, UH, FOR REPLACING THE GALVANIZED SERVICE LINES, UM, KIND OF GETTING FURTHER INTO OUR INVENTORY BEFORE THAT GETS FULLY LAUNCHED, BUT IT'S IN OUR C I P PLAN.

UM, AND OF COURSE WE'RE PREPARING, UH, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, LINING UP STAFF AND RESOURCES AND A CONTRACT FOR SOME HELP TO HANDLE THE, UH, UH, SCHOOL AND CHILDCARE SAMPLING AND, AND EDUCATION.

I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE QUESTION SLIDE.

IT IS, UM, COMMISSIONERS ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MATT.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

UM, COMMISSIONER ARDI, YOUR HANDS RAISED.

PRIVATE SECTOR BEFORE BEING WITH THE UTILITY INDICATE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR CAREERS, THEY HADN'T REALLY SEEN 'EM ON THE PRIVATE SIDE EITHER.

UM, MATT, OVER THE YEARS YOU HAVE REPLACED LEAD SERVICES AS YOU FOUND THEM.

DOES THAT INCLUDE BOTH THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND THE PRIVATE SERVICE? IT, IT HAS BEEN TO THIS POINT ONLY THE PUBLIC, BUT WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED ANY ON THE PRIVATE SIDE.

UM, IN OUR, UH, INVENTORY WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.

WE HAVE NOT FOUND ANY, UH, LEAD SERVICES ON THE PRIVATE SIDE.

AND IN YEARS PAST, OF COURSE, WE WEREN'T LOOKING AT THE PRIVATE SIDE.

IF WE HAD A LEAK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE WOULD REPLACE THE PUBLIC SIDE.

UM, AND SO SOME OF THOSE MAY HAVE HAD A, A LEAD ON THE PRIVATE SIDE, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT FINDING IT IN SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, LONGTIME PLUMBERS THAT ARE AT THE UTILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WORKED IN THE

[00:45:01]

BUT, SO TO DIRECTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE HAVEN'T REPLACED ANY ON THE PRIVATE SIDE, BUT WE HAVEN'T FOUND ANY TO REPLACE TO THIS POINT.

UH, DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF THOSE LEAD SERVICES THAT YOU DID REPLACE OVER THE YEARS? IS THAT IN A FILE SOMEWHERE? I CAN'T SAY THERE'S A COMPREHENSIVE FILE FOR THAT.

YOU KNOW, I COULD DO A RESEARCH AND FINDS SEVERAL OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, YOU KNOW, SINCE 2017 OR 2018 WHEN WE REALLY, UH, DOVE INTO THIS.

UH, I COULD COME UP WITH A, A NUMBER OF THOSE ADDRESSES.

BUT I GUESS MY, MY STATEMENT WOULD BE, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THOSE PARTICULAR LEAD SERVICES THAT YOU REPLACED OVER THE YEARS ARE NOT ON YOUR CURRENT INVENTORY LIST.

AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO REQUEST IS TO THE EXTENT YOU COULD IDENTIFY THOSE LOCATIONS WHERE YOU REPLACED LEAD SERVICES ON THE PUBLIC SIDE, WHY NOT GO BACK AND DO THE INVENTORY ON THE PRIVATE SIDE AND SEE IF THERE'S LEAD IN, IN THE YARD AND GET THOSE TAKEN CARE OF? WOULD THAT BE UNREASONABLE TO REQUEST THAT? NO, THAT, THAT'S REASONABLE.

AND I THINK, UH, A, A FAIRLY, UH, STRAIGHTFORWARD TASK THAT WE COULD TAKE CARE OF.

I WILL SAY, EXCUSE ME, UH, THE MORE MAJORITY OF THOSE, THE ONES THAT I'VE DEALT WITH IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, UM, WE DO CHECK WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WE COME ACROSS A LEAD SERVICE NOW, AND THEN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE WOULD CHECK WHAT THE, UH, PRIVATE SIDE MATERIAL WAS OR IS, WAS, UM, BECAUSE WE WANT COURT, IF THEIRS WAS LEAD, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE, THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IS TO NOT DO A PARTIAL, YOU DON'T DO ONE WITHOUT DOING THE OTHER.

YOU DO 'EM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.

AND SO ALL OF 'EM IN THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS, UH, AND I KNOW THAT'S AN INEX EXACT NUMBER, UM, THE PRIVATE SIDE HAS BEEN COPPER, UH, AND HAS NOT BEEN LED.

UM, BUT I, I'LL DO SOME RESEARCH AND SEE WHAT ELSE, UH, I CAN FIND AT FOR HOWEVER MANY YEARS BACK.

SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE AN EASY THING TO DO TO GO THROUGH AND CHECK ALL THOSE.

