[00:00:01]
WE ARE RECORDING NOW OR WE'RE JUST RECORDING AT THESE MEETINGS.
I JUST SAW IT POP UP ON THE SCREEN.
[CALL TO ORDER]
UM, STAFF, AND I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE BEEN SCRAMBLING ON ALL THIS TO MAKE TIME FOR A SPECIAL MEETING TODAY TO DIG INTO THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN TASK FORCE MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME FROM YOUR, UM, DAY JOBS TO SPEND MORE TIME DIGGING INTO THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UM, UH, OH, WE HAVE MINUTES.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WAS ABOUT SAY WE HAVE ONE AGENDA ITEM.UM, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
UM, WE HAVE MINUTES FROM OUR APRIL 15TH TASK FORCE MEETING.
DO APPROVE THE MINUTES MOTION TO APPROVE FROM PAUL.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND.
AND, UH, ALL IN ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? I I DIDN'T SEE THE MINUTES IN THE BACKUP.
SOME WE'RE GONNA MEET, UM, THE, I DON'T OBJECT ARE POSTED IN THE BACK UNTIL THEY'RE APPROVED.
SO THE DRAFT ONES ARE IN PACKET.
UM, IT BASICALLY LOOKS A LOT LIKE OUR AGENDA AND SAYS THAT WE HAD DISCUSSIONS ON THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, SO ALL IN FAVOR, LET'S DO THAT AGAIN.
[2. Staff update on Austin’s Drought Contingency Plan and Water Conservation Plan updates]
MOVE ON TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. A STAFF UPDATE ON THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN AND WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.UM, MY NAME IS SHAY RAWLS ROLLIN AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE FOR THIS SPECIAL CALL MEETING, UM, TO DISCUSS, UH, THE WATER CONSERVATION AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANS.
AND I WANNA START BY ASSURING ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS THAT AUSTIN WATER IS COMMITTED, UH, TO WATER CONSERVATION.
THE HIGHEST VALUE WATER WE HAVE IS THE WATER WE DON'T USE.
UM, AND WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS FROM OUR WATER CONSERVATION EFFORTS, UM, FROM 190 GALLONS PER CAPITA PER DAY IN 2006 DOWN TO 124 GALLONS PER CAPITA PER DAY IN 2022.
UH, CONSERVATION IS WHY WE HAVEN'T YET HIT THE TRIGGER FOR ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO L-C-R-R-A, UM, ON THE 1999 WATER SUPPLY CONTRACT.
AND WE HAVE COMMITTED SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE AND RESOURCES TO LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR CONSERVATION EFFORTS.
SO WE HAVE AN ENTIRE DIVISION OF STACK LED BY, UH, DIVISION MANAGER KEVIN BOOGIE, FOCUSED ON WATER CONSERVATION.
UM, WE'RE INDUSTRY LEADERS IN WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIES AND WE CONTINUE TO RAMP UP OUR OUTREACH TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND RAMP UP ENFORCEMENT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO INVEST THERE.
UH, WE'RE ROLLING OUT OUR, UH, OUR A MI AUTOMATED METERS AND WE'VE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT WATER SAVINGS FROM THOSE ALREADY.
UM, WE STARTED METER INSTALLATION IN 2020 AND WE'LL BE COMPLETE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UM, IT'LL TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP THE DATA FROM A MI WATER USAGE TO BE USEFUL TO OUR CUSTOMERS TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN, UH, WATER BUDGETS.
BUT LEAK ALERTS AND DIRECT TO CUSTOMER MESSAGES HAVE ALREADY RESULTED IN A CALCULATED SAVINGS OF 550 MILLION GALLONS SINCE WE STARTED THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND WE'RE FOCUSED ON REDUCING OUR WATER LOSS ON OUR SIDE OF THE METER AS WELL.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE INDUSTRY LEADERS IN THE STRATEGIES WE USE TO REDUCE WATER LOSS.
UM, AND WE'VE ENGAGED A CONSULTANT TO ASSESS OUR PROGRAM AND HELP US IDENTIFY WHERE TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING THOSE RESULTS.
SO AS WE THINK ABOUT OUR GOALS FOR WATER CONSERVATION, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BASE THOSE GOALS ON OUR VERY ROBUST REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE.
UM, SHAY I'M SO SORRY TO INTERJECT.
I REALIZE THAT I FORGOT TO DO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, SEE IF WE HAVE ANY, I JUST ROLLED RIGHT THROUGH THAT.
