[CALL TO ORDER ]
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CELL FROM THE TASK FORCE HERE, AS WELL AS MARISA, EMILY, KEVIN, KEVIN, AND THERESA, UH, AND HELEN AND SARAH.
BUT Y'ALL CAN SEE IN THE ROOM AND HI, KATHLEEN ONLINE.
I DON'T, I'M, I'M STILL WORKING THE VIDEO THING, BUT HELLO.
I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S CRUCIAL FOR YOU TO HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON.
IT'S JUST FOR THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS, ALTHOUGH, OKAY.
YOU KNOW, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TURN IT ON IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
LOOK, WE HAVE ALMOST A FULL HOUSE TODAY.
WE'RE ONLY MISSING SARAH FAUST.
AND HERE COMES SOME MORE FOLKS.
ALRIGHT, UM, HERE'S MY AGENDA.
SO I'M GONNA CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 1205, AND DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS? NO.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR, FROM THE SEPTEMBER WAIT, DO WE HAVE SEPTEMBER AND APRIL IN HERE? THIS IS APRIL.SEPTEMBER 12TH, TASK FORCE MEETINGS.
BUT I'VE, SO, UM, HAVE PEOPLE REVIEWED THE MINUTES? I'D SEE A CHANGE RIGHT NOW WITH DATES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE.
DO YOU SEE THAT, MARISA? OKAY.
UH, THAT'S WHY I WAS CONFUSED.
UM, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES WITH, UH, CHANGE IN THE, THE DATE FROM APRIL 11TH, 2023 TO SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2023 SECOND.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
IT'S UNANIMOUS TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS, Y'ALL.
SO WE HAVE FOUR AGENDA ITEMS TODAY, AND EVERYBODY GOT YOUR MATERIALS, UM, VIA EMAIL FROM EMILY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY CLEAR EMAILS WITH ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO GET ONLINE, EMILY.
[2. Water supply outlook and drought response activities ]
SO LET'S, UM, JUMP INTO THE FIRST ONE, WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK AND DROUGHT RESPONSE ACTIVITIES.TODAY WE HAVE, UM, A FEW DIFFERENT ITEMS NESTED WITHIN, OR A FEW DIFFERENT PRESENTERS WHO WILL BE, UH, PRESENTING CONTENT WITHIN THIS ITEM.
UM, WE'LL START OFF WITH THE WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK PORTION AND, UH, DR. RICHARD HOFF POWER IS JOINING US TODAY, AND HE WILL BE PRESENTING THOSE SLIDES.
THE WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK SLIDES.
YEAH, SO HERE WE HAVE THE, THE HIGHLAND LAKES INFLOWS, THE CHART SORT OF YEAR TO DATE.
UH, THE, THIS CHART WAS UPDATED IN OCTOBER, SO TOMORROW WE'LL HAVE A PURPLE BAR THERE FOR NOVEMBER, AND IT'LL BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 19 AND 20,000 ACRE FEET.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA BE A VERY BIG PURPLE BAR THERE FOR NOVEMBER.
OUR, SO FAR, OUR BIGGEST INFLOW OF THIS YEAR HAS BEEN IN OCTOBER.
WE GOT ABOUT 68,000 ACRE FEET.
AND SORT OF THE INFLOW WE DID GET IN NOVEMBER IS RESIDUAL WATER COMING INTO THE LAKES FROM THAT RAIN THAT HAPPENED RIGHT AT THE END OF OCTOBER.
SO CONDITIONS ARE STILL FAIRLY DRY OTHER THAN THAT, UM, ONE EVENT THERE AT THE END OF OCTOBER.
THIS IS THE, UH, COMBINED STORAGE, UH, SINCE THE 2010S DROUGHT TO PRESENT.
UH, THIS GRAPH AGAIN, WAS UPDATED AT THE END OF OCTOBER, SO IT'S DATED NOVEMBER 1ST.
BASICALLY, THE LAKES HAVE BEEN FLAT FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
WE STARTED OUT, UM, I THINK IT WAS 8 42 IN COMBINED STORAGE, 842,000, AND WE'RE ABOUT THE SAME POSITION TODAY, SO IT'S WENT HORIZONTALLY OVER TO THE LEFT ON THAT GRAPH.
SO, UH, WHAT'S INDICATED THERE, THIS IS THE LOWEST
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LEVEL OF DROUGHT SINCE AUGUST ACROSS THE STATE, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN SEE THERE'S STILL A LOT OF, OF, UH, TAN AND AND RED COLOR OUT THERE ON THE DROUGHT MONITOR MAP, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT THAT RED, THAT BIG CLUSTER OF RED IS SORT OF STRADDLING RIGHT ACROSS THE HIGHLAND LAKES WATERSHED.SO, UH, CONDITIONS ARE STILL FAIRLY DRY ACROSS THE WATERSHED.
IT'S, IT'LL JUST TAKE TIME TO WORK THAT OFF.
WHICH BRINGS US TO SOME GOOD NEWS.
EL NINO CONDITIONS ARE STILL IN PLACE, AND THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER STILL GIVING US A FAVORABLE OUTLOOK FOR PRECIPITATION OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
SO, UH, DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY AREN'T NECESSARILY THE MOST, UH, RAINIEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR, BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST FLOODS ON RECORD, IT HAPPENED, UH, CHRISTMAS OF 1991, SO YOU NEVER KNOW.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S THE END OF THE WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, THERE IS.
UH, THIS IS RA'S, UH, STORAGE CONTENT PROJECTION FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
UM, SO THIS ONE WAS UPDATED AT, UH, THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH, AND THE NEW ONE WILL COME OUT NEXT WEEK.
GENERALLY, RIGHT NOW, THE STORAGE IS RIGHT THERE IN BETWEEN THE BLUE AND THE ORANGE LINE.
SO KIND OF BETWEEN MEDIAN AND IN THAT 90TH PERCENTILE DRY LINE, THAT'S WHERE THE ACTUAL STORAGE IS GONE FOR THIS MONTH.
UM, YOU'LL NOTICE SORT OF THE, THE DRIEST CONDITIONS.
THEY JUST RELATIVELY STAY FLAT OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS INDICATING, UH, YOU KNOW, LACK OF DOWNSTREAM IRRIGATION DEMAND, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY SOME CONSERVATION MEASURES FROM EVERYBODY IN THE BASINS PITCHING IN TO, TO KEEP THE RESERVOIRS SORT OF STABLE.
AND, UM, ANY QUESTIONS? GOOD? OKAY, THANKS.
YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS WHILE YOU'RE UP HERE FOR ROBERT? I MEAN, FOR RICHARD.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO JOT CONTINGENCY PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.
I'M THE MANAGER OF THE WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION.
AND OVER THE NEXT SIX SLIDES, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, RECENT STAGE TWO DROUGHT ACTIVITIES, UM, ALSO THE NEXT ITERATION OF OUR DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
AND THEN, UH, A BRIEF DESCRIPTION ON OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO IMPLEMENT THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION ORDINANCE STRATEGY.
SO ON STAGE TWO, AS YOU KNOW, BACK IN AUGUST, AUGUST 15TH, WE WENT INTO DROUGHT STAGE TWO, WHEN THE RESERVOIRS REACHED A COMBINED STORAGE OF 900,000 ACRE FEET, OR ABOUT 46% OF THEIR TOTAL STORAGE.
UH, SOON AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE FRIDAY BEFORE, UH, WE STARTED TO RECEIVE A SURGE OF, OF CALLS AND EMAILS FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING DROUGHT RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE IN PLACE IN STAGE TWO, AS WELL AS AN INCREASED NUMBER OF, UH, SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF 3 1 1 REPORTS, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAD PLANNED AND HAD UNDERTAKEN WHEN WE DECLARED STAGE TWO INCLUDED, UM, MORE, MORE MEDIA MESSAGES, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU HEARD, UH, WE HAD MORE PATROLS, UH, GOING OUT IN THE EVENINGS, WEEKENDS, AND EARLY MORNINGS, AND WE BROUGHT ON TEMPORARY STAFF.
WE TRIED TO DISTRIBUTE YARD SIGNS AS WELL AS TRYING TO REACH OUT TO RESTAURANTS, UM, SIT DOWN RESTAURANTS THAT SERVED, UH, WATER TO THEIR PATRONS.
THIS NEXT SLIDE, UH, PROVIDES A GRAPHICAL ILLUSTRATION OF, OF WHAT HAPPENED AFTER STAGE TWO DECLARATION IN AUGUST.
ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THAT GRAFT, UM, THE GREEN LINE, THE DARK GREEN LINE IS THE NUMBER OF 3 1 1 REPORTS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT POINTS OUT THERE.
STAGE ONE NOTIFICATION, THERE WAS A SHARP INCREASE, A LOT OF PEOPLE CALLING IN, REPORTING WATER WATERING, AND I GUESS THEY, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE
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BEEN.UM, SO A BIG SURGE OF THAT TO RESPOND TO.
THERE'S A, A GREEN DOTTED LINE, UH, JUST BELOW THAT, THAT, UH, SHOWS THE NUMBER OF 3 0 1 POSTCARDS THAT WE SEND OUT.
SO WHEN PEOPLE REPORT TO US WATERING VIOLATIONS, WE INITIALLY SEND OUT A POSTCARD TO THE HOME TO JUST LET THEM KNOW, UH, THAT IT'S BEEN REPORTED, THAT THEY ARE WATERING ON THE WRONG DAY, FOR INSTANCE.
ALSO ON THAT GRAPH ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE ARE, ARE BLUE LINES.
THE BLUE, THE SOLID BLUE LINE SHOWS THE NUMBER OF PATROL INVESTIGATIONS, UH, THAT TOOK PLACE OVER THAT TIME PERIOD.
UM, THESE ARE OUR PATROL STAFF GOING OUT AND WHEN THEY SEE SOMEONE WATERING ON THE WRONG DAY OR WRONG TIME, THAT'S AN INVESTIGATION.
UH, THAT DID NOT HAVE THE BIG SPIKE THAT WE SAW IN THAT STAGE TWO NOTIFICATION, BUT RATHER A NUMBER OF SPIKES THROUGHOUT THE JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER TIME PERIOD WHEN PEOPLE WERE, WERE REALLY WATERING A LOT.
AND WHEN WE HAD INCREASED PATROLS ON THE RIGHT THERE, IT SHOWS THE, UM, DAILY WATER USE FOR THE WATER UTILITY.
THE GREEN LINE IS THE VOLUME OF AVERAGE DAILY USE AS WE WENT ACROSS THE YEAR AND ACROSS THE SUMMER.
THE PINK LINE FOR REFERENCE IS 2011 VOLUMES OF AVERAGE DAILY USE.
SO YOU COULD SEE AS WE GO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ON THAT DAILY USE CHART, UM, STARTING INTO JULY IN AUGUST PEAKED.
BUT EVEN WHEN A STAGE TWO DOW DROUGHT WAS DECLARED, THERE WAS NO MAGIC DROP IN, UM, WATER USE.
UH, IT WAS STILL VERY HOT AND DRY AND, AND PEOPLE, UH, CONTINUED TO TRY TO TO WATER THEIR LAWNS.
SO THAT CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER MONTH OR SO.
UH, SO OUR EFFORTS, OUR BEST EFFORTS DID NOT PUSH WATER USE DOWN, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT SAVES WATER.
SO WE ARE IMAGINING THAT IT TAMPED DOWN THAT SPIKE.
THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN NEXT SLIDE, UM, RECORD.
BEFORE YOU MOVE ON TO THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, IF FOLKS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SUMMER DROUGHT RESPONSE, WOULD THAT BE OKAY? SOUNDS GOOD.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS INFORMATION PRESENTED ON THE DROUGHT RESPONSE THIS SUMMER? UM, I HAVE A QUESTION.
IS THERE ANY DATA ON, UM, LIKE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES VERSUS APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN BIGGER FACILITIES, OR IS IT JUST ALL KIND OF GROUPED TOGETHER IN, IN TERMS OF WATER USE? YEAH, AND REPORTS ON WATER MISUSE.
UH, IT, IT, WE DO HAVE DATA ON AND WE, IT COULD BE SUMMED FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, UM, VERSUS MUL FOR MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN OUR, MY MY AT TX WATER, A MI SYSTEMS, SOME OF IT WOULD BE ONLY MONTHLY.
SOME OF IT WOULD BE, UH, DAILY.
UM, SO IT'D BE KIND OF CHALLENGING TO PARSE THAT OUT ON AN AVERAGE DAILY USE FOR MULTI-FAMILY AND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES UNTIL WE GET A FULL DISTRIBUTION OF OUR MI A TX WATER SYSTEM ARE SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY, UM, PUT INTO THE BILLING SYSTEM WITH LIKE DIFFERENT CODES.
LIKE YOU COULD LAY, LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THE WATER USE TRENDS FOR SINGLE FAMILY VERSUS MULTIFAMILY.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A LARGE DISPARITY IN SIZES FOR MULTIFAMILY, SO IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE WEIRD, BUT JUST TO, I DON'T KNOW.
YES, THERE ARE DIFFERENT BILLING CODES FOR THAT.
UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A NOT EASY TO PULL THAT OUT OF A BILLING SYSTEM.
IT'S EASY FOR ME TO SAY AS AN IDEA.
I THAT PRACTICALITY OF DOING IT, IT IS A WHOLE OTHER THING.
JUST PULL IT OUT, JUST SEARCH, JUST DO A CONTROL F AND FIND IT.
DID I ANSWER THE EARLIER QUESTION? MADELINE, YOU GOOD? OKAY.
UM, SO LET ME JUST ON THAT, I'LL JUST POINT OUT A FEW THINGS JUST YEAH, CORRECT ME.
BUT, UM, JUST A COUPLE THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, OUR, MY A TX WATER PROGRAM RIGHT NOW IT'S FOCUSED ON, UM, IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION OR SETTING OUT METERS FIRST IN A SINGLE FAMILY SCENARIO.
AND WHILE THAT'S THE BIGGEST NUMBER OF METERS, UM, MOVING TO ACTUALLY GETTING METERS IN MULTIFAMILY UNITS IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DOWN THE ROAD.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT LEVEL OF DATA, UM, AS FAR AS TIMELINESS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
AND OF COURSE, ANOTHER BIG DRIVER OF WATER USE JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, UH, IS OUTDOOR WATER USE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTS TYPICALLY
[00:15:01]
USE LESS WATER THAN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTS JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE, THE LAWN CHASING KIND OF ACTIVITY.SO JUST A GENTLE REMINDER AROUND SORT OF SOME OF THAT DATA.
WE DO, HOWEVER, EXPECT THAT AS WE GET MORE FULLY IMPLEMENTED WITH OUR MY A TX WATER PROGRAM, UM, IT'S GONNA GIVE US A LOT MORE INSIGHT, UM, TO A LOT OF THESE NUANCES.
SO JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
WELL, IF THE, UH, THE PRESENCE OF A PLASTIC MANHOLE COVER VERSUS A METAL IS ANY INDICATION, Y'ALL ARE WITHIN A BLOCK OF MY HOUSE AND I'M VERY EXCITED
UM, SO, 'CAUSE EVERYONE AROUND ME HAS SOME, SO, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION HERE ABOUT THE POSTCARDS THAT WERE SENT.
OH, THESE MICS ARE VERY SENSITIVE TODAY.
SO YOU ALL SENT A POSTCARD FOR EVERY 3 1 1 CALL THAT YOU GOT OUT TO THE HOME, OR MAYBE NOT EVERY BUT THE ONES YOU COULD.