HOW MANY, AND AGAIN, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT'S VERY MANY, BUT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO BE REASSURING TO KNOW THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A PRIVATE SIDE LEAD SERVICE THAT GOT LEFT BEHIND.

UH, NEXT QUESTION.

HOW MANY GALVANIZED DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PULL OUT? SO WE'VE, I, IT'S, YOU KNOW, AROUND 1500 THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED SO FAR ON, UH, THE PUBLIC SIDE.

AND, UH, IT'S SOMEWHERE A LITTLE LESS THAN A THOUSAND ON THE PRIVATE SIDE.

UM, SO, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IF I CALL IT HALFWAY THROUGH, I, YOU KNOW, CALL IT SOMEWHERE THREE TO 5,000 MAYBE.

UM, YEAH, THAT'S A ROUGH ESTIMATION.

AND, UM, SO YOUR INTENTION WOULD BE IF YOU HAVE A GALVANIZED SERVICE, YOU'RE GOING TO REPLACE IT ON THE PUBLIC SIDE AND IF THERE'S A GALVANIZED SURFACE, UH, DOWNSTREAM OF THAT ON THE PRIVATE SIDE, THAT GETS REPLACED AS WELL? CORRECT? CORRECT.

THE DETAILS OF EXACTLY HOW WE GO ABOUT THAT WITH, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING A PLUMBER OR WHATEVER, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT, BUT YES, THEY'RE BOTH SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED.

SO 5,000 SERVICES, 10 EQUAL.

SO IF YOU HAD 5,000 GALVANIZED SERVICES TO REPLACE, UM, THAT WOULD BE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY.

AND, UM, AND AS YOU SAID, YOU, YOU ARE PURSUING FUNDING WITH THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.

'CAUSE THEY ARE OFFERING 50% GRANTS FOR NOT ONLY THE INVENTORY, BUT ALSO THE CONSTRUCTION.

AND YOU'RE FULLY INVOLVED IN THAT.

I PRESUME WE, WE SUBMITTED A A P I F A PROJECT INFORMATION FORM FOR THAT, THE GALVANIZED SERVICE PROJECT SPECIFICALLY.

AND WE'RE NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF THE RIGHT WORD IS SHORTLISTED, BUT, UH, WE'RE NOT SELECTED, UH, FOR THAT.

BUT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE YEARS OF THESE PROJECTS AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEEK THAT FUNDING ON A YEARLY BASIS.

THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.

THANK YOU, MATT, FOR THE GOOD PRESENTATION.

COMMISSIONERS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER GAINES? YES.

THANK YOU, MATT.

UM, SO I LIVE IN A HOUSE THAT'S BUILT IN 1949.

JUST FOR MY GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, HOW IS THIS INVENTORY BEING DONE? YOU, YOU'RE NOT GOING AND JUST DIGGING UP, YOU KNOW, RANDOM YARDS OR WHATEVER.

SO HOW IS THAT INVENTORY BEING, UH, TAKING PLACE? SO WE'RE UTILIZING, UH, THE METER BOX AND LOOKING WITHIN THE METER BOX AND ON EACH SIDE OF THE METER TO GET THE, UH, THE SERVICE LINE MATERIAL.

UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAVE ACCESS, UM, UH, AT THIS POINT.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GETTING THE INFORMATION

[00:50:01]

FROM.

SO MEANING THERE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DIGGING BECAUSE THESE METERS BOXES, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE JUST CAKED WITH DIRT.

SO THERE'S ALL THAT THAT HAS TO BE DONE TO IDENTIFY WHAT MATERIAL IS ON EACH SIDE OF IT.

YEAH, THEY'RE UTILIZING, THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, A CREW GOING AROUND AHEAD OF TIME AND, AND FACTORING AND CLEANING OUT INSIDE THE METER BOX IF THAT'S NEEDED.

SOME OF THEM YOU CAN SEE RIGHT OFF, UH, BUT SOME OF THEM DO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF WORK, BUT YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

AND YOU CAN ALWAYS REQUEST TO HAVE A TEST INSIDE YOUR HOUSE, RIGHT? CORRECT.

YEAH.

YES.

YEAH.

AND THAT THE AUSTIN WATER.GOV/LEAD HAS THAT CONTACT INFORMATION AND MAKE THAT REQUEST.

THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.

AND ALL OF THEM, BY THE WAY THAT WE'VE GOTTEN IN THE LAST YEAR, WE'RE, WE'RE NON-DETECT, UH, FOR, WELL, LET ME, LET ME BE CLEAR.

WHEN WE TEST, THERE'S, THERE'S A FIRST DRAW AND A SECOND DRAW.

FIRST DRAW IS A FIRST THING TO COME OUT, WHICH IS MORE INDICATIVE OF PREMISE PLUMBING.