WE HAD NO REGISTERED, NO REGISTERED SPEAKERS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS AREN'T WAITING TO MAKE COMMENTS.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE FEED OUR GOALS INTO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, WE, THEY, THEY MUST BE FORWARD THINKING AND THEY HAVE TO BE ACHIEVABLE BECAUSE IF WE SET GOALS WE CAN'T
[00:05:01]
MEET, WE CREATE, WE RUN THE RISK OF CREATING A GAP IN OUR WATER SUPPLY PLAN.SO WE'VE DEVELOPED ESTIMATES OF HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL WATER EFFICIENCY ADDIT, UH, WE CAN GAIN IN THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS.
AND KEVIN PKI IS GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH TODAY HOW WE GOT THERE.
UM, AND WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR INPUT ON HOW WE CAN BROADEN THE REACH AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE PROGRAMS. SO, UM, WE, UH, THESE PLANS ARE ON CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK.
UH, BUT WE ALSO PLAN TO REVISE THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN ALONGSIDE THE WATER FORWARD 2024 PLAN SO THAT WHEN WE BRING THE WATER FORWARD 2024 PLAN TO COUNCIL AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE CAN BRING UPDATES TO THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN THAT ALIGN, UH, WITH WATER FORWARD, UM, AT THAT TIME AS WELL.
SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO MAKE THESE PLANS AS ROBUST AS THEY CAN BE.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO KEVIN.
THANKS FOR MAKING THE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
UH, I DO THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION HERE THIS TIME PREPARED TO KIND OF ANSWER SOME MORE OF THE DIRECT QUESTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED IN OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA PUSH AND LET THE OTHER KEVIN KIND OF TALK US THROUGH THE, UM, THE PRESENTATION OVERVIEW.
BUT I, I THINK REALLY THIS IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE INFORMATION OR SHARE INFORMATION AND PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, SOME TWO-WAY DIALOGUE ABOUT KIND OF WHAT'S THERE AND ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.
AND WE WE'RE JUST, UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
WELL, THANK YOU KEVIN AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE.
UH, RARELY DO I GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT WATER CONSERVATION FOR TWO HOURS IN THAT CITY.
WELL, CONGRATULATIONS,
YOU WERE MARRIED, UH, SINCE THE LAST MEETING.
DURING THE LAST MEETING AND, AND SINCE THEN WE'VE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN ONCE WE'VE GOTTEN AN EMAIL, UH, RECENTLY WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO ALL THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT WE'LL RESPOND TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO IT IN THE LAST DAY OR SO.
UM, BUT AS WE GO ALONG, FEEL FREE TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AND I'LL TRY TO ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AS WE GO ALONG IN THE PRESENTATION.
AND I'LL ADD JUST ONE MORE THING.
WE'RE IN KIND OF A DIFFERENT SETUP HERE THAN WE WERE BEFORE.
SO THE MICS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO ANYONE IS, IS VIEWING FROM HOME, HAS TROUBLE HEARING YOU WITH THE MICS, PLEASE LET US KNOW EARLY AND WE CAN SOMEHOW ADJUST 'EM AS WE GO ALONG.
AND I WANT YOU TO SPEND HALF THE PRESENTATION STRAINING TO HEAR WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
YEAH, AND I'LL SAY TOO, 'CAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S USED TO TREATING THEIR MIC ON AND OFF, BUT THIS ROOM IS JUST HOT MIC ROOM, SO, SO, UM, AND YEAH, INTERJECT FOLKS ONLINE IF YOU CAN'T HEAR SOMETHING BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T USED THIS SETUP BEFORE.
ALRIGHT, WE SENT, TRYING TO SET THIS AGENDA TODAY TO REALLY RESPOND TO THE INITIAL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS THAT WE GOT FROM Y'ALL LAST WEEK.
SO WE'RE GONNA START RIGHT UP AT THE TOP TALKING ABOUT GOING FORWARD.
SHAY ALLUDED TO OUR PLANS GOING FORWARD AND WE'LL SPEND FIVE SLIDES TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE MAJOR PARTS FOR WATER CONSERVATION PLAN IN TERMS OF ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THE WATER CONSERVATION GOALS THAT, THAT WERE OF GREAT INTEREST IN TERMS OF PER PERSON WATER USE AND WATER LOSS.
AND THEN WE'LL WRAP UP WITH THE SLIDE ON, ON DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
IN THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION, I ONLY HAVE ONE SLIDE TALKING ABOUT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CHANGES TO THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, BUT I DON'T WANNA DISCREDIT THE PLAN, BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PLAN.