AND YOU NOTICE IN THAT GRAPH THAT THAT DASH LINE IS, IS IN SOME CASES SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THE NUMBER OF REPORTS.
UM, THAT'S DUE TO A NUMBER OF REASONS.
SOME OF THOSE REPORTS ARE DUPLICATE REPORTS WHERE YOU MAY GET FIVE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTING ONE HOUSE.
UM, IN SOME CASES, UM, IF THERE'S INSIGNIFICANT, INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION, WE CAN'T SEND A POSTCARD OUT.
SOMETIMES IT'S WRONGLY REPORTED.
THEY MAY SAY, THIS PERSON IS WATERING ON THE WRONG DAY.
AND WHEN WE LOOK, THAT IS THE RIGHT DAY.
UH, SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS THAT POSTCARDS CAN'T GO OUT.
AND I THINK WHEN THERE'S THAT RUSH ON THAT, IN THAT STAGE TWO, UH, NOTIFICATION, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE REPORTING MORE OF THOSE REASONS CAME INTO PLAY.
SO IS THAT THE ACTION WHEN A 3 1 1 REPORT HAPPENS? OR DO YOU ALL TRY TO SEND A PATROL OUT? I KNOW IT'S NOT IN REAL TIME AND THE SPRINKLER'S PROBABLY NOT RUNNING FOR 48 HOURS OR WHATEVER RESPONSE TIME YOU MAY HAVE FOR THOSE TO TRICKLE THROUGH 3 1 1 TO YOUR PATROLS.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S REPEATED REPORTS OF SOMETHING, DO YOU ALL DO DRIVE-BYS OR LIKE WHAT'S THE FOLLOW-UP FOR THAT? SO WHEN WE FIRST RECEIVE A 3 0 1 REPORT, UH, WE'LL SEND OUT A POSTCARD TO THE RESIDENTS.
UM, WE WON'T SEND ANOTHER POSTCARD OUT FOR 10 DAYS, GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK THEIR WATER IRRIGATION SYSTEM MM-HMM.
IF WE RECEIVE ANOTHER 3 0 1 REPORT AFTER THOSE 10 DAYS, WE'LL SEND A SECOND POSTCARD AND GIVE THEM TIME TO CHANGE IT.
AND IF WE GET A THIRD REPORT, THEN WE SEND SOMEONE OUT TO ACTUALLY INVESTIGATE ON THAT REPORTED TIME AND DAY OF THE WEEK.
I WANT BET PEOPLE AREN'T TOO PLEASED TO GET A REPORTS CARD SAYING THAT THEY'VE BEEN REPORTED FOR OUTDOOR WATERING, BUT I WA I SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE PRETTY EFFECTIVE.
OR I'LL START SOME, SOME BAD BLOOD IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT'S ANONYMOUS, RIGHT? IT'S ANONYMOUS.
ROBERT WANTS TO KNOW IF IT'S ANONYMOUS 'CAUSE HE'S CALLED ANONYMOUS.
BUT JUST TO JENNIFER, CAN I FOLLOW UP ON THAT? YEAH.
SO JUST BUT BEYOND THE POSTCARDS IN THE PATROL, THERE IS NOT ANOTHER LEVEL OF ENFORCEMENT, AS IN YOU WOULDN'T, THERE'S NO OTHER ACTION THAT AUSTIN WATER WOULD TAKE TO RESTRICT THE WATER USE OF A SOMEONE WHO'S VIOLATING CITY CODE BY WATERING ON THE WRONG DAYS.
'CAUSE THIS IS A CODE VIOLATION, RIGHT? IT'S IT IS A VIOLATION OF ORDINANCE, CORRECT? YES.
SO WE HAVE THE 3 0 1 REPORTS, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR STAFF GOING OUT AND DOING PATROLS AND, AND THEY, IF THEY WITNESS, UH, VIOLATIONS AND THEY GIVE ONE WARNING, UM, AND THEN THE SECOND TIME IF THEY'RE WITNESSED VIOLATING, THEN THEY GIVE 'EM A CITATION WITH A PENALTY.
WHAT'S THE PENALTY? OH, UH, IT, IT CHANGES AT DIFFERENT STAGES.
UM, IT MAY BE, I THINK IT MAY BE THE, THE MINIMUM MAY BE 75 FOR A RESIDENTIAL FOR THE SECOND STAGE, BUT THERE'S A RANGE THAT THE COUNSEL HAS SET.
SO IT'S BETWEEN, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT KNOWING THIS OFFHAND, BUT LIKE 75 AND 300 OR SO.
UM, AND IT GOES UP FOR THE NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS IT GOES UP.
IT INCREASES BY THE STAGE, IT INCREASES BY THE NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS, THE RANGES INCREASE, UM, BUT ALSO WITHIN THOSE RANGES, IT GOES UP BY THE AMOUNT OF THEIR HISTORICAL WATER USE.
UH, AND I CAN PROVIDE YOU MUCH BETTER INFORMATION.
UH, NUMBER REASON THAT WOULD BE NUMBER OF REASONS WOULD BE TO SEE JUST, UM,
[00:20:01]
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IN SOME CITIES ARE DOING THINGS LIKE PUTTING FLOW RESTRICTORS ON FOLKS THAT HAVE MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OR CHANGING THEIR WATER RATES OR DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY.BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT, THERE'S LOT, THERE'S A, A RANGE OF APPROACHES THAT ARE BEING PUT IN AS WATER BECOMES MORE SCARCE.
IF WE'RE NOT MOVING THE NEEDLE ON REDUCING THE USAGE IN THE WORST DROUGHT WE'VE HAD IN A VERY LONG TIME.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT ABOUT AVOIDING THE SPIKE, UH, HYPOTHETICALLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, I I'M JUST IMAGINING MAYBE YOU MIGHT NEED A STRONGER TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX FOR GETTING THE WORST OFFENDERS TO REDUCE THEIR WATER USAGE, WATERING THEIR LAWNS IN A TIME WHEN WE REALLY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THAT.
SO I, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO SEE THE DATA ON, UM, THOSE, THOSE FINAL STAGE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, THE PENALTIES THAT ARE ASSESSED.
UH, AND I DON'T, UH, THERE'S PROBABLY SOME ISSUES WITH MAYBE WE CAN JUST REDACT THAT DATA IN SOME WAY, BUT LIKE, WHERE ARE THOSE USERS, YOU KNOW, LIKE ARE THEY LIKE MADELINE'S POINT EARLIER? ARE THEY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES? WHAT, JUST A LITTLE MORE FLESHING OUT OF, UM, THAT DATA WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS TOO, THAT'S IMPORTANT CONTEXT IN THE NEXT SLIDE IS ABOUT THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN THAT WHICH HAD NEEDS TO BE UPDATED MAY, 2024 AND IT'S UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS, IS WHAT AUSTIN'S PLANNING TO DO ON THAT.
AND, AND EVERYONE ACROSS THE STATE HAS TO, HAS TO UPDATE THEIR DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANS, WHICH SPELLS OUT DROUGHT STAGES AND, AND AMOUNT OF REDUCTION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, BUT ALSO JUST FOR CONTEXT, ONE OF THE REASONS, YOU KNOW, I WANTED US TO TALK ABOUT THIS BESIDES THE FACT THAT WHEN WE SET THIS AGENDA, IT REALLY HADN'T BEEN RAINING TOO MUCH.
AND LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO IF IT DOESN'T RAIN? BUT HOW WE, HOW WE APPROACH CONSERVATION AND DROUGHT RESPONSE IN AUSTIN, UM, REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
WE'VE GOT OTHER THINGS THAT ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WORLD ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE MORE COMPLEX AND ARE SUPER IMPORTANT, SUCH AS THE ONSITE REUSE ORDINANCE AND EVERYTHING.
BUT, BUT IF, BUT, BUT HOW WE USE WATER ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AND, AND HOW EFFICIENT WE ARE, AND THEN HOW WE RESPOND TO DROUGHTS REALLY DRIVES A LOT OF THE WATER SUPPLY DECISIONS.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, Y'ALL KNOW THAT I'M JUST TELLING YOU THINGS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WELCOME.
A LOT OF EXCELLENT POINTS HERE.
AND, AND I, I WOULD SAY FIRST, YOU KNOW, LET US SHARE WITH YOU SORT OF THE, THE, THE RUBRIC OR THE MATRIX OF OUR, OUR CURRENT FINE PROCESS JUST SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, GREAT OBSERVATIONS ALL THE WAY ACROSS AND CERTAINLY A LOT TO CONSIDER HERE.
OUR CHALLENGE, AND I'M JUST REFLECTING BACK TO WHEN WE ADOPTED THE MOST RECENT FINE STRUCTURE, THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER THERE.
I MEAN, THE IDEA OF MOVING FROM FAIRLY MODEST FINES TO MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT FINES, THINKING ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS ON THOSE FINES RELATIVE TO CERTAIN COMMUNITIES.
SO I MEAN, IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED SET OF, UM, CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO THE CASE, WHICH IS NOT TO SHY AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT ULTIMATELY WE TRY TO PUT IN PLACE THE RIGHT TYPES OF TECHNIQUES TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR.
AND THAT'S REALLY A LOT OF WHAT THIS CONVERSATION IS ABOUT.
CERTAINLY A LOT OF WHAT OUR WATER CONSERVATION TEAM IS DOING, CERTAINLY BROADLY, YOU KNOW, WATER FORWARD IS LOOKING AT REALLY CHANGING PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES ABOUT WATER USE AND WATER NEEDS.
SO ABSOLUTELY GREAT INFORMATION.
I THINK, UM, FUNDAMENTALLY WE DO RE RELY ON VOLUNTARY, YOU KNOW, COMPLIANCE THAT IS OUR STRONGEST TOOL.
SO KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE, WHERE WE WANT TO KIND OF CONTINUE TO FOCUS AS WE EVOLVE IN DATA AVAILABILITY AND SORT OF THE ABILITY TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT PROGRAMS DIFFERENTLY.
TODD, WE'RE GETTING YOU CHANGED FROM A PARTICIPANT TO ATTENDING THE MEETING.
SO JUST HOLD TIGHT, JUST SAW YOUR MESSAGE ABOUT, ABOUT THAT.
I THINK KEVIN'S GONNA MOVE FORWARD IN HIS PRESENTATION.
WE JUST WANTED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF A TIME CHECK.
WE, UM, I THINK WE'LL NEED TO END THIS OVERALL ITEM, INCLUDING THE IPR PRESENTATION BY ABOUT 1250 TO HAVE TIME TO GET TO THE REST OF OUR ITEMS. UM, BUT WE'VE MADE NOTES ABOUT THE, UM, DATA AND INFORMATION THAT TASK FORCE MEMBERS ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING, AND WE'LL WORK WITH CONSERVATION TO FOLLOW UP ON THOSE REQUESTS.
SO AS JENNIFER ALLUDED TO, UH, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, JUST HOLD ON BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING UP A NEW ONE.
[00:25:01]
JUST ON THE RIGHT THERE YOU SEE A FEW OF THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF A DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN INCLUDES THE DIFFERENT STAGES, UM, IT INCLUDES THE DEMAND MANAGEMENT MEASURES, VARIANCES ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC EDUCATION EARLIER THIS MONTH, UH, NOVEMBER 6TH ACTUALLY, UH, SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE WAS CREATED FOR THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, UH, TO SOLICIT INFORMATION ON WHAT WE SHOULD INCLUDE IN THE NEXT PLAN.AND WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING ON DECEMBER 12TH, UM, TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND, AND TO DISCUSS THE NEXT DRUG CONTINGENCY PLAN.
CAN YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO THE PUBLIC MEETING? WE'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL ISSUE WITH NOT OF HEARING ABOUT MEETINGS AFTER THEY HAPPEN, THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND I KNOW THAT GETTING PEOPLE ON LISTS AND DATA MANAGEMENT IS A PROBLEM.
I'M NOT CASTING BLAME, BUT, BUT I WOULD JUST LIKE THIS.
NO, IT'S WEEK AFTER NEXT, BUT JUST SO FOLKS CAN BE THERE TO GET A DEEPER DIVE FOR THE FOLKS THAT WANT TO YEAH, THANK YOU.
AND RATHER THAN RELYING ON EMAIL LISTS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, UM, WE'LL WORK WITH KEVIN SO THAT AN EMAIL COMES OUT DIRECTLY FROM EMILY TO TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
UH, THIS IS JUST, UH, SOME OF THE MAJOR MILESTONES IN GETTING BETWEEN NOW AND, UH, TURNING IN THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN ON MAY 1ST.
UM, NOVEMBER, WE PUT A SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE UP THIS MONTH, DECEMBER WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK HERE IN FEBRUARY.
THE PLAN IS FOR THE TO THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, UH, PRESENTING THE DRAFT DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
UH, WE'LL ALSO GO TO SEVERAL OTHER BODIES AND THEN MARCH WATER AND WASTEWATER IN APRIL CITY COUNCIL.
SO IT WILL BE A, A QUICK MARCH TO THE COUNCIL, UM, AFTER THE NEW YEAR WITH THE NEW DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
AND I ALSO LIST UP THERE, UH, THAT THIS IS THE SAME FOR A NEW WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS ALSO DUE MAY 1ST OF NEXT YEAR.
UH, THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN DESCRIBES THE VARIOUS STRATEGIES THAT WE UTILIZE, NOT JUST IN DROUGHT, BUT ALL THE TIME, UH, TO ENCOURAGE WATER EFFICIENCY AND, AND DECREASE WATER LOSS AND INCREASE THE REUSE OF WATER.
UH, THE TIMELINE FOR THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN WILL BE ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
THEY'LL BE GOING IN PARALLEL TO THE DIFFERENT BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND THEN THE COUNCIL NEXT SLIDE.
AND FINALLY, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY THAT IS IN THE CURRENT WATER FORWARD PLAN.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THIS WAS A STRATEGY FROM THE LAST PLAN FOR NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES TO HELP, UH, TRANSFORM THEIR LANDSCAPES INTO ONE THAT USES ONES THAT USE LESS DRINKING WATER TO WATER THEIR LANDSCAPE.
UH, WE'RE APPROACHING THIS NOT WITH JUST ONE SINGLE ORDINANCE, BUT A BUNDLE OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES YOU SEE UP THERE.
EIGHT DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES PRIMARILY, UH, BETTER SOIL AND PLANTS, MORE EFFICIENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, AND THEN OFFERING SUBSTITUTES FOR DRINKING WATER ON YOUR LANDSCAPE.
AND THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENT, UH, MILESTONES AND IMPLEMENTATION.
WE ALREADY HAD ACHIEVED ONE, UH, UP AT THE TOP THERE.
UM, BUT THEY'LL BE GO, MANY OF THEM WILL BE GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE NEXT SPRING.
AND THEN, UH, THE LAST ONES WILL BE A PLUMBING CODE UPDATE IN THAT WILL TAKE EFFECT IN JANUARY OF 2025.
SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE MOVING ALONG WITH THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION.
AND THAT'S THE END OF MY SLIDES, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
[Items 3 & 4 (Part 1 of 3) ]
DOING IPR.WE HAVE SARAH EATON JOINING US TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON IPR.
I'M HOPING SHE BROUGHT WATER SAMPLES.
UM, I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING ON OUR INDIRECT PORTABLE REUSE PLANNING.
UM, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH IPR WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED, JUST AS SORT OF A REMINDER, THE OVERALL PROJECT CONFIGURATION, UM, THE IMPLEMENTA IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAYS, ALONG WITH THE DRAWDOWN
[00:30:01]
TIME ESTIMATES.SO THOSE ARE PRETTY INTERRELATED.