AND THE SECOND DRAW IS WATER FURTHER DOWN THE LINE, MORE, UH, INDICATIVE OF SERVICE LINES.

ALL THE SECOND DRAWS HAVE BEEN NON-DETECT FOR LEAD.

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME VERY LOW DETECTS ON THE FIRST DRAW, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, COULD BE, UM, SOME FITTINGS OR FIXTURES OR WHATEVER, UH, INSIDE THE HOUSE.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? NO.

WELL, WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM THEN.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

HAVE YOU GUYS, BY CHANCE BEEN KIND OF COMBINING THE NEW METER INSTALLS WITH THE LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT INSPECTIONS? UH, YES.

WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, MOVED TO LEVERAGING THAT, THAT CONTRACT TO, UH, TO GET THAT, GET THAT DONE.

AND SO ACLARA IS MOVING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.

APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

FOR OUR LAST PRESENTATION TODAY, WE HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING ON THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION OUTCOMES WITH HEATHER COOK.

[17. Staff briefing on 88th Texas Legislative Session Outcomes]

RECOVERY, BECAUSE OF COURSE WE DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT IN OUR WATER FORWARD PLAN.

GOOD MORNING OR GOOD EVENING, SORRY, COMMISSIONERS.

I AM HEATHER COOK.

I AM AUSTIN WATERS CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, AND IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE MY RIGHT HAND FOR THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

ALAN LEONARD IS IN THE AUDIENCE AND HE IS OUR REGULATORY POLICY ANALYST, AND HE GETS THE CREDIT FOR MANAGING OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

HE DID A PHENOMENAL JOB MONITORING A HUGE VOLUME OF BILLS AND KEEPING ME SANE THROUGH THE PROCESS.

THANK YOU, ALAN.

AND WITH THAT NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THE MARQUEE WATER LEGISLATION FROM THIS PAST, AND WE'RE TALKING NOW ABOUT THE 88TH REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT CONCLUDED IN MAY, OF COURSE, THE LEGISLATURES BACK IN SESSION NOW, AND I'LL, I'LL CONCLUDE VERY BRIEFLY WITH, WITH WHAT THEY'RE UP TO CURRENTLY.

UM, BUT THEIR REGULAR SESSION CONCLUDED AT THE END OF MAY.

AND, UM, THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OF LEGISLATION OCCURS EVERY TWO YEARS.

AND SO THE MARQUES BILL, THEY PASSED PAIR OF BILLS FOR WATER IN, UM, THIS REGULAR SESSION WHERE SENATE BILL 28 AND ITS COMPANION, UM, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT JOINT RESOLUTION 75.

AND THAT, UM, LEGISLATION IS ALL SUBJECT TO VOTER APPROVAL, UM, THROUGH PROPOSITION SIX ON THE NOVEMBER SEVEN BALLOT STATEWIDE ELECTION.

AND SO IF THAT, UM, PROPOSITION PASSES A BIG, IF, HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE IF IT DOES, UM, THAT WILL ENABLE, UM, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO RECEIVE $1 BILLION IN NEW FUNDING FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

UM, AS WELL AS THERE'LL BE A CREATION OF, OF TWO NEW FUNDS.

THERE'LL BE A NEW WATER SUPPLY FUND FOR TEXAS, WHICH WILL RECEIVE AT LEAST 250 MILLION OF THAT BILLION DOLLARS.

UM, THAT FUND HAS BEEN CREATED TO, WITH THE ASPIRATIONAL GOAL OF CREATING 7 MILLION ACRE FEET OF NEW WATER SUPPLIES IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, SPECIFICALLY, UM, TARGETING PROJECTS AROUND DESALINATION PRODUCE WATER, WHICH COMES FROM THE OIL AND GAS, UH, INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY.

UM, AND THEN THERE IS IN ANOTHER FUND THAT'S CREATED, THIS IS MORE, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE, IT'S AN UMBRELLA FUND THAT WILL ALLOW WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO MOVE MONEY ACROSS THEIR EXISTING FUNDS AS WELL AS THIS NEW WATER SUPPLY FUND.

SO IT'LL JUST GIVE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY TO FUND PROJECTS WHERE THE NEEDS ARE OCCURRING, WHERE THEIR APPLICATIONS ARE COMING IN.

SO, UM, TERMS OF IMPACTS FOR AUSTIN WATER, WE OF COURSE WILL BE, UH, MONITORING, THERE'LL BE RULEMAKING RELATED TO THESE NEW FUNDS.

SHOULD, SHOULD THE, UH, ELECTION PROPOSITION PASS IN NOVEMBER.