UM, SO WE'RE CERTAINLY HAPPY TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE PLAN AS WE GET THERE.
SORRY, ALSO IT'S A NEW CLICKER.
UM, GOING FORWARD, IT'S THREE BULLETS REALLY ILLUSTRATE WHAT OUR PLAN IS GOING FORWARD.
IN MAY, MAY 2ND, WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEEK COUNCIL ADOPTION OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY SUBMIT THOSE PLANS TO THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AS WELL AS THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
WITH THIS STEP, WE REALLY TRYING TO EMPHASIZE, WE'RE NOT SEEING THIS AS AN END POINT.
WE'RE NOT PUTTING THESE SHELVES, THESE PLANS ON THE SHELF.
WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, BUT WE WANT TO USE THIS AS A STARTING POINT OTHER THAN AN IN, THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER OF 2024 PLUS WATER STAFF WILL BE IMPLEMENTING THE WATER CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS RESPONDING TO THE DROUGHT.
DROUGHT AS WE MAY GO INTO A NEW DROUGHT
[00:10:01]
STAGE IN MID-JULY, PERHAPS EVEN INTO AN ADDITIONAL STAGE IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER.SO WE'LL BE BUSY THROUGHOUT SUMMER, BUT WE'LL ALSO BE REVIEWING THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE WORK THAT ALL OF YOU ARE DOING ON FINISHING UP THE WATER FORWARD PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
KEVIN, WOULD YOU PREFER FOR US TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WE GO OR HOWEVER YOU WANNA DO IT? WE CAN.
WELCOME TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WE GO.
I MEAN, I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION JUST ABOUT TIMING HERE BECAUSE WE HEARD, OR I THINK WE HEARD AT THE MEETING LAST WEEK, UM, THAT MAYBE I ACTUALLY SAID THIS, SO MAYBE IT WASN'T FROM YOU, BUT, UM, NOW THAT I'M, NOW THAT I'M THINKING BACK, BUT THAT, THAT THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN NEEDS TO BE ADOPTED BECAUSE IT'S GONNA INFORM THE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT FOR WATER FORWARD.
BUT IF WE'RE DEVELOPING IT OVER THE SUMMER, LIKE HOW DOES THAT PLAY OUT? AND, AND THE SECOND PART, IF MY QUESTION IS IF WE'RE IMPLEMENTING CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTING 'EM TO INFORM A REVISION TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, WHICH I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE THAT BEING OPEN TO THAT.
LIKE HOW MUCH DO WE THINK WE'RE GONNA LEARN OF OVER THE SUMMER WITH IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS IN, IN TERMS OF TWO BIG QUESTIONS.
UH, LET ME, LEMME TAKE THE FIRST QUESTION.
I, AND I THINK, UH, VARIATION OF THIS WAS ASKED BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, OH, ASKING WHAT IF WE DON'T SUBMIT IT OR WHAT IF THEY DON'T ADOPT IT ON SECOND, WHAT IF WE DON'T SUBMIT IT THE FOLLOWING DAY OR FOLLOWING WEEK? THERE'S THE RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT SUBMITTING THOSE TWO PLANS.
SO WE REACHED BACK WITH OUR, OUR CONTACTS AT TCQ AND LC, FRONT AND WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, UM, TO GET GOOD IDEA IN TERMS OF THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
TTCQ STAFF ARE AWARE THAT LCRA CUSTOMERS ARE LIKELY TO SUBMIT, BUT ALL THAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO SEND AN EMAIL INTO TCQ FORM MAY 1ST SAYING GET AN EXTENSION FOR 30 DAYS AND THEY WILL GIVE US A 30 DAYS EXTENSION.
AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IT'S JUST ONE 30 DAY EXTENSION AND AFTER THAT GO THROUGH THE ROUTE OF 30 MORE DAYS AND THEN A NOTICE OF VIOLATION SO IT GOES ON.
SO THAT'S NOT SUCH A LARGE CONCERN.
IT IS STATE LAW, SO IT IS A CONCERN, BUT, UH, PROBABLY MORE CONCERN IN TERMS OF A, A LATE DROP PLAN IS THAT WE'LL BE OUT OF SYNC WITH LC RATING, WHEREAS THEY'VE ALREADY ADOPTED THEIR PLAN, THEY GO INTO STAGE THREE AND WE DON'T HAVE AN UPDATED, WE WOULD NOT STAGE THREE, MAYBE STAGE FOUR.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT IF WE DIDN'T ADOPT A DRUG THIS PLAN IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.