AND, UM, A TIMELINE OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR AND THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO.
SO THIS HIGHLIGHT WAS A REMINDER ON THE CURRENT STORAGE TO UPDATE THAT, AND WE ARE, AS OF NOW, AT 840,248 ACRE FEET OF COMBINED STORAGE BETWEEN TRAVIS AND BUCHANAN.
SO, DROPPED A LITTLE BIT SINCE WHEN WE PUT THE SLIDE TOGETHER.
UM, THIS IS A REMINDER OF THE CONTEXT IN WHICH IPR WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
IT'S AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY THAT WOULD ONLY COME ONLINE IN A DROUGHT SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE THAN THE WORST WE'VE EXPERIENCED.
UH, THE LOWEST WE'VE EVER HAD.
THE LAKES IS 639,000 ACRE FEET, I THINK.
AND MARISA, DID YOU WANNA I SAID ABOUT RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, AND YOU CAN SORT OF SEE THIS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF OUR CURRENT DCP STAGES.
WE'LL HAVE TO UPDATE THE SLIDE ONCE WE GET THOSE NEW DCPS IN PLACE.
UM, BUT THIS IS A STRATEGY THAT WOULD BE IN PLACE FOR AS SHORT A TIME AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO MAKE UP, UM, WATER SO THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT WATER IN THE SYSTEM.
THE STRATEGY CAME OUT OF THE WATER FOUR 18 PLAN AND WITHIN THE WATER FOUR 18 PLAN.
UM, IT WAS BASED ON WATER AVAILABILITY MODELING TO BE IN PLACE BY 2040.
AND THERE WERE NOT ANY MODELED EVENTS PRIOR TO 2040 THAT WOULD'VE, UM, THAT WOULD'VE HAD IPR COMING ONLINE.
THAT BEING SAID, WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF UNPRECEDENTED YEARS COMING AFTER OTHER UNPRECEDENTED YEARS, SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAYS DISCUSSION.
UM, SO WE KIND OF HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAYS, AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SORT OF PLANNING THAT WE'RE DOING FOR IPR AND WAYS THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING SOME OF THE KEY QUESTIONS.
SO, MORE SPECIFICALLY WITH OUR NOVEMBER, UH, COMBINED STORAGE OUTLOOK, WE CAN SEE WHERE THE IPR IMPLEMENTATION LIES ON, UH, THE SIX MONTH PROJECTIONS FROM LCRA.
UM, THIS SHOWS THAT WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, WE WOULDN'T GET ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE 400,000 ACRE FEET, BUT IT ALSO SHOWS THAT THERE'S A GOOD POTENTIAL THAT WE WOULD STAY AT THESE LOW LEVELS OF STORAGE, WHICH, UM, WE KIND OF ARE LOOKING AT A SEASONAL IMPLEMENT, YOU KNOW, COMPONENT TO OUR TRIGGERING DISCUSSIONS IN TERMS OF AN EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION.
BUT IF WE DO ENTER NEXT SUMMER AT THIS LIKE 700 TO 800,000 ACRE FOOT OF STORAGE AREA, WE HAVE CERTAINLY PLENTY OF CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
SO JUST A QUICK REFRESHER ON THE PROJECT LAYOUT.
THE CONCEPT IS THAT WATER, HIGHLY TREATED WATER WOULD BE CONVEYED THROUGH OUR, UM, RECLAIM SYSTEM FROM ONE OF OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS UP TO THE EAST END OF LADY BIRD.
LAKE WATER WOULD THEN BE A NEW INTAKE WOULD BE BUILT FOR ULRICH WATER TREATMENT PLANT, WHICH CURRENTLY DRAWS OFF OF LAKE AUSTIN SO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPLY, UM, THAT FROM, FROM LADYBIRD LAKE.
SO WE'D HAVE A NEW, A NEW SOURCE FOR THE ULRICH WATER TREATMENT PLANT, WHICH WOULD BE PULLING, UM, THE, THE NATIVE WATER OF LADYBIRD LAKE AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY SOME OF THE BARTON SPRINGS FLOWS BASED ON THE HYDRAULIC MODELING THAT WE'VE DONE THUS FAR.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE WOULD BE VERY MUCH OF THE EFFLUENT ACTUALLY MAKING IT UP TO THE INTAKE, BUT THAT OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WERE NO FLOWS COMING THROUGH, THAT COULD BE SLIGHTLY ADJUSTED.
AND SO WE'RE REVISITING THAT MODEL WITH A CONSULTANT RIGHT NOW TO UNDERSTAND WITH UPDATED WATER QUALITY AND SORT OF FLOW CONDITIONS INFORMATION, UM, HOW WE MIGHT BETTER SET SOME SCENARIOS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT BOTH THE, THE DYNAMICS AND THE WATER QUALITY IMPACTS COULD BE OF HAVING IPR ONLINE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT RIGHT NOW THERE ARE TWO POTENTIAL SOURCES OF EFFLUENT, AND PART OF THIS COMES FROM THE DESIRE TO EVENTUALLY HAVE AN INTEGRATED, UH, CENTRALIZED RECLAIMED SYSTEM, WHICH IS FEEDING FROM BOTH WALNUT CREEK, UM, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, AND IT'S ALSO A PART OF OUR PROCESS RIGHT NOW TO UNDERSTAND AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST ALTERNATIVE AND REVIEWING THE WATER QUALITY AND THE CONSTITUENTS COMING FROM EACH OF THOSE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS TO
[00:35:01]
SEE, UM, WHICH WOULD BE BOTH IN AN EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION SCENARIO AND UNDER, UM, THE THE LONGER TERM IMPLEMENTATION SCENARIO, WHICH ONE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, EXPEDIENT AND EFFECTIVE AND SAFE.SO AS I'VE ALLUDED TO, WE SORT OF HAVE SOME PARALLEL PATHWAYS RIGHT NOW, THE 2040, WHICH HAS AN ASTERISK IN LATER SLIDES BECAUSE IT'S 2040 OR AS SOON AS WE CAN GET IT DONE THROUGH THE TRADITIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS.
UM, AND THE EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY.
UM, THE 2040 IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY IS LOOKING RIGHT NOW WITH THE CHARACTERIZATION OF IPR OPTIONS THROUGH THE WATER FORWARD PROCESS AND EVALUATING SOME OF THOSE TRADE-OFFS, LOOKING AT THE COSTS AND THE YIELDS, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THROUGH THAT WATER QUALITY MODELING PROCESS AND COMPARING THIS AGAINST OTHER POTENTIAL EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLIES.
IF WE START TO GET TO, UM, TO A POINT WHERE SOME OTHER, SOME OTHER STRATEGIES MIGHT LOOK COMPETITIVE AS COMPARED WITH IPR FOR A STRATEGY, THE EMERGENCY IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY IS LOOKING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
OF COURSE, THE MORE THAT'S ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE 2040 IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY, THE EASIER THE EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY GETS.
BUT AS WE'RE SORT OF APPROACHING THIS PERIOD WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY BE TRIGGERING MORE ACCELERATED CONSTRUCTION, IF THIS DROUGHT CONTINUES, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF COORDINATION ACROSS THE UTILITY AND ACROSS THE CITY.
WE HAVE PLANNED, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKSHOPS BECAUSE THE IDEA THERE IS THAT WE'RE REALLY GONNA HAVE TO PULL FOLKS FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO MOBILIZE AND IDENTIFY THE BEST PATH FORWARD AND GET THAT, UM, GET THAT PROJECT IN PLACE SO THAT WE HAVE A RESILIENT WATER SUPPLY.
SO ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT APPLIES TO BOTH THE EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION AND THE 2040 IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY IS, UH, THE REGULATORY, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES AND REQUIREMENTS.
UM, LADYBIRD LAKE HAS BEEN LISTED AS IMPAIRED FOR ALGAE.
SO THE, THE EFFLUENT, UM, OR THE REQUIREMENT, THE DISCHARGE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE WOULD BE ANTICIPATING OF DISCHARGING INTO LADYBIRD LAKE ARE A LOT MORE STRINGENT WHEN WE ARE FIR THEN WHEN WE WERE FIRST LOOKING AT THIS STRATEGY.
UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE EXPLORING TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, BE COMPLIANT AND NOT HAVE NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS WHILE STILL BALANCING THAT WITH THE NEED FOR AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY.
UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THIS MODELING WITH, UM, OUR CONSULTANT AND LOOKING THEN USING THE MODELING TO INFORM WHAT SORT OF ADDITIONAL WATER TREATMENT MAY BE REQUIRED AND WHAT'S THE BEST CONFIGURATION AND SET UP, UM, REVIEWING BOTH WALNUT CREEK AND SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL AS POTENTIAL SOURCES GIVEN THAT INFORMATION.
SO THIS IS REQUIRING SOME COORDINATION WITH OUR CONSULTANT WITH VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, PARTS OF OUR AUSTIN WATER STAFF AND TCQ TO LOOK AT, UH, WHAT SORT OF, IT'S, IT'S, WE HAVE THE ALGAE, UM, IMPAIRMENT IS A RELATIVELY NEW IMPAIRMENT.
SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT TCEQ IS SUPER USED TO WORKING THROUGH A DISCHARGE PERMIT INTO AN ALGAE IMPAIRED WATER BODY.
SO, UH, THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER SCRUTINY THAN NORMAL.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT, IT'S AN UNUSUAL KIND OF PROJECT TO ONLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE ONLINE FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME.
SO THERE'S PERMITTING COMPLEXITIES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND AS AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY, WE'RE HOPING THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME SORT OF UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR, OUR IMPACTS WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM AN OUTFALL THAT WOULD BE CONTINUOUSLY DISCHARGING.
SO LOOKING THROUGH A LOT OF THOSE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE, UM, VOLUME ISSUE? I MEAN, DO YOU NEED A BEN BANKS PERMIT FROM TCQ TO THEN USE THIS WATER TO DEFER USING RESERVOIR WATER? SO WE ALREADY HAVE THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW WATER FROM LADYBIRD LAKE, AND I THINK UNLESS WE HAD SOME REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE WATER THAT WE WERE DISCHARGING TO LADY BIRD LAKE MIGHT BE USED BY SOMEONE ELSE, I DON'T THINK WE NECESSARILY NEED A BED AND BANKS PERMIT BECAUSE WHAT WE WOULD NEED IS THE PERMIT FOR THE DISCHARGE.
THAT'S THE ONE KIND OF BIG PERMITTING PIECE THAT ISN'T THERE.
UM, BUT BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THE ABILITY TO WITHDRAW, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT CURRENTLY DOING IT, HAD THE ABILITY TO DRAW WITHDRAW FROM LADYBIRD LAKE.
I THINK WE TALKED THROUGH WHETHER THAT'S NECESSARY AND THAT'S CERTAINLY AN ONGOING CONSIDERATION
[00:40:01]
IF ANYTHING ELSE COMES UP.BUT I THINK THE WAY THAT WE'VE SORT OF LOOKED AT IT THUS FAR, OUR EXPECTATION WOULD BE THAT WE WOULDN'T NEED A VEN BANKS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE A, I HAVE A MORE RUDIMENTARY QUESTION.
UM, WHERE WOULD THE DISCHARGE FROM THESE TREATMENT FACILITIES NORMALLY GO INTO THE COLORADO RIVER BELOW LONGHORN DAM? SO HOW DOES PUMPING IT BACK INTO LADY BIRD LAKE HELP US? BECAUSE WE CAN WITHDRAW WATER FROM LADY BIRD LAKE TO USE THAT AS A WATER SUPPLY.
SO WE'RE GONNA PUT WATER IN AND, BUT WE'RE STILL WITHDRAWING UPSTREAM.
SO WHEN YOU'RE SAYING THAT, UM, WE HAVE A, UM, WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE WATER FROM LADY PER LAKE, IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE, OUR PERMIT, UM, FOR THE DECOMMISSIONED GREEN WATER PLANT? I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THE ORIGIN OF THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S CORRECT AS WELL.
AND WE ALSO HAVE RICHARD HERE WHO COULD HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT COULD ANSWER THAT BEST SITTING AT THIS TABLE.
WE USED TO USE, UM, UH, THE GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLANT TO WITHDRAW FROM LADY BIRD LAKE, AND WE STILL HAVE THAT, THAT RIGHT.
TO WITHDRAW WATER FROM LADY BIRD LAKE FROM, SO THAT WAS THE 42 MGD MAX, UM, PLANT.
SO IS, DO YOU STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW 42 MGD? RIGHT.
BUT I, I THINK THE PERMIT IS WRITTEN IN SUCH A WAY THAT THERE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LIMITATION OF THAT AMOUNT, UH, FOR WITHDRAWALS OUT OF LADY BIRD LAKE.
UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A LARGER AMOUNT THAT WE POTENTIALLY COULD, BUT THAT'S HOW MUCH THE, THE PLAN AT THAT TIME WAS DOING.
RICHARD, YOU, UM, DO YOU RECOLLECT HOW MUCH, IS THERE A LIMITATION FOR THAT? YEAH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CORRECT.
THE, THE WATER RIGHT ITSELF IS NOT LIMITED ON WITHDRAWAL RATE AND THE IPR, UM, WOULD BE A 20 MGD PROJECT AS IT'S CURRENTLY CONCEIVED OF.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, YEAH.
WHEN YOU, YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT ALGAE, ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT CYTOTOXIN OF COURSE.
OR WHAT ARE YOU SPECIFICALLY WORRIED ABOUT? AND I MEAN, THE REUSE, UH, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THAT LADY BIRD LAKE THAT WHAT'S, WHAT'S COMING INTO OR WOULD BE COMING OUT, UH, FROM DECKER LAKE TO LADY BIRD LAKE WILL HAVE, UH, EXISTING ALGAE OR CYTOTOXIN.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT? I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE OF COMPONENTS THERE.
AND TO CLARIFY, IT WOULDN'T BE COMING FROM YEAH.
IT WOULD JUST BE, UM, PUMPED FROM THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT THROUGH ADVANCED TREATMENT TO, UM, LADYBIRD LAKE AND THEN FROM LADYBIRD LAKE TO ULRICH, UH, WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
BUT I THINK THERE ARE CONCERNS AT BOTH ENDS.
ONE OF THEM IS NOT, YOU KNOW, IF AS AN IMPAIRED WATERWAY, WHICH IS A TCQ OR AN NEPA CLEAN WATERS DESIGNATION, WE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO GET A PERMIT IF OUR DISCHARGE WERE TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT THAT, UM, IMPAIRMENT.
SO IN THIS CASE, THE ALGAE THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED ON LADY BIRD LAKE, IF OUR DISCHARGE WERE TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT THAT SITUATION, WE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE ALLOWED TO DISCHARGE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, NUMEROUS OTHER, THE PUBLIC HEALTH CONSIDERATION THAT LADY BIRD LAKE IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, HAS A, A LOT OF RECREATION AND WE'VE HAD THE DOGS, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE CYTOTOXIN POISONING AND WHATNOT.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, FROM THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT PERSPECTIVE, CONCERNS ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE WATER THAT WOULD BE COMING INTO OUR DRINKING WATER SYSTEM.
UM, IF, AND THIS IS OF COURSE LOOKING AT WATER QUALITY IN A WATER BODY UNDER CONDITIONS THAT WE'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
SO UNDERSTANDING AND PLANNING FOR AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF TREATMENT SUCH THAT THIS PROJECT WOULDN'T NEGATIVELY, NEGATIVELY IMPACT, YOU KNOW, HEALTH AND SAFETY IS REALLY CRITICAL.