AND THEN, UM, WE WILL CERTAINLY LOOK FOR WHAT NEW POTENTIAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES MAY ARISE, PARTICULARLY WITH THIS NEW WATER SUPPLY FUND THAT DOES INCLUDE AQUIFER STORAGE AND

[00:55:01]

AND THEN AT BEYOND THE BILLION DOLLARS, UH, THERE IS FUNDING THAT CAME THROUGH SOME ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS.

THERE'S 125 MILLION THAT THE LEGISLATURE ADDED TO THE, UH, STATE REVOLVING FUNDS, WHICH IS WHAT MATT REPLIED, UM, RESPONDED TO EARLIER, WHERE WE HAVE ACTIVE APPLICATIONS ONGOING.

WE'RE RECEIVING CURRENT LOANS FROM THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD THROUGH THESE, UM, FUNDS.

AND WE, UM, CONTINUOUSLY SEEK NEW FUNDING THROUGH THAT LOANS.

THESE ARE ALL LOANS.

IN ADDITION, UM, THE LEGISLATURE ALSO APPROPRIATED 625 MILLION FOR THE STATE FLOOD INFRASTRUCTURE FUND, WHICH IS A RELATIVELY NEW FUND.

WE ALSO HOPE, UM, TO PUT AN APPLICATION IN WITH SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR, UM, AT LEAST ONE FLOOD PLANNING, FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT THROUGH THAT VERY NEW FUND.

SO AGAIN, OUR IMPACTS WOULD BE HOPEFULLY SOME, SOME NEW LOANS THAT WE COULD SEEK FROM WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD THROUGH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THESE EXISTING FUNDS.

THEN THERE WAS A VERY SPECIFIC BILL, SENATE BILL 1289 THAT DIRECTS T C Q TO MAKE RURAL REVISIONS, UM, REGARDING BLACKWATER ON SITE SYSTEMS. AND, UM, THIS BILL WAS SIGNIFICANT FOR AUSTIN WATER AND ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTORS TESTIFIED IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CRITTENDEN.

SO ANOTHER BIG, UH, FOCUS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR THE WATER SECTOR WERE THE SUNSET REVIEWS OF SEVERAL KEY AGENCIES.

AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR BRIEFLY, THE UH, STATE HAS WHAT'S CALLED A SUNSET COMMISSION.

IT'S A STATE AGENCY WITH FULL-TIME STAFF.

THEY'RE DEDICATED TO REVIEWING, UM, STATE AGENCIES.

ABOUT 130 OR SO STATE AGENCIES ARE REVIEWED ON PERIODIC CYCLES.

UM, THERE, IT'S A TOP TO BOTTOM REVIEW.

DOES THE AGENCY STILL NEED TO EXIST? WHAT ARE ITS FUNCTIONS? UH, SHOULD IT BE CONSOLIDATED, SHOULD IT BE REORGANIZED? AND UM, ARE THERE PERFORMANCE ISSUES AROUND THESE AGENCIES? AND, UH, SEVERAL AGENCIES ARE SUBJECT TO ABOLISHMENT, INCLUDING, UM, THE ONES LISTED HERE.

SO THE TEXAS COMMISSION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY WENT THROUGH SUNSET REVIEW AS WELL AS THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION.

UM, ALL THREE AGENCIES WERE REAUTHORIZED.

THE T C Q AND WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD WERE REAUTHORIZED FOR ANOTHER 12 YEARS, SO THEY WILL NOT GO THROUGH SUNSET REVIEW AGAIN FOR UNTIL 2035.

UH, THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION, WHICH INCLUDES ERCOT AS WELL, UM, WILL BE BACK UNDER REVIEW IN SIX YEARS BECAUSE AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THERE'S BEEN SOME ADDED SCRUTINY, UM, ON THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION AND ERCOT, UM, PARTICULARLY AROUND, YOU KNOW, RECENT WEATHER EVENTS WE'VE HAD IN THE WINTER, UM, IN PARTICULAR.

SO, UM, UPSHOT OF ALL THIS, OF COURSE T C Q REGULATES, OBVIOUSLY AUSTIN WATER'S, UM, PERMITS FOR WASTEWATER PLANTS AND OUR DRINKING WATERS, UM, OPERATIONS.

SO WE WATCH THESE BILLS VERY CLOSELY BECAUSE THEY COULD HAVE ALL SORTS OF LANGUAGE IN THEM THAT WE MAY NOT BE EXPECTING.

BUT ESSENTIALLY THE OUTCOMES OF THESE BILLS WERE, WERE REALLY RELATIVELY, UH, MODEST IN TERMS OF ANY CHANGES TO AUSTIN WATER.

WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY DIRECT IMMEDIATE IMPACTS, UM, TO OUR OPERATIONS FROM ANY OF THESE SUNSET BILLS THAT FINALLY PASSED.