IN TERMS OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, THAT IMPACT IS MORE FELT WITH TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
TECHNICALLY AFTER MAY 1ST WE WOULD BE INELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM WATER DEVELOPMENT.
NOW WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD STAFF ARE GREAT TO WORK WITH AND THEY'RE REASONABLE AND IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING COMING IN OR IT'S IN PROCESS, THEY'LL TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
WE DETERMINE DETERMINING WHETHER UTILITY IS ELIGIBLE OR INELIGIBLE.
HOWEVER, IF IF IT GOES A MONTH, TWO MONTHS, THREE MONTHS, HAVE YOU, THAT WOULD MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING FOR THEM BY DETERMINATION.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND, WE CURRENTLY DO HAVE A APPLICATION IN WITH WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND MY FUNDING THROUGH THE SWIFT PROGRAM.
SO ENTIRELY SURE HOW, BUT IT COULD, OKAY, THAT'S HELPFUL INFORMATION.
THAT WASN'T REALLY MY QUESTION THOUGH, BUT SOMEBODY PROBABLY WOULD'VE ASKED IT EVENTUALLY 'CAUSE IT'S, 'CAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW THAT.
BUT IT IS, IT IS, UM, THAT THIS PLAN PLANS ARE SUPPOSED TO INFORM STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION FOR WATER FORWARD 24.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON THIS PLAN OVER THE SUMMER, WHAT HAPPENS TO WATER FORWARD IN THAT STRATEGY CHARACTERIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT RELEVANT? YES, SO MY, UM,
[00:15:01]
ON THOSE NOT TOO LONG AGO.THERE IS ROOM WITHIN THOSE STRATEGIES TO DETAIL WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TACTICAL APPROACHES THAT WE WOULD BE USING AND THE QUANTIFICATION OF YIELDS FROM THOSE TACTICAL APPROACHES FITTING KIND OF WITHIN THE BIG BUCKETS TO ACHIEVE THE 2029 AND 2034, UM, GOALS OVERALL GPCD GOALS AND THEN KIND OF LAUNCH IN FROM THAT, THAT WOULD INFORM THE, UM, LONGER TERM, UH, YIELD FROM THOSE STRATEGIES.
WE'VE GOT A STRATEGY ON WATER, UH, AND UTILITY SIDE, WATER LOSS CONTROL, CUSTOMER DRIVEN WATER USE MANAGEMENT, AND UM, NATIVE EFFICIENT LANDSCAPES WHICH FOCUS MAINLY ON OUTDOOR.
SO WE'VE GOT KIND OF LIKE A BIG BUCKET FOR INDOOR PRIMARILY AND A BIG BUCKET FOR OUTDOOR.
MARISSA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NEED TO SIT CLOSER AND ALSO MAYBE SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE SLOWLY, BUT IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
OKAY, LET ME, IS THIS BETTER? YOU WANNA TAKE A CHAIR AROUND? SIT ON THE INSIDE.
WHY DON'T WE TURN THE TABLE THIS WAY BECAUSE THEN WE'LL BE CLOSER TO HER.
I THINK THAT THE NO, THAT'S PERFECT.
IS THIS BETTER THOUGH? CAN YOU HEAR ME? BETTER BE ABLE TO, CAN YOU HEAR ME BETTER? UH, A LITTLE BIT.
THIS ONE'S, THIS ONE'S BETTER.
MORE, THERE'S MORE ROPE THERE.
SO WITHIN THE WATER WAR 2024 PLAN, WE HAVE A, A, SOME BIG BUCKET STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
WE HAVE UTILITY SIDE WATER LOSS CONTROL, WHICH WE ALL KNOW THERE'S, UH, KIND OF MANY STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE SAVINGS THERE.
THERE'S CUSTOMER DRIVEN WATER USE MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS FOCUSED MAINLY ON INDOOR, UM, WATER USE REDUCTIONS, UM, PROCESS WATER, UM, UH, UH, USE EFFICIENCY.
AND THEN THERE'S NATIVE AND EFFICIENT LANDSCAPES, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON OUTDOOR WATER USE REDUCTIONS.
SO, UM, THE TACTICAL KIND OF ASPECTS OF LIKE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT WE WOULD UTILIZE TO ACHIEVE THE 2029 AND 2034 GPCD GOALS, I THINK IS WHAT WE WOULD BE DEVELOPING OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER WOULD BE TRYING TO HIT THESE GPCD TARGETS AND OR EXCEED THESE GPCD TARGETS IN THE UPDATED WATER CONSERVATION PLAN THAT WE WILL BE SENDING OUT WITH WATER FOR 2024.