SO UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE A CURRENT, YOU KNOW, ANO TOIN RESPONSE PLAN FOR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THIS CERTAINLY IS REQUIRING, YOU KNOW, THAT WE, WE REVISIT
[00:45:01]
THAT LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT SOURCE OF WATER AND WHAT KIND OF ISSUES MIGHT ARISE IN A, A DROUGHT SO MUCH WORSE THAN WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED.SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S, THERE COULD BE A LOT OF RED FLAGS.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE'LL BE EVALUATING AS PART OF BOTH THE WATER QUALITY MODELING AND IN THE LEAD UP AS PART OF THE PERMITTING DISCUSSIONS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS STRATEGY WOULD BE USED DURING VERY SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
AND SO WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT INFLOWS INTO LADY BIRD LAKE WOULD LOOK LIKE WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF, UM, HIGHLY TREATED RECLAIMED WATER.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, UM, THAT COULD MEAN IN THE SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL WATER, UH, WATER, UH, LADY BIRD LAKE COULD, WOULD LIKELY BE VERY STAGNANT.
THE WATER WOULD LIKELY ALSO BE WARMER.
AND SO THAT CAN BE A CONDITION THAT EXACERBATES THE, THE PROLIFERATION OF ALGAE.
UM, AND POTENTIALLY, UH, HAVE THOSE CYTOTOXIN KIND OF IMPACTS IF WE ARE ADDING WATER.
THAT IS SOME, THIS WOULD BE KIND OF AN UNKNOWN SITUATION.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME OF THOSE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH WATERSHED TO SAVE.
COULD THIS ACTUALLY BE, UM, HELPING IN, UH, ONE KIND OF SENSE BY ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL VOLUME MIXING AND MOVEMENT WITHIN THAT WATER BODY.
BUT AGAIN, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO FURTHER, UM, MODELING STUDY, UM, AND OF COURSE BE TALKING TO TCEQ TO EVALUATE.
I THINK MADELINE HAS HER HAND UP AS WELL.
ASK A QUESTION MADELINE, VANESSA.
AND THEN WE SHOULD PROBABLY KEEP GOING 'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE GONNA CRUNCH SOME OTHER AGENDA ITEMS. I THINK VANESSA HAD HER HAND UP FIRST IF SHE'D LIKE TO GO.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN I DEFINITELY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE STRATEGY.
I UNDERSTAND Y'ALL ARE STILL, UH, UH, EXPLORING IT AND THERE'S A LOT MORE TO BE STUDIED, BUT I KNOW THE CITY OF BOSTON HAS ALSO, UH, PROTESTED EFFORTS TO DISCHARGE TREATED EFFLUENT AND TO RIVERS IN THE HILL COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE ON, UM, ON THE LAKE AND OR THE, YOU KNOW, LADY BIRD LAKE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A LOT TO CONSIDER AND IT MAKES ME WONDER WHY WE, BEFORE WE EXPLORE IPR AS AN ALTERNATIVE DURING AN EMERGENCY, WHY AREN'T WE FIRST LOOKING AT DIRECT CODEABLE REUSE, WHICH, UM, PERHAPS IS MORE EXPENSIVE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT WOULD AVOID ALL OF THESE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT I THINK ARE GOING TO BE REAL WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT.
AND I THINK ESPECIALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF THIS WATER QUALITY MODELING, WE'LL BE IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT EXTENT OF TREATMENT WOULD BE REQUIRED SUCH THAT IPR WOULDN'T HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE WATER, YOU KNOW, ON THE WATER BODY.
AND THEN WE CAN COMPARE THE COST OF THOSE.
AND THE FEASIBILITY OF IPR VERSUS DPR.
THERE'S CERTAINLY, I MEAN, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT, UM, BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS ON BOTH OF THEM.
I THINK FOR ONE, THE TREATMENT THAT'S TYPICALLY USED FOR DPR IS REVERSE OSMOSIS, WHICH DOESN'T DO WELL AT SCALING UP AND DOWN.
YOU CAN'T REALLY TURN IT OFF FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
SO AS THIS IS CONCEIVED AS AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY, YOU WOULD REALLY HAVE TO KIND OF RETHINK THE ROLE OF THIS PROJECT WITHIN THE OVERALL WATER FORWARD STRATEGY.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE ARE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE AND CONCERN.
UM, BUT THEN AGAIN INTRODUCING A A, A NATURAL BUFFER, I'M SORRY, A NATURAL BUFFER LIKE A WATER BODY, UM, INTRODUCING A NATURAL BUFFER LIKE LADY BIRD LAKE INTRODUCES THE CYTOTOXIN CONCERNS AND SOME OTHERS.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF TRADE-OFFS THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING AT THIS POINT.
AND I THINK WE ARE RIGHT NOW, HOPEFULLY GETTING SUFFICIENT INFORMATION THAT WE CAN STEP BACK AND GIVE A REALLY, YOU KNOW, THOROUGH EVALUATION OF WHICH OF THESE STRATEGIES IS GONNA BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AT MEETING OUR NEEDS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DO HAVE AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY.
IT'S NOBODY'S FAVORITE STRATEGY
NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO EVER HAVE TO TURN IT ON, BUT WE CERTAINLY WILL WANNA HAVE IT THERE.
IF WE GET INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE HAVE, WE'RE APPROACHING 400,000 ACRE FEET OF WATER, AS MARISA NOTED, THAT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY ENVIRONMENTALLY DIRE PRIOR TO EVEN IPR PLAYING A PART IN THE OVERALL SYSTEM.
AND JUST TO MENTION VERY QUICKLY, AND WE, I KNOW WE HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS, SO I WANNA GET THOSE QUICKLY THROUGH, UM, QUICKLY TOO.
[00:50:01]
IPR WAS INCLUDED AS A RECOMMENDED STRATEGY WITHIN THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, UM, RECOMMENDED BY THE TASK FORCE AND, AND APPROVED BY COUNCIL DIRECT POTABLE REUSE, UM, FELL OUT AS A STRATEGY FROM THE 2018 PLAN.SO THAT DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH THE SCREENING OR EVALUATION PROCESSES AND, UM, WAS NOT INCLUDED AS RECOMMENDED, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE BEEN MOVING FORWARD IN ALIGNMENT WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO EVALUATE IPR AS A NEAR TERM EMERGENCY SUPPLY STRATEGY.
BUT OF COURSE, IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CERTAINLY RECONSIDER AS WE'RE PLANNING FOR POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION AND UPDATING OUR WATER FORWARD PLAN.
UH, MADELINE AND THEN BILL, UM, ARE YOU GUYS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EVAPORATION LOSS THAT THE WATER WOULD HAVE WHEN GOING, UM, TO THE IPR VERSUS THE DPR? 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE DURING A SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITION AND PROBABLY THE HEAT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE WATER LOSS OVERALL RATHER THAN, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
UM, YEAH, I THINK, I MEAN THERE ARE WATER LOSSES JUST ASSOCIATED WITH THE TREATMENT OF DPR, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING.
SORRY, BILL, I'M NOT GONNA ASK A QUESTION.
UM, I MEAN, DO YOU STILL HAVE A QUESTION? I'LL, OH, SORRY.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS.
AND I HAVE A COUPLE MORE SLIDES, MAYBE I'LL ANSWER IT.
CAN WE MOVE ON? YEAH, THERE WE GO.
SO AS WE, I MEAN WE SORT OF TOUCHED ON THIS, I CAN BREEZE THROUGH THESE HOPEFULLY, BUT LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO, UM, TALK ABOUT IN ANY MORE DETAIL.
THE, THE 2040 IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY IS USING IS PLANNING TO USE OUR, YOU KNOW, TYPICAL, UH, CIP PLANNING PROCESS.
AND, UM, AND THIS WOULD BE PRIOR TO 2040.
THAT'S THE, THE ASTERISK THERE IS UNDER OUR SORT OF NORMAL PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURES.
HOW, HOW QUICKLY DO WE THINK WE CAN GET THIS REASONABLY IN PLACE, UM, BEFORE 2040.
AND SO THAT'S LOOKING, UH, AT THE OUTCOMES OF THAT REGULATORY DISCUSSION, COORDINATING WITH OUR CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM AND OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN MAKE ANY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING MULTI BENEFICIAL, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN A STRATEGY LIKE THIS THAT IDEALLY WILL NOT BE USED VERY OFTEN.
SO HOPING THAT'S JUST NOT STRANDED INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, UM, TRYING TO COORDINATE AND BE REALLY STRATEGIC WITH THOSE OTHER GROUPS WITHIN THE UTILITY.
UM, WE'VE GOT PLANNING LEVEL COST ESTIMATES AND THAT WE'RE REVISITING WITH THE HELP OF THE CONSULTANT IN OUR WATER FORWARD UPDATE.
AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH HOW TO ACCELERATE THE, THOSE SORT OF RELATED PROJECTS THAT ARE MAYBE ALSO BENEFITING THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM AND MOVE THOSE UP A LITTLE BIT SOONER WITHIN OUR CIP PROCESS SO THAT WE COULD BE READY PRIOR TO 2040.
SO THE OTHER SIDE OF COIN AND THE OTHER PATHWAY THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH IS THIS EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY.
UM, THIS IS CONTINGENCY PLANNING AT THIS POINT.
WE'VE BEEN EVALUATING ALL OF THESE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED THERE ON THE, ON THE LIST ON THE LEFT AND, AND TRYING TO FIT THEM WITHIN THESE SORT OF EMERGENCY PHASES, WHICH WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, DOING THE LOW HANGING FRUIT TYPE OF PRE-PLANNING, ONGOING, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE COORDINATION ACROSS THE GROUPS AND MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS ARE AWARE OF THE STRATEGY AND ARE THINKING ABOUT IT.
UM, AND THEN HINGING THESE ADDITIONAL PHASES OFF OF THE COMBINED STORAGE AND THE COMBINED STORAGE OUTLOOK AND MAYBE SOME OF THAT INFLOW INFORMATION AND ENZO CONDITIONS AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN USE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, WE HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO GET A STRATEGY ON THE GROUND AS WE APPROACH THOSE REALLY LOW STORAGE VOLUMES.
UM, BUT ALSO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS AS WELL AS WE CAN SO THAT WE AREN'T, YOU KNOW, AREN'T STARTING THROUGH AN EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION, UM, WHEN WE COULD, WHEN MAYBE LIKE THOSE EXTRA COST AND THE, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE AVOIDED IF WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA BE IN A BETTER STORAGE CONDITION THAN PREDICTED.
[00:55:01]
THAT IS, UM, A BEAUTIFUL GRAPH LIKE THIS.I GET TO HAND IT OVER TO DR. RICHARD HAUER AGAIN, BUT WE WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT EMERGENCY PLANNING STRUCTURE WHERE WE'RE HINGING THE, THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES OFF OF COMBINED STORAGE LEVELS.
AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'RE ASSOCIATING WITH EACH OF THOSE PHASES IS NOT JUST BASED ON HOW MUCH TIME WE THINK WE NEED, BUT THIS IS COMING FROM, UH, DRAWDOWN MODELING THAT RICHARD HAS PERFORMED BY BY SORT OF LOOKING AT, UM, ADDITIONAL HYDROLOGY, HISTORICAL HYDROLOGY INFORMATION, UM, WHICH I WILL LET HIM EXPLAIN.
UM, SO THIS, THIS GRAPH, UM, THINK BACK TO THOSE OTHER OTHER TWO GRAPHS.
WE'D SEEN THE LCRA STORAGE PROJECTION GRAPHS.
THEY HAVE SOME NICE SMOOTH LINES LIKE 90TH PERCENTILE, MEDIAN.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS LONGER TERM.
SO IT'S NOT SIX MONTHS, THIS IS GOING OUT SEVERAL YEARS.
AND THIS IS ALL THE RAW TRACES.
SO THIS ISN'T DISTILLED DOWN INTO A FEW STATISTICAL LINES.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE, YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE'S A BLACK LINE THAT'S THE ACTUAL STORAGE OF TRAVIS AND BUCHANAN UP UNTIL, UH, DECEMBER.
SO IT'S PROJECTED FOR TOMORROW.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, A WHAM, A WATER AVAILABILITY MODEL IS RUN AND IT'S GOT THE CURRENT DEMANDS FOR ALL THE BASIN CUSTOMERS IN, IN THE MODEL AND THE HYDROLOGIC SEQUENCES ARE TAKEN FROM THE HISTORICAL RECORDS.
SO EVERY LINE THERE IS MARKED WITH A YEAR, AND THAT'S THE STARTING YEAR OF THE SIMULATION.
SO LIKE 1940, THAT STARTS OUT DECEMBER STARTS OUT WITH 1940, AND THEN THE NEXT MONTH IS 1941, AND THEN YOU GO FORWARD INTO 42 43.
SO THE, THE EXERCISE HERE IS TO LOOK AT THE SORT OF THE WORST OUTCOMES THAT THAT BOTTOM RUNG OF SIMULATIONS AND SEE WHAT THE TIMING IS, UH, AS IT APPROACHES, UH, LEVELS THAT MIGHT TRIGGER IPR, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT IT'S SHOWN HERE.
THE, THE SIMULATIONS THAT REACH THE LOWEST LEVELS AND WHAT'S BEING SHOWN.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE ACTUAL STORAGE UP UNTIL TOMORROW, DECEMBER 30, UH, DECEMBER 1ST, 2023.
AND THEN LET'S PICK ONE THE LINES LIKE THE LOWEST ONE THERE.
IT'S, UH, MAGENTA COLORED LABELED 2010.
SO IT, WHAT'S BEING SIMULATED THERE IS IF 2024 WERE LIKE 2011 AND THAT WOULD CUT OUR RESERVOIR STORAGE IN THIS SIMULATION FROM LIKE THE CURRENT LEVELS AROUND 840,000 DOWN TO 450 BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO THAT, THAT SORT OF WORST CASE SCENARIO SCENARIO FROM THE HISTORICAL RECORD WOULD BRING US INTO IPR RANGE SORT OF BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
HOWEVER, MORE, IF YOU GO OUT ACROSS TIME, MORE OF THE SIMULATIONS THEN START TO GET DOWN TO LOWER LEVELS.
SO IT KIND OF WORST CASE SCENARIO OUT TO, UH, SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT TAKE SEVERAL YEARS TO DEVELOP.
AND AGAIN, THESE, THESE WOULD BE DROUGHTS WORSE THAN THE 2010S DROUGHT.
SO WE'RE ALREADY IN A DROUGHT STATE AND THIS IS ADDING ON MORE DROUGHT TO THAT.
SO ON MAYBE ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, UH, OR LESS STRESSFUL NOTE, UM, I LOOK BACK IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, PICKED OUT ALL THE TRACES WHERE WE TRANSITIONED OUT OF SORT OF LA NINA OR NEUTRAL AND TRANSITIONED INTO EL NINO AND SAW, UH, OR PLOTTED UP WHAT THOSE TRACES LOOK LIKE.
AND SO WHAT WE CAN SEE THERE IS SORT OF A TYPICAL EL NINO SCENARIO IS THAT WE WOULD GET SOME RELIEF SOMETIME IN THE WINTER OR IN THE SPRING, UH, THOSE DOTTED LINES ON THE STORAGE TRACES, THOSE ARE ONES WHERE EL NINO PRODUCED A LOT OF INFLOW IN THE SPRING, UH, LATE WINTER, EARLY SPRING.