UM, THERE WILL BE HEIGHTENED TRANSPARENCY FROM THE T C Q, UM, SUNSET BILL OF MORE PERMITS ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT JUST WATER PERMIT APPLICATIONS BEING POSTED ONLINE.

AND THERE WAS AN OVERALL INCREASE, UM, IN TQS PENALTY AUTHORITY, THE $40,000 A DAY FOR VERY SEVERE LIKE POLLUTION VIOLATIONS.

OF COURSE, WE HOPE TO NEVER HAVE THAT SITUATION.

UM, AT AUSTIN WATER.

AND THEN IN THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, OF COURSE WE'RE VERY ACTIVE WITH THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING PROCESS.

UM, AND THAT PRODUCES THE STATE WATER PLAN.

SO THERE WAS LANGUAGE IN THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD SUNSET BILL THAT EXPRESSLY ALLOWS REGIONAL PLANNING GROUPS TO, UM, USE A DROUGHT WORSE THAN THE DROUGHT OF RECORD FOR PLANNING.

AND THIS IS A 50 YEAR PLANNING, UM, HORIZON THAT IS UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS THROUGH THE REGIONAL PLANNING PROCESS.

UM, AND THEN ALSO IT SPECIFIED THAT THE REGIONAL PLANNING GROUPS, UM, SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH UPDATES ON LARGE PROJECTS IN THE REGIONAL WATER PLANS, INCLUDING, UM, STATUS ON THE EXPENSE OF THE PROJECTS AND TO WHAT DEGREE THEY'VE GOTTEN THROUGH PERMITTING PROCESSES AND WHERE THEY ARE IN CONSTRUCTION, JUST TO TRY TO MAKE SOME OF THESE REALLY LARGER PROJECTS MORE REAL AND TO KEEP THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING GROUPS MORE IN THE LOOP ON WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND THEN FINALLY, THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION, THEY WERE DIRECTED, THIS WAS NOT IN STATUTE, BUT THEY WERE DIRECTED TO, UM, CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THEIR WATER WASTEWATER RULES, PROCESSES, GUIDANCE AND DATA.

SO WE WILL CERTAINLY BE WATCHING TO SEE WHAT CHANGES THEY MAY MAKE THERE.

UM, AND THERE WILL BE RELATED, UM, UH, AGENCY RULEMAKING AROUND SOME OF THIS.

SO THAT'S WHAT'LL BE WATCHING FOR.

AND OF COURSE WE'LL CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REGIONAL PLANNING PROCESS AS WE DO VERY ACTIVELY NOW.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

[01:00:01]

UM, THIS BILL DIRECTS T C Q TO CHANGE THEIR RULES SO THAT AN ONSITE BLACKWATER SYSTEM NO LONGER HAS TO HAVE A PUBLIC WATER, A PUBLIC WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM, BE A COPER HOLDER AND COPER OWNER.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, A PRIVATE SECTOR PRIVATE COMPANY CAN NOW SEEK A PERMIT FROM THE T C Q TO BE BOTH THE OWNER AND PERMIT HOLDER, UM, EXCLUSIVELY FOR AN ONSITE BLACKWATER SYSTEM.

AND THE IMAGE UP THERE ON THE SLIDE IS ACTUALLY FOR AUSTIN WATERS CLARA SYSTEM.

IF ANY OF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THAT, IT'S ACTUALLY ON DISPLAY AT OUR PERMIT, OUR PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT THE CITY UP THE ROAD.

AND WE HAVE SOME DIAGRAMS YOU CAN DO A LITTLE SELF-GUIDED TOUR.

IT'S ALL OUTDOORS.

UM, SO THAT IS ONE OF THESE SYSTEMS THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE, TAKING BLACK WATER SUCH AS TOILET WATER AND RECYCLING IT ON SITE AND SENDING IT BACK INTO THE BUILDING FOR, UM, NON-POTABLE USES.

THEN.

UM, THERE WAS A BILL, HOUSE BILL 38 10, WHICH REQUIRES ALL PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS ACROSS THE STATE TO PROVIDE NOTICE, A NEW LEVEL OF NOTICE TO T C Q REGARDING WATER OUTAGES.

WE'VE ALWAYS HAD TO NOTIFY T C Q WHEN WE'VE HAD BOIL WATER NOTICES, AND WE'VE DONE THAT VERY DILIGENTLY, BUT THIS ADDED A NEW LEVEL OF NOTIFICATION REGARDING WATER OUTAGES.

UM, AND IT'S VERY BROAD.

UM, THEY DON'T DEFINE THE SPECIFIC TERM OF THE OUTAGE.

UM, THEY SAY IT'S AN UNPLANNED CONDITION CAUSING A WATER OUTAGE.

T C Q THEN CAME UP RIGHT BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER ONE EFFECTIVE DATE WITH AN ONLINE FORM THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US, UM, TO PROVIDE THIS NOTICE TO T C Q.