UM, AND KIND OF THAT'S HOW I SEE THESE LIKE MERGING TOGETHER.
THERE'S ALSO THE ONSITE REUSE STRATEGY, CENTRALIZED RECLAIM STRATEGY, AND DECENTRALIZED RECLAIM STRATEGIES, WHICH ARE ALSO BIG BUCKET STRATEGIES THAT'LL HAVE MORE DETAILED PIECES ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THAT DOES, THANK YOU.
UM, I DON'T WANNA DRILL US TOO MUCH, SO.
UM, UNLESS SOMEBODY ELSE HAS A QUESTION, WE CAN I DO.
UM, THANKS FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
AND THIS IS, UM, LESS A QUESTION THAN A COMMENT.
I THINK, UM, PART OF WHAT WAS SURPRISING ABOUT THE PRESENTATION OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN LAST WEEK, UM, WAS THE SORT OF QUIET NATURE, LET'S SAY, OF THE ROLLOUT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'LL BE LOOKING FOR, AND I WOULD, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE AUSTIN WATER TO THINK ABOUT STRATEGICALLY AND EMBRACE IS THE IDEA THAT, UM, IF WE'RE GONNA BE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN OVER THE SUMMER, THIS IS ALSO A TIME WHEN YOU HAVE A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC OUTREACH AND STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH AND USING YOUR PARTNERS TO PUBLICIZE THE NEED FOR WATER CONSERVATION.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT LIKE IF WE'RE IN A PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANT DRYNESS, WHICH WE ARE, THAT THE FIVE YEAR WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, YOU KNOW, RENEWAL COMING UP DURING THIS PERIOD IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TURN INTO AN OPPORTUNITY.
THEY KNOW HOW DRY IT IS AND IT'S A GREAT TIME TO REALLY AMP UP OUR OUTREACH.
AND I THINK ONE WAY TO DO THAT IS, LIKE, I KNOW IT SAID THERE WAS A SPEAK UP AUSTIN IN NOVEMBER, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT ADDITIONAL OUTREACH THERE'S BEEN, IF ANY.
SO, UM, JUST CONTINUING LIKE REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITY GROUPS, GETTING FEEDBACK AND LOOKING FOR ALL KINDS OF EARNED MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES TO PUBLICIZE THE NEED FOR WATER CONSERVATION AND SORT OF LIKE LEVERAGE THE ADOPTION AND REVISION OF THIS PLAN INTO ADDITIONAL AWARENESS.
YES, WE DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THAT.
[00:20:02]
ALL RIGHT, KEVIN.ALRIGHT, UM, MR.
NEXT FIVE SLIDES OR SO, JUST TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLANS THAT ARE DESCRIBED IN THE, I'M SORRY, WATER CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN THE, THIS FIRST SLIDE DESCRIBES WHAT WE CALL CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. THESE ARE NOT THE REBATE PROGRAM, THESE ARE PROGRAMS TO SYSTEM INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS.
HOUSEHOLD MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY WRONG WITH SLASHED HERE.
THIS IS DISTRIBUTING INDOOR WATER, SAVING PICTURES AND COMPONENTS TO HOUSEHOLD SUCH AS ERS, BEDROOM, NARRATORS, SHOWER HEADS, SOIL MOISTURE METERS ACADEMY.
AND AS YOU SEE IN THE PAST, THE UTILIZATION OF THIS SERVICE WAS RATHER LOW.
UM, IN THE PANDEMIC WE ALSO INCLUDED THAT PEOPLE DID NOT LIKE DRIVING RY IN CENTRAL TO PICK UP THESE MATERIALS.
SO LAST YEAR WE MADE SWITCH AND JUST START SENDING THESE OUT ON LEGAL TO REQUEST THEM AND JUST MAIL IT TO.
AND THAT HAS JUST REALLY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION MATERIALS THAT WE GET OUT INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS.
WE ALSO PROVIDE IRRIGATION AUDITS TO CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE HAD HIGH WATER USE THRESHOLD GET TO 20,000 GALLONS IN TWO MONTHS.
UM, AND IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY POPULAR AND USEFUL.
UH, BUT WE HAD IN THE LAST YEAR THAT'S REALLY DECLINED.
UM, AND THE REASON FOR THAT DECLINE IS REALLY DUE SUCCESS.
ANOTHER
WE'LL GET OUR IT GUY KEVIN ON THIS.