AND THE REST OF THEM SORT OF, UH, GAINED INFLOW DURING THE WINTER AND THAT WOULD TAKE US OUT OF THE, THE IPR RANGE IN THE NEAR TERM.
SO RICHARD, YES, THESE ARE REALLY COOL AND INTERESTING, UH, GRAPHS.
SO THIS EL NINO TRANSITIONS ONE.
UM, AND ALSO MAN, THAT 91 CHRISTMAS FLOOD REALLY JUST, YEAH, THERE'S THE CHRISTMAS FLOOD REALLY JUST, IT'S RIGHT THERE ON ALL OF THEM.
UM, BUT THIS IS JUST TAKING SAY THE 91 HYDROLOGY AND RUNNING IT OUT, WHAT IS THIS, FIVE YEARS TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON EACH OF THESE.
[01:00:01]
WELL LET'S HOPE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IN ONE OF THESE NICE MIDDLE ONES WITHOUT FLOODING, BUT WITH FULL LAKES.THE, UM, THE IPR STRATEGY THEN YOU'RE SAYING WOULD BE POTENTIALLY IMPLEMENTED DURING SOME OF THESE WORST CASE SCENARIOS BASED ON, UM, YOU KNOW, STORAGE AND THE RESERVOIRS, BUT HOW, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, DEVELOPING THIS AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY FACILITY WHICH WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPLY.
SO IS IT, DO WE OR IS IT CORRECT TO THINK ABOUT USING IPR BASED ON UM, SORT OF THE CONDITION OF THE
UM, OR ARE WE STILL TOO FAR OFF FROM DEVELOPING THAT TO REALLY HAVE IT, UH, BE SOMETHING WE CAN, UH, FIRMLY DEPEND ON? YEAH, I THINK, UH, A SR IS TARGETED TO BE ONLINE AND HAVE 60,000 ACRE FEET OF WATER STORED BY 2040.
SO IPR IS REALLY OUR KEY DROUGHT EMERGENCY SUPPLY STRATEGY.
IF AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND ONCE A SR IS ONLINE, THEN OF COURSE WE WOULD RE-LOOK AT THE TRIGGERS AND THRESHOLDS THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY, UM, TRIGGER US TO USE IPR.
ALTHOUGH CURRENTLY IN THE 2018 PLAN, IPR IS INTENDED TO BE, YOU KNOW, READY FOR IMPLEMENTATION, READY FOR USE BY 2040 UNLESS THAT CHANGES AS A PART OF THIS 2024 UPDATE.
DOES THAT HELP ANSWER THE QUESTION? AND I THINK WE'VE ALSO BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT AS THOUGH A SR WOULD COME ON MUCH EARLIER.
A SR IS NOT ONLY TO BE USED IN THESE DEEP EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, BUT THAT A SR STORAGE MAY NOT LAST US THROUGH THE FULL DURATION.
SO THE ABILITY TO LAYER FIRST A SR WITH LATER IPR IS HOW WE'D THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE FURTHER OUT, UM, EXTREME DROUGHTS WHEN WE HAVE BOTH OF THOSE STRATEGIES AVAILABLE TO US.
IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES QUICKLY AND MAYBE WE CAN CHECK BACK FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SO AS WE'VE NOTED, UM, THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF KEY QUESTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH IPR IMPLEMENTATION IN EITHER THE EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION OR THE MORE THE 2040 IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY.
UM, PART OF THAT IS UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE DISCHARGE LIMITS ARE AND WHAT KIND OF TREATMENT WOULD BE REQUIRED.
UM, ANY ADDITIONAL OUTFALL FROM OUR WASTEWATER SYSTEM AND OUR RECLAIM SYSTEM WOULD REQUIRE A MAJOR AMENDMENT.
SO WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT PERMITTING PROCESS WITH TCUQ AND OUR REGULATORY TEAM WITHIN AUSTIN WATER.
UM, LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL FOR WATER QUALITY IMPACTS AT ELRICH AND BEING PREPARED TO HANDLE WHATEVER THE WATER QUALITY OF LADYBIRD LAKE, UM, AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS, WHAT'S INTENDED TO BE A MULTI BENEFICIAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE, THE DUAL USE OF THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM TO DELIVER RECLAIMED WATER AS WELL AS IPR WATER SUCH THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY MULTI BENEFICIAL AND WE AREN'T HINDERING THE RECLAIMED SYSTEM DURING THEIR NORMAL OPERATIONS.
SO SOME OF THE, THE TIMELINE OF THIS SORT OF PRE-PLANNING EFFORT, UM, THAT REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS AND TASK ARE ONGOING.
WE HAVE OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CONSULTANT UPDATING THE MODELING, WHICH IS KIND OF FALLING THROUGH MAYBE FALL AND WINTER OF 2023.
UM, AND USING THAT TO INFORM DISCHARGE PERMIT AMENDMENTS AND UM, AND TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS.
UH, THOSE, THE DISCHARGE PERMITS FOR BOTH OF THOSE, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS ARE DUE FOR RENEWAL NEXT SUMMER AND EARLY FALL.
UM, WE HAVE OUR PROJECT UPDATE WITH THE CONSULTANT, WHICH IS REVIEWING NOT ONLY THE WATER QUALITY MODELING, BUT SOME OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE DIFFERENT TREATMENT PATHWAYS AND THE, THE PIPELINES AND THE OTHER APP APPEARANCES THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE THIS ONGOING DROUGHT RESPONSE PRE-PLANNING.
WE HAVE, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN A BUNCH OF MEETINGS ACROSS THE CITY TO,
[01:05:01]
UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH WATERSHED AND WITH OTHER FOLKS WITHIN THE UTILITY TO SORT OF UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR BEST APPROACH IS TO GET A REALLY, UM, SHOULD WE NEED TO, A REALLY FAST IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS STRATEGY, UM, IN A WAY THAT IS AS THOUGHTFUL AS POSSIBLE.UM, AND ONGOING PLANNING, COMMUNICATION, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY TO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND UM, GET FOLKS ON BOARD WITH HAVING THIS AS OUR EMERGENCY STRATEGY.
I THINK THAT'S MY LAST SLIDE UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOLKS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THAT WAS, UM, A, A REALLY GOOD DOWNLOAD ON WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THAT.
MM-HMM,
HAS BILL'S GOT QUESTIONS? OH, BILL.
SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE YOUR HAND RAISED.
DO YOU LIKE ME TO PRESS THIS YELLOW HAND OR WOULD YOU PREFER DID I DO A DIFFERENT WAY? NO, I JUST SOMEHOW JUST DIDN'T SEE IT.
I'M NOT PAYING ATTENTION, I GUESS.
I SAW VANESSA DOING IT, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE MODERN WAY TO DO IT.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, UH, I'M COMING AWAY WITH FROM THESE PRESENTATIONS IS WE'RE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE.
I MEAN, WHAT KIND OF A PLAN IS THIS WHEN WE ARE PROJECTING POSSIBLY THAT THE LAKES GO BELOW 400,000 ACRE FEET BY JANUARY OF 2025, AND OUR LIFELINE AT THE FASTEST WE COULD POSSIBLY GO IS FOUR YEARS.
AND, UH, I, I HAVE BEEN IN THE CAMP FOR SOME TIME.
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER LAST NOVEMBER I SPOKE TO THIS GROUP ABOUT WHERE I THOUGHT THESE LAKES WERE GOING.
AND, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE GOT A GREAT SUGGESTION, BUT I, I WAS SAYING THAT THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE IS NOT ADEQUATE.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE CAN GET THE PERMITS FOR THIS INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE.
I WOULD BE AMAZED IF TCEQ GAVE YOU A PERMIT TO POUR MORE NUTRIENTS ON THAT ALGAE AND GET THE ALGAE KICKED UP.
AND THEN ARE THEY GONNA LET YOU INTRODUCE
IT'S JUST A LIME SOFTENING FACILITY.
I MEAN, I'VE, PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT, WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE, BUT, UH, CODE RED.
SHOULD I SEE? I CAN, I JUST, ONE THING THAT I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH A LOT AND I, YOUR CONCERNS ARE CERTAINLY NOT FALLING ON DEAF EARS.
BUT ONE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE INTRODUCING ALL OF THIS UNCERTAINTY AND THESE CLIMATE MODELING, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE CAN STRING A COUPLE OF THE WORST HYDROLOGY BACK TO BACK TO BACK IN A FIGURE, IT'S NOT ALWAYS, I MEAN, THERE'S THE, THE DURATION OF TIME THAT IT TAKES US TO IMPLEMENT THIS IS INFORMED BY THE TIME THAT IT TAKES TO DRAW DOWN THE LAKES UNDER SIMILAR CLIMATE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED HISTORICALLY.
AND WE'RE WELL AWARE THAT WE'RE IN, YOU KNOW, AS WE NOTED UNPRECEDENTED YEAR AFTER UNPRECEDENTED YEAR.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S DRIVING A LOT OF THE ACCELERATION AND THE CONCERN, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY WELL-FOUNDED.
BUT I THINK ALSO WE'RE TRYING TO SORT OF INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WE HAVE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THIS WATER AVAILABILITY, NOT EVERY, NOT EVERY TRACE THAT WE CAN CONCEIVE OF IS NECESSARILY THE TRACE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PLAN TO.
I DUNNO IF THAT'S, MARISA PROBABLY WANTS TO
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY, BILL, THAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE HEARD.
WE SHARE SIMILAR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS SITUATION AND ABOUT THE DROUGHT THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING AND THE POTENTIAL FOR CONTINUED DROUGHT.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HOPE THAT WE'LL SEE A FRUITFUL AND RAINY, UH, SEASON COMING OUT OF THE EL NINO.
BUT WE ARE PLANNING, UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT A CERTAINTY.
UM, WE DOING THIS EVALUATION OF IPR AS AN EMERGENCY STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THIS NEAR TERM SITUATION.
WE'VE BROUGHT ON A PLUMBER TO DO OUR WATER QUALITY MODELING.
WE'VE BEGUN THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH TCEQ.
WE'RE GENNING UP MANY DISCUSSIONS AND PLANNING EXERCISES WITHIN THE UTILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS STRATEGY TO ADDRESS OUR NEEDS IN A DIRE OR SEVERE DROUGHT EMERGENCY.
AND THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT SARAH IS BRINGING UP IN THIS PRESENTATION ARE ALL CONSIDERATIONS
[01:10:01]
THAT WE'RE HAVING TO BALANCE AS WE'RE MAKING A DECISION MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS STRATEGY OR WITH POTENTIALLY ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES TO MEET OUR WATER SUPPLY NEEDS THROUGH DROUGHT.SO I HEAR YOUR, I THINK WHAT I'M SAYING THOUGH IS I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PLAN THAT IS ADDRESSING THE REALITY.
I I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OF THIS IS ANY GOOD ANYMORE.
AND, UM, I THINK IT MAY BE TIME TO BACK UP THE TRUCK TRUCK AND THINK OF SOME DIFFERENT WAY.
AND, UH, I, UH, IT'S YOUR OWN
AND, UH, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO AGAIN AS A POTENTIAL OUTCOME IN A SIMULATION? NOT A CERTAINTY, BUT WE ARE TAKING THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND THE, WE ARE BEING VERY TRANSPARENT IN THE PLANNING THAT WE'RE DOING AND THAT THIS MAY LEAD US TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES FOR EMERGENCY DROUGHT SUPPLIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE JUST LITERALLY LOOKING AT THE LINE AND THE SIMULATION ON LAKE LEVELS AND, AND I PRESUME IT'S ON THE SLIDE THAT HAS LOWEST DRAWDOWNS AND IT'S THE MAGENTA LINE.
AND THAT IS A YEAR BEFORE THE NEW WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN WAS IN EFFECT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS IT WENT DOWN SO FAST.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I MIGHT BE MM-HMM.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S SOME EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES THERE.
THE CONDITIONS THAT WERE IN THE WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN L SERIES WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT ALLOWED THAT PRECIPITOUS DROUGHT THE FIRST YEAR OF THAT TRACE, UM, ARE NOT IN PLACE ANYMORE.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE USING HISTORY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS TRICKY MAGIC.
UH, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S WHAT WE HAVE AND, AND IT'S, AND IT HAS SERVED US WELL.
UM, THE, THE REALITY IS, IS THE LAKES ARE VERY LOW.
EL NINO IS NOT, UM, SHOWING UP IN THE WAY THAT WE WERE HOPING IT WOULD.
AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PLANNING FOR THAT, AND, AND WE ALL FEEL A SENSE OF URGENCY THAT IT MAY NOT HAPPEN FAST ENOUGH OR IT MAY NOT BE THE, YOU KNOW, AS BILL SAYS THE APPROPRIATE STRATEGY, BUT, UM, BUT IT, ANYWAY, THEY'RE FOLLOWING WHAT'S IN THE PLAN.
I THINK WE CAN, WE COULD TALK ABOUT IT MORE, BUT UM, AND I KNOW THAT, THAT RICHARD WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING TOO, BUT WE SHOULD PROBABLY KEEP MOVING TOO 'CAUSE WE HAVE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS AS WELL.
BUT I THINK MADELINE HAS HER HAND UP.
I JUST KEEP LOOKING RIGHT AT THE SCREEN.
I JUST DON'T EVEN SEE THE HANDS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK, UH, I KNOW WE'RE IN THE KIND OF PLANNING STAGES STILL, BUT AS FAR AS FUNDING IN A WORST CASE SCENARIO, DO WE HAVE IDEAS OF WHERE WE WOULD FIND FUNDING FOR BETTER FILTRATION IF WE DID HAVE TO GO AND KIND OF USE WATER THAT MIGHT BE COMPROMISED? OR IS THAT STILL IN THE PLANNING PHASE AS WELL? 'CAUSE WORST CASE SCENARIO BEING AS CLOSE AS IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE, MAYBE LOOKING AT FUNDING SOURCES FOR BETTER WATER FILTRATION IS AN IMPORTANT ASSET THAT WE SHOULD BE EVALUATING AS WELL.
WE ARE UPDATING COST AND UH, TREATMENT, REQUIRED TREATMENT FOR THIS STRATEGY AS A PART OF, UM, OUR WORK WITH PLUMBER.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS THE QUESTION OF FUNDING, WE WOULD BE FUNDING THIS OUT OF OUR, UH, CAPITAL BUDGET AND WE WOULD HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY IN AN EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION SCENARIO, TO, UM, BE ABLE TO MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS STRATEGY.
RICHARD, UM, JUST A FOLLOW UP POINT ON, ON THAT COMBINED STORAGE PROJECTION, UH, THERE'S CLOSE, YOU HAVE JUST ONE TRACE THAT COMES CLOSE TO THAT LEVEL.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, OF ALL THE POSSIBLE CONDITIONS WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, THIS WOULD JUST BE ONE OUT OF A VERY LARGE NUMBER THAT COULD HAPPEN.
THESE ARE JUST CONCEPTUAL IDEAS TO KIND OF LOOK AT A POSSIBLE RANGE OF THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN IF WE STARTED AT WHERE WE ARE NOW AND HAD SOME REPEAT OF HISTORICAL TRACES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP THAT THERE, UH, POTENTIALLY ARE DEMAND MANAGEMENT THINGS AND OTHER STRATEGIES THAT, UM, COULD COME INTO PLAY THAT WE HAVEN'T CONTEMPLATED OR HAD TO COME INTO PLAY IN THE PAST.