SO WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED PROCESSES TO, TO USE THIS NOTIFICATION PROCESS SHOULD THE NEED ARISE.

UH, OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING, OF COURSE IS GOVERNED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY T C E Q.

AND, UM, THIS BILL WILL ALLOW, UM, MORE FLEXIBILITY IN BRINGING ON WATER WASTEWATER OPERATORS BY GRANTING, CREATING A NEW LEVEL OF PROVISIONAL OPERATOR LICENSE, BOTH IN THE WATER AND WASTEWATER, UM, FOR, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO SEEK, UH, ENTERING THIS PROFESSION WITHOUT A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR G E D.

UM, SO, UM, WE WILL BE WORKING, UM, WE'RE ASSESSING WAYS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THIS PROVISIONAL LICENSE AT AUSTIN WATER, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH AUSTIN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HIRING PRACTICES.

UM, AND WE OF COURSE, THESE PROVISIONAL LICENSES OPERATORS WILL HAVE TO OPERATE UNDER A LICENSED, A FULLY LICENSED T C Q PERMIT HOLDER, AND THEY STILL HAVE TO PASS CERTAIN T C Q LICENSING EXAMS, BUT IT WILL, UM, IN THE FUTURE GIVE ANOTHER LEVEL OF FOLKS ANOTHER ABILITY TO ENTER OUR PROFESSIONS, UM, WITHOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.

ONCE WE ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING IT AT AUSTIN WATER, WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE FEASIBILITY PROCESS.

THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WAS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, UH, FOR, UH, THE LEGISLATURE BROADLY FOR CITIES, UH, ACROSS THE STATE.

AND SO THERE WERE THREE BILLS THAT UM, ADDRESSED THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BROADLY.

AND OF COURSE, AUSTIN WATER IS INTEGRALLY INVOLVED IN THE CITY'S DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

UNDERSTANDABLY, UM, TWO OF THE BILLS HOUSE BILL 14, HOUSE BILL 3 6 9 9 ARE, ARE VERY BROAD ABOUT, UM, ALLOWING THIRD PARTY REVIEWS FOR, UM, PLATT PLATT AND PLAN APPLICANTS, UM, IF CERTAIN DEADLINES HAVE PASSED WITHIN THE, UM, STATUTORY DEADLINES SET OUT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS.

AND THEN, UM, THE COMPLETE COMPLETENESS CHECKS PROCESS FOR DEVELOPMENT REVIEWS, UM, WAS ALSO MODIFIED THROUGH HOUSE BILL 3 6 9 9 AND HOUSE BILL 1707 DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH, UM, CHARTER SCHOOLS AND GRANTS THEM THE, UH, SAME, UH, DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, UM, PROVISIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY APPLICABLE TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, EXCEPT THAT, UM, CHARTER SCHOOLS STILL HAVE TO PAY OUR IMPACT FEES.

UM, THAT WAS A BIG, A BIG EXCEPTION.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS DO NOT.

UM, AND THEN, UM, SO OF COURSE WE'RE COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE REALLY INVOLVED IN THE CITY'S DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TO FULLY,

[01:05:01]

UM, IMPLEMENT THE BILLS.

WE'RE NOT LEAD ON ON THOSE, UM, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY INVOLVED.

AND THEN HOUSE BILL 2127 HAS BEEN MAKING THE NEWS A LOT.

IT'S A VERY BROAD BILL REGARDING PREEMPTION OF CITY AND COUNTY AUTHORITIES IN GENERAL, UM, WHERE, UM, THE LEGISLATURE DEEMED THAT THEY MAY DEVIATE, UH, FROM STATE CODES IN A WIDE ARRAY OF STATE CODES.

SO FAR, WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED ANY SPECIFIC IMPACTS TO AUSTIN WATER.

THE BILL IS BEING CHALLENGED IN THE COURTS HOWEVER AS WELL.

SO, UM, AND IT ALLOWS CITIZEN SUITS.

SHOULD, SHOULD A CITIZEN DECIDE THAT THERE'S SOME KIND OF CITY RULE THAT, UM, IS NOT, UH, IN ALIGNMENT WITH STATE STATE AUTHORITY, THEY COULD BRING A CITIZEN SUIT BROADLY AGAINST A WIDE ARRAY OF ISSUES.

NOT, CERTAINLY NOT AIMED SPECIFICALLY A WATER.

SO WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON ALL OF THAT.

THIS ANNEXATIONS AND E T J, WHICH IS E T J EX EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.

LITTLE LINGO THERE, SORRY.

HOUSE BILL 30 53, UH, IS SPEC VERY SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN, VERY SPECIFIC TO, UM, AREAS THAT AUSTIN ANNEX BETWEEN 2015 AND 2017.