'CAUSE WE'VE NEVER SEEN, UH, SITUATIONS THAT LOW.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT WITH OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WE GET OUR DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANNING
[01:15:01]
AND OUR COORDINATION WITH LCRA AS WELL.THEY'RE LOOKING AT MAKING CHANGES TO THEIR DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN AS WELL.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT SOME MORE HERE.
UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS, I THINK, ARE YOU? YEAH, NO, ANOTHER IPR.
AND, UH, YEAH, WE'RE HOPEFULLY SEEING THE BENEFIT OF REGULAR UPDATES TO ALL OF THESE PLANS IN OUR ABILITY TO ADAPT TO ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS.
SO THANKS FOR ALL THE FEEDBACK.
AND I'LL ALSO TOO, UM, THANK YOU ALL TO ALL OF THE, THE FOLKS THAT PRESENTED ON THIS, THIS, UH, FIRST, FIRST AMENDMENT ITEMS
BUT, UH, UM, WE CAN HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ON THESE ITEMS. WE DO HAVE OUR WORK GROUP MEETINGS, UM, OH, SORRY, SORRY.
IT'S LIKE RIGHT HERE WHERE I CAN'T SEE, I HAVE A SCENE PROBLEM TODAY.
UM, SO, UH, WE DO, THERE, THERE IS MORE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THESE IF WE CHOOSE TO DO SO IN OUR WORK GROUP MEETINGS.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SET YET FOR 2024, BUT WE WILL GET THEM SET.
SO, UM, THE FOLKS THAT ARE PART OF THOSE WORK GROUPS, LIKE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ON THE AGENDA AND WE CAN SET IT UP TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT.
UM, SORRY TO, UM, WELL WE TOOK LOTS OF TIME, BUT WE COULD ALWAYS TAKE MORE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE, THIS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, EVERYONE.
WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO ON THE AGENDA, MARISA? I WOULD LIKE TO, FOR US TO TAKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER AND, UH, REVIEW AND POTENTIALLY APPROVE OUR 2024 MEETING SCHEDULE.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO VOTE ON IT, RIGHT? YES.
AND THEN, UM, THE OTHER ITEMS, DO YOU WANT 'EM TO GO IN ORDER OR, OKAY.
[6. Review and approve the 2024 Water Forward Task Force meeting schedule ]
LET'S SKIP AHEAD TO THAT, TO THE 2024 CALENDARING FOR 2024, WHICH IS, UM, WELL IT'S THE LAST PIECE OF PAPER I HAVE.SO WE'LL WAIT FOR JUST A MOMENT FOR THE SLIDES TO CATCH UP.
AND YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE WITHIN 2024.
UM, AND THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE EXPERIENCING A, A WIDE VARIETY OF CONDITIONS THAT WILL ADD EVEN MORE WORK.
SO WE HAVE HERE A SCHEDULE FOR POTENTIAL MEETINGS.
WE HAVE BEEN MEETING EVERY OTHER MONTH.
AND SO WE'D LIKE TO KEEP THAT FOR THE FIRST, UM, THREE MEETINGS OF 2024 FOR THE TASK FORCE.
UM, WE'RE PROPOSING HOLDING A MEETING ON JANUARY 9TH, MARCH 5TH, AND MAY 14TH.
AT THAT POINT, WE WOULD LIKE TO START HOLDING MONTHLY MEETINGS THROUGH THE SUMMER TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO THE TASK FORCE KEY DELIVERABLES THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THE WATER 4 20 24 UPDATE PROCESS, RECEIVE FEEDBACK, AND MOVE ON, UH, TO NEXT STEPS WITHIN THAT PLANNING PROCESS.
OUR HOPE IS THAT BY, UH, AUGUST OF 2024, UM, WE ARE FAR DOWN THE ROAD IN IDENTIFYING OUR PREFERRED 50 YEAR PORTFOLIO.
WE'D STILL LIKE TO HOLD A MEETING THE NEXT MONTH IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024, AS WE MAY NEED ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION.
UH, MOVING TOWARDS FINAL PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS, THEN WE WOULD LIKE TO HOLD A MEETING IN OCTOBER, 2024 TO PRESENT A DRAFT PLAN, REPORT OUR DRAFT ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND SEEK A WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR THAT PLAN.
UM, OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO THEN TAKE THIS, THE WATER FORWARD, UH, 2024 PLAN TO WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL, AND THEN ULTIMATELY TAKE IT TO COUNCIL WITHIN CALENDAR YEAR 2024.
SO, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE THAT SCHEDULE, WE'D LIKE TO MOVE BACK TOWARDS A BIMONTHLY, UH, CADENCE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, CLOSING OUT OUR YEAR WITH A MEETING IN DECEMBER OF 2024.
SO THAT'S KIND OF SOME OF THE LOGIC BEHIND THIS SLIGHTLY UNUSUAL SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL DATES, UM, THAT ARE BACKUPS FOR THE MARCH, POTENTIALLY MARCH MEETING AND MAY MEETINGS.
UM, AND WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FEEDBACK FROM TASK FORCE MEMBERS ON WHAT, HOW, HOW THE SCHEDULE IS LOOKING AND WHICH DATES WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
[01:20:01]
ONE OF THE THINGS DRIVING THIS SCHEDULE BESIDES, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO GET THE UPDATE OF THE PLAN COMPLETED IS THAT COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, BEFORE THE END OF 2024.THAT'S THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED.
ROBERT, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE 2024 PROPOSED MEETING DATES AS POSED.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR FEEDBACK ON THIS? MADELINE, DID YOU JUST RAISE YOUR HAND? OKAY.
HAS EVERYONE CHECKED THEIR SCHEDULE IN THE LAST 30 SECONDS TO MAKE SURE THESE ARE ALL OKAY WITH YOU,
EMILY, I THINK WE'LL SEND OUT CALENDAR HOLDS FOR THESE DATES FOR FOLKS.
'CAUSE IF WE CAN GET THAT TIME BLOCKED, THEN THAT'S REALLY GOOD.
AND, UM, AND MAYBE YOU CAN SEND OUT FOR THE ALTERNATIVE DATES AS WELL, JUST IN CASE, SO PEOPLE CAN JUST HAVE THEM ON THEIR CALENDAR.
IT'S NICE TO, IT'S NICE TO GET A BUNCH OF APPOINTMENTS ON THE CALENDAR FOR A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
[Items 3 & 4 (Part 2 of 3) ]
WE CAN MOVE BACK TO OUR NEXT ITEM, THE PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS.UM, AND THAT'LL BE PRESENTED BY HELEN GERLACH AND DR. RICHARD HOFF POWER.
I DO WANNA POINT OUT, WE HAVE 35 MINUTES LEFT IN THIS MEETING.
I MEAN, I THINK WE ACTUALLY TECHNICALLY CAN GO OVER, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE HAVE PLANNED.
IF WE ARE GONNA LOSE A QUORUM, I DON'T THINK WE CAN CONTINUE THE, THE MEETING.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE HAVE PLANNED, I MEAN, PEOPLE MIGHT NEED TO GET BACK TO THEIR DAY JOBS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER ELSE, OR EAT LUNCH, UH, WHO KNOWS, WHATEVER ELSE PEOPLE DO OTHER THAN TALK ABOUT WATER SUPPLY ISSUES.
TALK ABOUT WATER SUPPLY WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
I WILL SAY JUST, I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD ADDRESS THE REUSE ORDINANCE, JUST IF I DON'T WANT THAT TO DROP OFF THE AGENDA.
BECAUSE THAT'S TIMELY, I FEEL.
I, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE REUSE ORDINANCE.
SO LET, LET'S SAVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES AT THE END FOR THAT.
THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
UM, THAT'S REALLY AN ASSIGNMENT ACTUALLY.
UM, FOR TASK FORCE MEMBERS TO AND SEEKING FEEDBACK ON THAT.
SO WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL, UM, OUTLINING WHAT THAT ASSIGNMENT IS OR REQUEST.
YEAH, I DEFINITELY WANNA TALK ABOUT THE RE ORDINANCE AS WELL, HELEN.
HELEN
SO, UM, FIRST WE'LL GO OVER JUST A REFRESHER ABOUT SCENARIO PLANNING.
WE PRESENTED THAT TO THIS GROUP SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
UM, SO JUST KIND OF REVISITING WHAT THE GOALS ARE WITH THAT.
TALK ABOUT THE GOAL OF THE PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS ITSELF.
THEN RICHARD WILL TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS WE USED AND THE WATER AVAILABILITY MODEL THAT WAS USED.
AND THEN WE'LL SHARE THE RESULTS, UM, AND DO SOME Q AND A.
AND, UH, I WILL SAY IF MENTALLY, IF YOU THOUGHT THE SPAGHETTI GRAPHS WERE BAD, THOSE WERE LIKE A HUNDRED AND WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT 666 SCENARIOS OVER SEVEN PLANNING HORIZONS.
SO JUST BUILD, BUILD UP TO THAT
YOU'LL SEE HOW I HAVE THE, YOU'LL SEE HOW WE GOT THERE.
SO THIS IS A SLIDE THAT WE'VE PRESENTED TO THIS GROUP BEFORE.
UM, SO JUST AS A REFRESHER, TALKING ABOUT PLANNING FOR PLAUSIBILITY VERSUS PROBABILITY, UM, IN, YOU KNOW, PLANNING FOR A HUNDRED YEARS IN THE FUTURE, THERE ARE JUST CERTAIN PARAMETERS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT WITH ANY CERTAINTY, SUCH AS WHAT THE DEMAND'S GONNA BE A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW, WHAT THE REGIONAL SUPPLY SITUATION IS GONNA BE IN A CENTURY.
AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE THESE DEEPLY UNCERTAIN CONDITIONS, IT MAKES, UM, PREDICTING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CERTAIN EVENT VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
AND SO INSTEAD OF, UH, TRYING TO DO THAT, WHAT WE WANNA LOOK AT WITH THIS PLANNING UPDATE IS PLAUSIBLE SCENARIOS.
SO FOR THINGS WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND, WHAT DO WE THINK, UM, OR THINGS THAT WE CAN'T PREDICT WITH ANY LIKELIHOOD, WHAT DO WE THINK PLAUSIBLE RANGES COULD BE? LET'S USE THOSE TO BUILD SCENARIOS AND THEN FIND SOLUTIONS THAT WORK ACROSS THE BROADEST RANGE OF THOSE SCENARIOS.
AND SO WE'VE GOT AN EXAMPLE HERE IN THESE GRAPHS.
THESE ARE JUST, UM, KIND OF, UH, RANDOM LINES.
BUT, UH, JUST TO ILLUSTRATE THE CONCEPT, THE TOP GRAPH IS MORE, OH, CAN YOU GO BACK ONE,
[01:25:01]
SORRY.THE TOP GRAPH IS CLOSER TO WHAT WE DID IN WATER FOUR 18 WHERE WE IDENTIFIED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS SORT OF AN AVERAGE SCENARIO REPRESENTED BY THAT THICKER BLACK LINE, AND THEN IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES THAT PERFORMED WELL AGAINST THAT KIND OF AVERAGE SCENARIO.
AND WHAT WE WANNA DO THIS TIME IS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WILL BE MOST LIKELY, JUST DETERMINE WHAT WE THINK IS PLAUSIBLE AND THEN LOOK AT ALL OF THE SCENARIOS AND IDENTIFY STRATEGIES THAT WORK WELL IN AS MANY OF THOSE SCENARIOS AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN WATERFORD 24, UM, IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE SCENARIOS.
SO WE'VE INCORPORATED UNCERTAINTY INTO THESE MODELING SCENARIOS BY LOOKING AT A RANGE OF AUSTIN WATER DEMANDS IN THE FUTURE, LOOKING AT DIFFERENT, UM, FUTURE OUTCOMES FOR CLIMATE IMPACTS, LOOKING AT DROUGHTS WORSE THAN THE DROUGHT OF RECORD, AND THEN ALSO UNCERTAINTY IN THE REGIONAL SUPPLY TRENDS.
AND THAT ALL TRANSLATES INTO THIS RANGE OF NEEDS, WHICH WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT TODAY AS PART OF THE PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS RESULTS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE GOAL OF HAVING THIS RANGE IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
LET'S IDENTIFY STRATEGIES THAT WORK WELL IN THE NEAR TERM AND SET US UP WELL TO MEET THOSE FUTURE NEEDS.
AND THEN ALSO IDENTIFY DECISION POINTS SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ADAPT, UM, TO CHANGING CONDITIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN THE, UM, THE GREEN BOX WITH ANOTHER GREEN BOX AROUND IT.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S PRETTY EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS AND FEEDS INTO A LOT OF THE, UM, KIND OF DOWNSTREAM STEPS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ORDER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND THEN INTO OUR OPTIMIZATION MODEL THAT'LL HELP US IDENTIFY PORTFOLIOS FOR FURTHER, UM, EVALUATION.
AND SO THE GOALS OF THE PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS, UM, WE WANT TO EVALUATE THE PLANNING SCENARIO SEVERITY TO HELP US REFINE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF RISK AND WHAT ACCEPTABLE RISKS ARE.
DEPENDING ON THE DIFFERENT SEVERITIES, WE WANT TO DETERMINE PLAUSIBLE SCENARIOS FOR FUTURE DROUGHT.
SO WE'VE, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED ALL THESE POTENTIAL CLIMATE FUTURES.
WE HAVE, UM, UH, STREAM FLOWS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT INTO THE WHAM, AND NOW WE WANNA SEE WHAT THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE COMING THROUGH OUR RESERVOIR SYSTEM, UM, AND LOOK AT KIND OF THE REASONABLENESS OF THOSE AND ADJUST IF WE, UM, NEED TO CHANGE THOSE.
AND THEN ALSO DEFINING THAT RANGE OF POSSIBLE UNMET AUSTIN DEMANDS SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO USE THAT TO DRIVE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION.
AND SO THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO THAT'S THE 666, AND YOU GET THERE FROM 74 DIFFERENT HYDROLOGIC SCENARIOS WITH THE PERIOD OF RECORD AS WELL AS STOCHASTICALLY SAMPLED DROUGHT SEQUENCES AND CLIMATE ADJUSTED SEQUENCES.
FROM OUR, UM, CLIMATE MODELING, WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS FOR AUSTIN WATER DEMAND, AND THEN WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS FOR REGIONAL SUPPLY TRENDS, UM, WHICH ARE BASED ON REGION K AND THEN MODIFIED TO REPRESENT SORT OF HIGHER AND LOWER LEVELS OF IMPLEMENTATION.
AND SO A REALLY KEY POINT HERE THAT I WANNA MAKE IS THE PRELIMINARY NEEDS ANALYSIS.
UM, THE WHOLE POINT IS TO STRESS TEST THE SYSTEM SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIES THAT HELP, YOU KNOW, MEET THESE PLAUSIBLE DROUGHTS IN THE FUTURE.
SO THEY'RE INTENTIONALLY SORT OF BIASED TO BE VERY, VERY EXTREME, UM, IN LIKE A DROUGHT DIRECTION.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE PERIOD OF RECORD IS PRETTY MUCH THE, MY OLDEST HYDROLOGY WE GET.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE IDENTIFIED EVEN WORSE DROUGHTS AND WORSE CLIMATE ADJUSTED FUTURES SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TEST OUR STRATEGIES AGAINST THAT.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL HAND HAND IT OVER TO RICHARD TO TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCENARIOS.
SO AS HELEN MENTIONED THERE, UH, SORT OF THREE CATEGORIES.
WE'RE LOOKING AT HYDROLOGIC UNCERTAINTY, UH, AUSTIN'S DEMAND ARRANGED THERE, AND THEN ALSO REGIONAL SUPPLIES.
SO THIS FIRST SLIDE IS, IS LOOKING JUST AT THE CLIMATE AND HYDROLOGY, THAT RANGE OF UNCERTAINTY.
UM, WE HAVE, LIKE LEN MENTIONED, THE PERIOD OF RECORD, OUR HISTORICAL HYDROLOGY, BUT THEN WE RE-SAMPLE THAT IN A SCIENTIFIC MANNER.
SO IT'S SHUFFLING THE DECK THERE ON THE HISTORICAL TO DEVELOP NEW DROUGHTS UNDER HISTORICAL CONDITIONS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE OUTCOMES FROM OUR CLIMATE MODELING EXERCISE WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
UH, AND SO WE DEVELOP, UH, SYNTHETIC, OR SORRY, STOCHASTICALLY SAMPLED DROUGHTS ALSO OUT OF THAT CLIMATE ADJUSTED HYDROLOGY.
[01:30:01]
THE TWO GRAPHICS THERE, THESE ARE JUST, UH, DEPICTIONS OF THAT STOCHASTIC SAMPLING PROCESS.SORRY, THAT MIDDLE GRAPH REPRESENTS RUNNING, UH, A HUGE, UH, SORT OF SIMULATION TO, TO GENERATE A LARGE NUMBER OF HYDROLOGIC SEQUENCES.
SO THERE'S A MILLION YEARS SIMULATED THERE.
AND THEN PICKING OUT ALL THE DROUGHTS, DROUGHT EVENTS OUT OF THAT MILLION YEARS OF STOCHASTICALLY SAMPLED HYDROLOGY, UH, THAT BLUE.IN THE MIDDLE, THAT'S OUR 2010S DROUGHT, AND IT WAS PICKED OUT USING A, A PARTICULAR ALGORITHM.
IT'S SHOWN THERE ON THE Y AXIS, THAT'S WHAT SPA MEANS.
AND WHAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN THE STOCHASTIC SAMPLING IS DROUGHTS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT WORSE THAN THAT BLUE DOT.
AND THAT'S BROKEN OUT INTO THAT GRAPHIC ON THE SORT OF BOTTOM RIGHT, UH, PICKING OUT 10 DROUGHTS THAT ARE PROXIMAL OR, OR SLIGHTLY WORSE THAN OUR 2010S DROUGHT.
AND THEN THAT'S REPEATED FOR ALL OF OUR CLIMATE HYDROLOGY SCENARIOS, PICKING OUT DROUGHTS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT WORSE THAN THAT 2010 SEQUENCE WITH AND WITHOUT CLIMATE CHANGE ADJUSTMENTS.
THIS IS, UH, THE REGION K SUPPLIES THAT WE'RE USING IN OUR SIMULATION.
SO ALL THE WAY OUT, UH, REGION K, SORRY, LET ME BACK UP.
THE 2021 REGION K PLAN PROJECTED PROJECTS OUT TO 2070, AND THEN THIS WORK IS GOING OUT TO THE YEAR 2120.
SO WE HAVE SOME EXTENSION JUST TRYING TO EXTRAPOLATE THE TREND FROM THE REGION K PLAN IN TERMS OF NEW SUPPLIES BEING BROUGHT INTO THE BASIN.
UH, THESE SUPPLIES ARE LARGELY LCRA SUPPLIES.
UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE OFF CHANNEL RESERVOIR CONSTRUCTION IMPORTING RETURN FLOWS, UH, SOME A SR PROJECT.
UH, SO AGAIN, THESE ARE FROM THE 2021 REGION K PLAN.
WE'LL GET NEW AND UPDATED STRATEGIES THAT CAN BE USED IN THE NEXT WATER FORWARD MODELING.
SO KIND OF JUST CYCLICAL, EVERYBODY UPDATING THEIR PLANS, REGION K-L-C-R-A, AND THEN, UH, WATER FORWARD WILL GET NEW REEDS ON THAT BASIN, UH, SCENARIO.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE THREE HERE.
THERE'S LIKE AN UPPER, WHICH WOULD BE KIND OF INCREASING THE SUPPLIES ABOVE THE REGION K HORIZON.
THE MIDDLE ONE IS JUST MAINTAINING THE REGION K SUPPLIES THAT ARE BROUGHT IN.
AND THEN THE LOWER ONE IS JUST, UH, TAKING LONGER TO IMPLEMENT ALL THE REGION CASE SUPPLIES.
SO, UM, JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, WE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S EVEN A WAY TO DO THIS, BUT ARE WE KIND OF LIKE, ARE WE CHECKING RA'S SUPPLIES IN TERMS, IS THERE LIKE A SCENARIO IN WHICH LCRA HAS OVER ALLOCATED THEIR FIRM YIELD WATER AND LIKE, CAN'T MEET THEIR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS TO US? I DON'T KNOW IF WE'D LIKE MODEL THAT OR LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT REGION K SUPPLIES HERE, WHICH AS YOU SAID ARE LCRA SUPPLIES, THEY'RE EXPANDING THEIR WATER SUPPLIES THEORETICALLY.
BUT I GUESS FROM OUR END, AS AUSTIN WATER, ARE WE, ARE WE LIKE VERIFYING THAT LCRA IS GOOD FOR IT IN, IN A SIMPLISTIC WAY? WELL, THESE ARE SUPPLIES ON TOP OF WHAT'S EXISTING.
SO LCRA IS IN ITS EXISTING SUPPLY FROM THE RESERVOIRS AND ITS WATER RIGHTS.
AND THESE WOULD BE, TH THIS GRAPH REPRESENTS WATER ON TOP OF THAT.
SO ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES ABOVE WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY DEVELOPED AND CONTRACTED AGAINST, BUT IN TERMS OF CHECKING IT, UM, ELSE IS DOING THEIR, THEIR WATER SUPPLY RESOURCE REPORT AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE DOING WATER FORWARD AND THEY'RE EVALUATING THEIR SUPPLIES.
RIGHT? AND SO THIS APPROACH IS JUST HELPING US TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD POTENTIAL SCENARIOS LOOK LIKE IF THERE'S A, A WIDE RANGE IN RA'S SUPPLY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE WHAM AND RICHARD WILL GET TO THIS IN A LATER SLIDE, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS WITHIN THE WHAM.
AND WHAT THE WHAM DOES, IT DOES INCLUDE DEMANDS, UM, FROM OTHER, UH, USERS OF WATER WITHIN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN.
UM, OF COURSE OUR MODELS ARE DIFFERENT.
LCRA HAS ONE MODEL AND ONE, UH, KIND OF, OR SEVERAL MODELS ACTUALLY.
AND THEY HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT APPROACHES FOR HOW THEY, UH, EVALUATE WATER AVAILABILITY.
WE, WE THINK THAT IT'S USEFUL TO HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES EVALUATING WATER AVAILABILITY SO THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, CAPTURE THAT UNCERTAINTY AND BE ABLE TO PLAN TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN TO MEET CITY OF AUSTIN'S NEEDS NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION IS.
[01:35:06]
UH, NEXT SLIDE.SO WE HAVE OUR HYDROLOGIC SCENARIOS, OUR REGIONAL SUPPLY SCENARIOS, AND THEN FINALLY WE HAVE OUR AUSTIN DEMAND SCENARIOS.
SO THERE'S A THREE DEPICTED HERE, SORT OF A HIGH, MEDIUM, AND LOW SCENARIO.
ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS BROUGHT TOGETHER IN THE WATER AVAILABILITY MODEL.
SO THIS IS SIMULATING ALL THE WATER RIGHTS IN THE BASIN WITH THEIR WATER RIGHT PRIORITIES, AND THEN LOADING IN THE DIFFERENT DEMANDS, LOADING IN THE DIFFERENT REGION CASE SUPPLIES THAT ARE BROUGHT INTO THE, INTO THE BASIN AND ARE REPRESENTED IN THE MODEL.
AND THEN ALSO ALL THOSE HYDROLOGIC SCENARIOS.
SO THIS IS KIND OF BRINGING EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN A SIMULATION OF THE, THE ENTIRE RIVER BASIN.
AND WITH THAT, WE'LL THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THIS WILL, THIS DEPICTS THE COMBINED STORAGE THAT'S SIMULATED IN, UH, THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
OH, I WAS LOOKING AT THE SCREEN AND I CAN SEE THE LITTLE HAND, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN EXTRA DOT UP THERE.
UM,
SO WE HAVE ONE HYDROLOGY REPRESENTED, BUT THEN NINE DIFFERENT REGIONAL SUPPLY AND AUSTIN DEMAND COMBINATIONS SIMULATED.
AND WHAT WE SEE HERE WITH ALL THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPLY BROUGHT IN AND, UH, AUSTIN'S WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY IS NOT REPRESENTED.
WE SEE THE RESERVOIRS DECLINE OVER TIME IN TERMS OF MINIMUM STORAGE, UH, NOT REACHING AN EMPTY STATE.
SO WHAT WE SEE IS REACHING SORT OF THE 600,000 EMERGENCY LEVEL AROUND THE YEAR 2060 IN THESE SIMULATIONS, AND THEN KIND OF STAYING IN THAT RANGE OUT TO THE END OF THE PLANNING HORIZON.
AND AGAIN, THESE DON'T REPRESENT, UH, ANY HYDROLOGIC SCENARIOS THAT ARE WORSE THAN THE HISTORICAL RECORD AND ALSO DON'T INCLUDE ANY AUSTIN WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
SO HERE NOW ARE ALL OF THE HYDROLOGIC SCENARIO IS REPRESENTED.
SO, AND THEN ALL THE TIME HORIZONS.
SO EVERY SORT OF VERTICAL SLICE AGAINST A A YEAR ON THE X AXIS, THERE'S, UH, 666 COLORED DOTS IN THERE.
WE HAVE THE HISTORICAL RECORD REPRESENTED AGAIN WITH THOSE DARKER RED DOTS.
AND THEN THE REST OF 'EM ARE, ARE SHOWN AS, UH, OPAQUE DOTS.
THEY, THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP.
AND SO THE OPAQUE NATURE OF THOSE DOTS LET YOU SEE WHERE THERE'S MORE OVERLAP.
SO SIMULATIONS REACHING ABOUT THE SAME STORAGE.
UM, UH, AS HELEN MENTIONED, THESE ARE SCENARIOS ARE MEANT TO BE, UH, VERY EXTREME AND TO STRESS TEST THE SYSTEMS. THAT GIVES US A, A WAY TO TEST WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND HOW THEY WILL PERFORM AGAINST THESE HYDROLOGY.
AND, UH, WE DO NOTICE THOUGH THAT A NUMBER OF THESE SCENARIOS RESULT IN ZERO STORAGE.
SO THE SIMULATION RUNS OUT OF WATER IN THE, IN THE LAKES, THERE'S STILL WATER IN THE RIVER, IT'S JUST NOT BEING STORED IN THE LAKES.
AND THEN THIS GRAPHIC IS REPRESENTING ONE OF THE METRICS WE'LL USE TO, TO LOOK AT WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
SO THIS IS A MEASURE OF THE 12 MONTH UNMET AUSTIN DEMAND IN THOSE SIMULATIONS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, SORT OF THAT DARKER BLUE BAND IS THE SECOND BAND FROM THE TOP.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST BAND WHERE THERE'S AN UNMET DEMAND.
YOU MIGHT READ THESE GRAPHS AS SEEING ABOUT 60% OF THESE SIMULATIONS HAVE SOME LEVEL OF UNMET DEMAND WHEN YOU GET TO, UH, THE YEAR 2080.
AND THEN THE ONES ABOVE THAT MAYBE, UH, STILL HAVE VERY, VERY LOW LAKE LEVELS POTENTIALLY, BUT MAYBE DON'T HAVE THE UNMET DEMAND SCENARIO.
THIS IS JUST, UH, ILLUSTRATION TO SHOW YOU WHAT WHAT UNMET DEMAND MEANS.
THAT GRAPHIC ON THE LEFT, THAT'S THE YEAR 2030 DEMANDS AND HISTORICAL HYDROLOGY PLAYING OUT.
[01:40:01]
ARE REPRESENTED IN TERMS OF THE RUNNER RIVER DIVERSION AND THE STORED WATER DIVERSION, THAT'S THE SORT OF THE BOTTOM SHADED GRAPH.AND THEN THE COMBINED STORAGE IS THAT DARKER BLACK LINE ABOVE THESE SHADED LINES.
SO THERE'S NO UNMET DEMAND THERE AS THE RESERVOIR STAYS ABOVE EMPTY.
AND THEN IF YOU GO TO THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT, THIS IS A DEPICTION OF WHAT WE MEAN BY AN UNMET AUSTIN DEMAND.
SO IT'S YEAR 2120, UH, ROUNDER RIVER IS STILL BEING DIVERTED.
LAKE STORAGE IS DIVERTED IN THE DARKER BLUE SHADED BARS.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, UH, THERE'S A PERIOD WHERE THE RESERVOIR ENDS UP EMPTY IN THIS SIMULATION.
AND THAT'S THE PINK COLOR SHOWING UP IN TERMS OF UNMET AUSTIN DEMANDS.
SINCE THERE'S NO WATER LEFT IN THE RESERVOIR AT THAT POINT, THERE'S STILL SOME RUN OF A RIVER BEING DIVERTED, AND THAT'S REPRESENTED, UH, IN THE BARS.
HERE'S ANOTHER DEPICTION OF THE SCATTER OF THE UNMET DEMAND.
SO THIS, AGAIN, IS JUST USING THAT ONE METRIC, THE 12 MONTH UNMET AUSTIN DEMAND IN THESE SCENARIOS AND SHOWING AGAINST DIFFERENT HYDROLOGY HOW THAT AMOUNT GROWS OUT OVER TIME.
AND WE DO, YOU KNOW, SEE THAT RANGE EXPAND ALL THE WAY FROM ZERO UP TO, LET'S SAID, ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 250,000 ACRE FEET PER YEAR.
UH, AGAIN, EXTREME HYDROLOGY USING THESE AS A STRESS TEST.
UM, AND THERE ARE NO WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY YET INCORPORATED.
SO THIS IS JUST SHOWING UNMET DEMAND.
ANOTHER KEY INDICATOR THAT WE WILL LOOK AT WITH THE WATER MANAGEMENT SCENARIO OPTIMIZATION IS LAKE LEVELS.
UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THIS GRAPHIC DEPICTS LEVELS, UH, IN STORAGE, UH, SO TRAVIS AND BUCHANAN REACHING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF LAKE STORAGE WHEN THERE IS A DROUGHT.
SO IN SCENARIOS WHERE THERE IS, UH, A DROUGHT THAT GOES TO 600,000 ACRE FEET, WE HAVE DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES.
SO ANY OF THOSE EXTREME DROUGHTS WHEN THEY OCCUR, IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, 40% OF THOSE WOULD REACH 200,000 ACRE FEET OR LESS OF COMBINED STORAGE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THE SCENARIOS THAT HAVE A, AN EXTREME DROUGHT THAT REACHES THAT LEVEL.
BUT THESE ARE METRICS THAT WE'LL BE USING TO ASSESS THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND OPTIMIZE PORTFOLIOS.
I THINK THIS IS OUR, JUST OUR SUMMARY SLIDE, WHICH LEAVES TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, AGAIN, DOING A STRESS TEST TO GET A RANGE, UH, TO INFORM THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT.