AND IT WILL ALLOW THESE AREAS TO HAVE ELECTIONS, UM, IN THE SPRING, UM, TO, TO PAY, POTENTIALLY VOTE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CITY'S FULL PURPOSE LIMITS.

SOME VERY SPECIFIC AREAS.

UM, WE HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE ANALYSIS WITHIN AUSTIN WATER ON THE, THE SPECIFIC AREAS INVOLVED.

UM, ALMOST ALL OF THE AREAS ARE CURRENTLY OUR RETAIL CUSTOMERS FOR BOTH WATER AND WASTEWATER.

AND ONE AREA IS RECEIVING SOME WHOLESALE SERVICE FROM US.

BUT OUR CURRENT ANALYSIS SHOWS NO CHANGES TO THESE CUSTOMERS.

WE CAN AND DO CURRENTLY SERVE CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE OUR CITY LIMITS.

AND, UM, SO THEY SHOULD BE RECEIVING THE SAME BILLS, THE SAME BILLING PROCESS.

UM, SO THEY SHOULD NOT, SHOULD ANY OF THESE AREAS ELECT TO DESEX, THEY SHOULD NOT SEE A CHANGE TO THEIR CURRENT SERVICES FROM AUSTIN WATER WITH THE ONE EXCEPTION.

AND WE SEE THERE ARE AT LEAST A FEW, LOOKS LIKE A VERY SMALL HANDFUL OF POTENTIAL SEPTIC SYSTEMS IN SOME OF THESE AREAS.

UM, SO SHOULD THOSE PROPERTIES WITH SEPTIC SYSTEMS BE DISAS ANNEXED, THEIR SEPTIC SYSTEMS WOULD THEN BE REGULATED BY TRAVIS COUNTY, NOT BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND THEN WE HAVE SENATE BILL 2038.

THIS BILL IS A, A BROAD BILL REGARDING EXTERNAL JURISDICTION, EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION RELEASES THAT ALLOWS ANY PROPERTY OWNER TO EITHER PETITION OR THERE COULD BE AN ELECTION HELD FOR THE PROPERTY TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CITY'S EXTRA TER TER EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.

UM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A FIVE MILE BOUNDARY AROUND THE CITY.

THERE'S TWO MILE BOUNDARY AND A FIVE MILE BOUNDARY.

UM, AND THIS CAN BE DONE ON A TRACK BY TRACK BASIS AND, UM, PETITIONERS CAN SUBMIT THEIR PETITIONS TO THE CITY, UM, TO HAVE THEIR PROPERTY REMOVED FROM THE CITY.

AND SO WE ARE DEFINITELY REVIEWING THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THAT BILL, UM, VERY CLOSELY WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.

THIS BILL, LIKE ALL THE OTHERS I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, ESSENTIALLY GO, WENT INTO EFFECT SEPTEMBER ONE.

SO IT'S ONLY BEEN EFFECTIVE FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF.

UM, SO STILL DETERMINING THE FULL IMPACTS OF THAT BILL THIS TIME.

WANNA BRING BACK, START THE PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN.

JUST ABOUT DONE.

THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE.

SO AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN WHAT'S CALLED THE THIRD SPECIAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE.

EACH SPECIAL SESSION CAN ONLY LAST 30 DAYS.

THEY'RE CALLED BY THE GOVERNOR AT A TIME, A START DATE OF HIS DIRECTION.

SO THIS LAST LEG SPECIAL SESSION STARTED THIS PAST MONDAY, AND THIS LEGISLATURE CAN ONLY, UH, TAKE UP AND PASS LAWS ON THE SPECIFIC TOPICS THAT THE GOVERNOR SPECIFIES.

THIS PARTICULAR SPECIAL SESSION IS FOCUSED PREDOMINANTLY ON WHAT HE'S CALLING SCHOOL VOUCHERS AND, UM, BUT THEY'RE ALSO, UH, DIRECTED TO LOOK AT BORDER SECURITY AND C OVID 19 VACCINE MANDATES AND SEVERAL OTHER ISSUES.

AND SPECIFICALLY THERE'S A, UM, DIRECTION THAT I NOTED UP HERE THAT THEY CAN CONSIDER LEGISLATION CONCERNING PUBLIC SAFETY, SECURITY, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, AND PROPERTY OWNERSHIP.

SO THAT IS A BIT OF A WIDER LANE FOR POTENTIAL BILLS TO COME THROUGH THAT MAY OR MAY NOT IMPACT AUSTIN WATER.

SO JUST TO BE DETERMINED, WHAT, UM, IF ANYTHING PASSES, UM, IN THAT SPACE THAT MIGHT IMPACT US.