UH, WE'LL NEED TO USE THESE RESULTS ALSO TO SORT OF FINE TUNE OUR METRICS THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE TO, TO WATER TO EVALUATE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
UM, AND AGAIN, SORT OF THAT LAST BULLET, THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, INTERNALLY WE, THIS IS A LOT FOR US TO DIGEST AND I, I KNOW THIS IS A LOT FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO DIGEST.
AND, UH, IT DOES GIVE US THOUGH A QUITE A LARGE RANGE TO DEVELOP A RESILIENT SET OF WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS FUTURE DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
UM, SO LET ME CHECK THE TIME HERE.
IT'S 1 48, UH, I SAW THAT BILL NEEDS TO LEAVE AT RIGHT AT TWO.
ANYBODY ELSE NEED TO LEAVE RIGHT AT TWO? TODD DOES ANN HANEY.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TIME FOR THE UPDATE ON MANDATORY REUSE ORDINANCES, UM, AND HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS HERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA HOLD QUESTIONS FOR A SECOND AND THEN DO THE MANDATORY REUSE JUST SO THE FOLKS THAT, THAT HAVE REQUESTED TO SEE IT.
AND THEN WE CAN CIRCLE BACK TO QUESTIONS RIGHT AFTER.
IS THAT OKAY WITH FOLKS? THAT'S FINE.
AND, OKAY, THIS IS NOT THE LAST TIME THAT WE'LL BE SEEING THIS.
GIVE YOU A SECOND TO DIGEST ALL THAT REALLY COMPLICATED INFORMATION.
[5. Update on Mandatory Reuse Ordinances ]
WE CAN SWITCH OVER TO THE UPDATE ON MANDATORY REUSE ORDINANCES.AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WHILE THE SLIDES ARE COMING UP.
UM, SO WE CAN SKIP PAST THE TITLE SLIDE TO THE NEXT ONE.
ON OCTOBER 25TH, AUSTIN WATER, UM, PROVIDED A MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNSEL ON THE MANDATORY REUSE ORDINANCES.
UM, THIS INCLUDED UPDATES, UH, THAT MANY OF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH.
WE'VE SENT THIS VIA EMAIL TO, UH, THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
UM, PREVIOUSLY, THE, UH, MANDATORY ORDINANCES WERE PLANNED TO GO BEFORE, UH, COUNCIL,
[01:45:01]
UM, WITHIN THIS YEAR, UH, 2023, SO THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF DECEMBER 1ST, UH, 2023 FOR THE ONSITE REUSE REQUIREMENTS.AS WELL AS, UM, CLEARING UP SOME ASPECTS OF THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM CONNECTION REQUIREMENTS, UM, AND THE EXPANSION OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
PER THIS MEMO FROM, UH, TO ING COUNCIL, AUSTIN WATERS RECOMMENDED THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECLAIMED WATER CONNECTION REQUIREMENT FOR DEVELOPMENTS WITH A MULTIFAMILY COMPONENT AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ONSITE WATER RE SYSTEMS BE CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL ON MARCH 7TH, 2024.
SO THAT IS ESSENTIALLY, UH, PUSHING THAT CONSIDERATION BACK BY ABOUT THREE MONTHS OR 90 DAYS, UM, TO ALLOW FOR A CONSIDERATION OF, UM, THOSE ONSITE ROT RE SYSTEM ORDINANCE CHANGES AND TO ESTABLISH, ESTABLISH EXEMPTIONS TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
IN THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE HAVE A TIMELINE, UH, WITH, UM, SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNCIL ACTIONS, UM, THAT WERE NEEDED TO POSTPONE THIS, UH, EFFECTIVE DATE.
ON NOVEMBER 9TH, UM, COUNSEL APPROVED, UH, AMENDMENTS TO AN ORDINANCE TO POSTPONE THE EFFECTIVE DATE FOR THE MANDATORY ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
UM, NOVEMBER 30TH IS, TODAY IS, UM, THE DATE WHEN, UH, UH, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND 25 9 TO EXTEND THE VARIANCE FOR RECLAIM WATER CONNECTION REQUIREMENTS FOR LARGE DEVELOPMENT, UM, PROJECTS WITH THE MULTIFAMILY COMPONENT AND WAIVING THE REQUIREMENT TO GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION IS TO BE HEARD.
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, MOVING QUICKLY SO WE CAN HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, ON MARCH 7TH, 2024 IS WHEN, UM, COUNSEL IS EXPECTED TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING, CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND 25 9 TO CLARIFY REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER CONSERVATION AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, AS WELL AS AMENDING CITY CODE CHAPTER 1513, UM, TO ESTABLISH DEVELOPMENT PROJECT REQUIREMENTS FOR MANDATORY ONSITE WATER REEF SYSTEMS AND ADD SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE RELATED TO THOSE REGULATIONS.
WE MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE ALSO, UH, AT THE MARCH 7TH COUNCIL MEETING, UM, COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER A REAUTHORIZATION OF THE ONSITE WATER RESISTANCE PILOT INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR FY 24.
UM, I KNOW I RAN THROUGH THAT REALLY QUICKLY, BUT WANTED TO ALLOW TIME FOR PEOPLE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
DO FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? I KNOW, UM, FOLKS ARE PROBABLY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THE DELAY, UM, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, BUT UH, I MEAN IF ALL, IF ALL GOES WELL, IT'S JUST A COUPLE MONTHS IN THE WHOLE SCHEME OF THINGS, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING TO DERAIL IT.
BUT, UM, PAUL, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? WELL, YEAH, JUST REAL QUICK, WHAT EX WHAT EXPLAINS THE DELAY? IF WE COULD GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT? I THINK GENERALLY THE DELAY IS REALLY FOCUSED AROUND JUST GETTING EVERYONE UP TO SPEED AND KIND OF PROVIDING THEM BACKGROUND ON, UM, KIND OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH WATER FORWARD AND THE VARIETY OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO ONSITE WATER REUSE.
A LOT OF FOCUS, A LOT OF FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY.
AND SO IF YOU'VE LISTENED TO ANY COUNCIL MEETINGS, YOU KNOW THAT AFFORDABILITY IS FRONT AND CENTER OF EVERY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND SO I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, UM, THERE'S ALIGNMENT AT THE COUNCIL AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FULL VISIBILITY OF THE IMPACTS OF KIND OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
I, I WOULD, I WOULD ECHO THAT THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE IS ONE OF, ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT.
THERE'S THAT, THAT, UM, OCTOBER 25TH MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO READ THAT EMILY, MARISSA SENT IT OUT.
UM, I ALSO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY ON THIS TASK FORCE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S APPOINTED BY AS, BY A COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, OR THE MAYOR TO GO AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
THAT THIS IS ONE OF OUR WATER SUPPLY STRATEGIES THAT IS VERY, UM, IMPORTANT TO IMPLEMENT IT.
UM, THAT, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT IT INCREASES RELIABILITY, UM, AND, UM, SUSTAINABILITY FOR OUR WATER SUPPLY INTO THE FUTURE.
UH, AND TO BE REALLY CLEAR ON THAT, AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE SAID ON THE VISIT WITH MY COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU KNOW, UM, IT DOES COST A LITTLE BIT
[01:50:01]
MORE TO IMPLEMENT THIS, BUT, UM, IT'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE FOR US TO RUN OUT OF WATER.UM, NOT THAT THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT, BUT EVERY PIECE OF WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE PROACTIVE WATER SUPPLY, UM, IS A REAL BENEFIT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A PLAN AND IT'S BASICALLY A MATHEMATICAL OPERATION OF CAN WE GET ENOUGH SUPPLY TO MEET THE DEMAND? AND THIS IS A PIECE OF THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
UM, SO ARE THERE, ARE WE AWARE OF ANY PROJECTS, LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN SUBJECT TO THE ORDINANCE? HAD IT GONE INTO EFFECT DECEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR THAT WILL NO LONGER BE SUBJECT TO THE ORDINANCE BECAUSE OF THE DELAY AND ITS EFFECTIVE DATE? I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER AT HAND.
I MEAN, THERE WILL LIKELY OR COULD BE SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE, THE, THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE BEEN USING IN THE, EXCUSE ME, IN THE, UM, VOLUNTARY PHASE HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE OLD PUD PROCESSES AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO I CAN IMAGINE THOSE WILL STILL COME THROUGH BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
UM, WE CAN LET, LET ME SEE WHAT WE HAVE OF AVAILABLE AS FAR AS KIND OF ACTIVE PUD APPLICATIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND IT'LL GIVE YOU A FEEL, I'M MAKING A LIST OF ITEMS THAT WE'VE KIND OF MENTIONED THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL SO I CAN ADD THIS TO THE LIST, PAUL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, PERRY? YEAH, I, THIS IS MORE OF A STATEMENT.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE A FEW PEOPLE WHO'VE GRUMBLED ABOUT THIS AND ONE PERSON IN PARTICULAR WHO WE ALL KNOW WHO JUST THINKS WE SHOULD BE POUNDING THE TABLE OF HAVING A FIT OVER THIS AND THAT THESE, A LOT OF BIG PROJECTS ARE GONNA SNEAK BY.
AND THIS IS A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.
MY PERSONAL COMMENT IS NOBODY CAN GET THE DANCING TO DO ANYTHING IN THIS TOWN RIGHT NOW, ANY BRAND NEW BIG PROJECT.
SO IT'S PROBABLY, THIS HAS GOTTA BE POSTPONED.
THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR IT TO HAPPEN.
UM, AND I THINK ANYTHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SITE PLANNED AND READY TO GO IS PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE STOPPED.
BUT MY SENSE OF IT IS WE'RE NOT GONNA LOSE ANY BIG PROJECTS.
IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.
AND I GUESS THE POLITIC ANSWER FOR US WHEN WE'RE ASKED BY PEOPLE, WHY IN THE HELL DID YOU LET THIS THING HAPPEN? IS THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES TO GET IT PASSED.
AND IF WE POUND THE TABLE AND INSIST, ALL WE'RE GONNA DO IS INCREASE RESENTMENT AND RESISTANCE.
AND SO, UH, I GUESS WE'RE OKAY.
UH, I GUESS THAT'S OUR ANSWER ANYWAY.
AGAIN, DON'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED.
UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T COMMUNICATED WITH THE PERSON THAT APPOINTED YOU THAT, THAT RELIES ON YOU FOR COUNCIL AND ADVICE ON THESE ITEMS AS THEY COME UP TO CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, DROP A NOTE OR HAVE A CALL OR DO A MEETING TO EXPLAIN THE, WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS COMING UP IN MARCH AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, AND IF YOU NEED SOME BACKUP OR HELP, JUST FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT AND, AND I CAN, 'CAUSE I'VE, I'VE BEEN DOING SOME OF THOSE MYSELF, SO IT'S JUST, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE IMPORTANT THINGS TO LET THE FOLKS THAT APPOINTED YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS COMING, THIS IS WHAT IT IS, THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, BE READY FOR IT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS? OKAY.
[Items 3 & 4 (Part 3 of 3) ]
UM, IN OUR LAST FEW MINUTES OF IF PEOPLE HAVE COMMENTS FOR RICHARD, JUST SWITCHING BACK RAPIDLY.RICHARD AND HELEN, DIDN'T WE HAVE A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT ON THIS ONE? IT'S ON WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL ON THAT.
ANY, UH, THIS IS A, A GOOD WAY TO, UM, HEAD OFF ANY COMPLICATED QUESTIONS, RICHARD
THIS, THIS LAST ONE AND I WAS LIKE, WAIT A SECOND.
AND THAT'S, I GUESS JUST SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT 400, NO, 600 AND BELOW.
SO IT'S JUST WHEN THE DROUGHT OCCURS.
SO IT'S A LITTLE ALARMING TO SEE A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THAT SCALE AND THEN A YEAR NEXT TO IT.
BUT IT IS JUST A PORTION, MAYBE A PORTION OF, YOU KNOW, A SNIPPET IN TIME.
AND SO, UH, THE POINT THERE WAS TO SHOW LIKE OVER TIME THE TENDENCY WOULD BE TO HAVE EMPTY RESERVOIRS
[01:55:01]
WHEN WE DO ENCOUNTER A BAD TRIAL.UM, ALRIGHT, WELL I'LL DIGEST IT IF ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THAT.
KELLY? WELL, I MIGHT JUST OFFER, UM, WE ARE APPROACHING THE COURSE OF THE END OF THE YEAR AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE THE GOOD WORK OF STAFF.
UM, TEAM HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE, ALWAYS.
UM, YOU COULD SEE A LOT OF IT HERE KIND OF AT THE TOP, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE PEDDLING REALLY HARD THAT AREN'T HERE.
AND SO CERTAINLY WANNA, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR STRONG WORK HERE.
UM, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
UH, ALSO THE, THE, UH, TEST FORCE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND THOSE OF YOU ONLINE, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW PARTICULARLY TODAY WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.
UM, REST ASSURED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SERIOUSNESS OF OUR CURRENT CONDITION IS NOT LOST ON US.
WE THINK ABOUT THIS EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK AND AT MOST OF OUR WAKING HOURS.
UM, SO PLEASE DON'T, UH, MISUNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL OF THE ISSUES AND EVERYTHING FROM OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH LCRA AND PROTECTING OUR WATER RESOURCES REGIONALLY AND BROADLY TO THE DETAILS OF TRYING TO GET COUNCIL ITEMS PASSED FOR NEW ORDINANCES TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HOW WE CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY USE OUR WATER SUPPLY.
UM, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU THE DETAILS OF KIND OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE, WE'VE GOTTA BALANCE ALL OF THAT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE SHOW A LINE ON A GRAPH THAT SHOWS A POSSIBLE OUTCOME, REALIZE THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A PROBABLE OUTCOME.
AND SO OUR CHALLENGE IS TRYING TO TAKE ALL OF THAT AND TRYING TO PUT IT TOGETHER AND, AND A PLAN.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT OUR WATER FORD PLAN IS A STRONG PLAN.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL SEE WHEN WE GO THROUGH THIS AND UPDATE, WE WILL MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND CONTINUE THAT STRONG PLAN.
UM, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THINGS HAVE EVEN CHANGED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS SINCE WE DEVELOPED A PLAN.
AND SO THERE WILL BE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON, PARTICULARLY THAT ARE MORE TACTICAL IN NATURE, THAT ARE FORCING US TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THINGS THAT PERHAPS WE MAY NOT HAVE IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT ABOUT IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE HAVE.
SO REST ASSURED WE'RE WORKING.
AND, UM, WATER SUPPLY IS WHAT WE DO.
AND, UH, AGAIN, JUST THANK EVERYBODY'S EFFORTS 'CAUSE WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF.
YOU KNOW, YOU ARE BRINGING US LOTS OF INFORMATION AND UM, AND THIS I FEEL LIKE IS A VERY COLLABORATIVE AND OPEN PROCESS AND, AND I'VE SERVED ON SOME OTHER THINGS BEFORE AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A MIX OF THAT.
I'VE, THIS IS A VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE AND, AND I, FOR 1:00 AM VERY, VERY GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF IT.
'CAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE WE AND ALL OF OUR FAMILIES AND EVERYONE LIVES.
IT SOUNDS LIKE 2024 IS GONNA BE, GONNA BE REALLY BUSY, SO EVERYBODY RESTS UP OVER THE HOLIDAY AND, UH, AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND, AND WE'LL SEE MORE OF Y'ALL IN THE NEW YEAR, IF NOT SOONER.
YOU ALL RIGHT? WE ARE ADJOURNED.