AND AGAIN, THE WHOLE PROCESS HAS TO LAST, CANNOT LAST MORE THAN 30 DAYS.

AND IT ALREADY, EACH SPECIAL SPECIAL SESSION STARTS THE CLOCK OVER.

SO ANY BILLS THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN IN PRIOR SPECIAL SESSIONS THAT THEY

[01:10:01]

SO THAT'S A LOT TO HAPPEN IN 30 DAYS.

THE BILLS REALLY HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF MOMENTUM TO GET THROUGH.

AND THAT IS WHAT I HAVE.

LAST SLIDE IS QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HEATHER.

THAT WAS INTERESTING.

COMMISSIONERS.

UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MORTY.

UM, IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU TALKED ABOUT THE LEGISLATION THAT I THINK WAS RE UH, REFERRED TO AS DEATH STAR, ALTHOUGH THAT'S NOT THE FULL NAME.

MM-HMM.

THAT YOU ARE SAYING THAT BASED ON THE ANALYSIS OF THE CITY, YOU DO NOT THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM.

WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.

UM, SO FAR AUSTIN WATER HAS NOT IDENTIFIED ANY IMPACTS.

THE BILL IS BEING CHALLENGED IN THE COURTS.

UM, BUT AGAIN, THE BILL COULD POTENTIALLY TOUCH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM.

I'M SURPRISED IT'S NOT A PROBLEM FOR YOU.

BUT, UH, I CERTAINLY, UH, WOULD, WOULD, UH, UH, GO WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

I I HAVE NO WAY TO CHALLENGE IT.

UM, THESE AREAS THAT COULD VOTE THEMSELVES OUT OF THE CITY, WHAT AREAS ARE THOSE? THEY COULD VOTE THEM OUT OF THE CITY? THE, THE DIS ANNEXATION BILL? YES, I HAVE THAT LIST.

THEY ARE VERY SPECIFIC BECAUSE THE BILL WAS VERY NARROWLY DRAFTED.

UM, THE LARGEST AREA IS THE LOST CREEK AREA.

UM, THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER AREA THAT IS CALLED BLUE GRU ROAD.

THERE IS ANOTHER AREA.

UM, THESE ARE GETTING VERY SMALL NOW, MALONE, PRELIMINARY, PRELIMINARY PLAN, WILDHORSE, WEB TRACTED, MORELAND ADDITION, AND SOME OUT PARCELS NEAR RIVER PLACE THAT I'M NOT SURE HAVE ANY OCCUPANTS.

SO THE RESIDENTS OF THESE AREAS HAVE TO VOTE.

SO IF ANY OF THESE AREAS ARE NOT OCCUPIED, THERE WON'T BE AN ELECTION AND THEY HAVE TO BE REGISTERED VOTERS, OF COURSE THERE'LL BE SEPARATE ELECTIONS FOR EACH AREA.

HOW MANY CUSTOMERS WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS? WELL, AGAIN, WE UM, WE DON'T HAVE A EXACT COUNT OF CUSTOMERS, BUT WE DON'T, UM, UH, WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING.

AND WHEN YOU SAY AUSTIN, IT'S AUSTIN WATER CUSTOMERS AND WE ARE NOT ANTICIPATING ANY CHANGES TO THEIR SERVICE.

RIGHT.

YOU'RE SAYING THEY'LL STILL BE A RETAIL CUSTOMER, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CUSTOMERS ARE WITHIN THESE BOUNDARIES? I DON'T HAVE THAT TOTAL NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME.

I HAVE SOME POPULATION NUMBERS, BUT NOT AUSTIN WATER CUSTOMER NUMBERS.

OH.

WHAT'S THE TOTAL POPULATION FOR ALL SIX AREAS? FOR ALL SIX COMBINED? UM, WELL, THE LARGEST UP, I'LL GIVE YOU THE BREAKDOWN.

THE LARGEST IS LOST CREEK.

IT'S 3,884 POPULATION THAT I WAS GIVEN.

BLUE GROSS ROAD POPULATION, ESTIMATED ROUGH ESTIMATES HERE, 28 MALONE PRELIMINARY PLAN SIX, WILDHORSE WEB TRACT SIX, ORLAND EDITION 122.

AND POTENTIALLY THIS RIVER PLACE OUT PARCEL MAY HAVE THREE, BUT THESE ARE ESTIMATES.

THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

COMMISSIONERS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS UPDATE.

IT WAS, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT WE HAVE SOME CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS ON OUR BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.

THERE'S ACTUALLY 14 OF THEM AT THE STATE LEVEL, I BELIEVE.

UM, SEVERAL OF 'EM HAVE TO DO WITH INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT ALL WATER, BUT INFRASTRUCTURE, VARIOUS TYPES.

SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GET FAMILIAR AND GET OUT AND VOTE.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HEATHER.