IT IT WAS, IT WAS BETTER BEFORE WHEN KE UM, I'M NOT SURE CHANGE SAY IT'S LOUD ENOUGH.
IT'S JUST, IT'S CHOPPY FOR WHATEVER REASON, BUT YEAH, IT'S LIKE BROKEN UP.
CAN YOU HEAR US BETTER? WELL, IT WAS, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
IT WAS KEVIN THAT WE COULDN'T HEAR JUST NOW.
NOW CAN YOU HEAR US BETTER? YES.
SARAH, IF IT GETS TOO LOUD FOR YOU, UM, LET US KNOW ALSO.
UH, SO THE IRRIGATION AUDITS HAVE REALLY DECLINED BECAUSE WITH A MI CUSTOMER SERVICE FOLKS CAN SHOW PEOPLE IN THEIR WATERING, AND WHILE THEY MAY THINK THEY'RE ONLY WATERING ONCE A WEEK, THEIR CONTROLLER MIGHT HAVE ONE OR TWO OTHER RUNS IN THE WEEK THAT THEY DIDN'T REALIZE.
SO, UH, THAT'S AN INTERESTING COMMENT ON THE DECLINE IN THE AUDITS, DID YOU GUYS CHOOSE THE
THE, THE QUESTION WAS, WELL, WHERE DID WE GET THE THRESHOLD OF, OF 20,000 GALLONS EVERY TWO 20,000 GALLONS FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE MONTHS? UM, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE CHOSE THAT.
IT, IT WAS ESTABLISHED BEFORE I ARRIVED THREE YEARS AGO.
UM, AND, AND WE HAVEN'T ADDRESSED OR CHANGED IT YET, BUT I THINK IT WAS SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU ONLY GOT YOUR BILL ONCE A MONTH.
UM, AND IT WAS INTENDED TO CHOOSE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WASN'T JUST A FLUKE.
SO, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT, UH, SINCE WE'VE SEEN A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF AUDITS, IF WE CAN REACH OUT TO MORE PEOPLE WITH A SMALLER THRESHOLD.
THE LAST TWO BULLETS ARE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS WE HAVE WITH OTHER WATER, OR I'M SORRY, OTHER CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS.
THE GO REPAIR AND PLUMBING PROGRAM IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UH, GO REPAIR WAS, UH, THE INITIAL PROGRAM THAT STARTED IN 2019.
[00:25:01]
IS AN OFFSHOOT OF THAT, UH, THAT WAS STARTED BACK IN 2022.THEY BOTH DO VERY SIMILAR THINGS.
THEY, UH, SUPPORT ELIGIBLE LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS OF AUSTIN WATER BY COVERING, UM, QUALIFIED LARGE AND COSTLY PLUMBING REPAIRS.
UM, SO THAT'S A WAY TO HELP LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS MAKE THOSE REPAIRS.
UH, YOU SEE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, SORRY, THE BOTTOM CHART YOU SEE, UM, IT, IT APPEARS TO HAVE DROPPED OFF IN 2023.
UM, THOSE ARE 11 COMPLETED PROJECTS.
THERE WAS ACTUALLY 10 OTHERS THAT DID NOT GET COMPLETED, UH, FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REASONS BY SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE BEING COMPLETED NOW.
WAS THE PROCESS FOR GETTING THAT, UM, PREPARED AND
AND THEY WORK THE NONPROFITS WHO WORK AT THE PLUMBERS TO DO THE REPAIRS.
SO IT IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION, UM, THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH A NUMBER OF CHECKS REGARDING MAKING SURE THAT PERSON'S ELIGIBLE AND THEN WORKING WITH THE NONPROFITS AND PLUMBING.
SO IT IS PROBABLY NOT AS FAST AS SOMEWHAT HOPE.
UM, BUT, BUT THAT'S HOW IT'S BEING ADMINISTERED BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, THOSE, THOSE PROGRAMS, KEVIN CLINTON IN AUSTIN WATER, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE ADMINISTERED WITH SIBLING DEPARTMENTS.
SO, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING, UM, TO TRY TO AT LEAST STREAMLINE AND MAKE THAT AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT WOULD TAKE, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN IT.
AND SO IT IS, UH, UH, UH, IT'S BEEN AN EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP FOR US, UM, IN A LOT OF REGARDS.
BUT THERE IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, KINDA ONGOING WORK THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO WITH HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
IN THE LAST BULLET THERE, UH, NOTES ARE PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY BOXES, UM, FULL OF INFORMATION FOR WATER CONSERVATION, ELECTRICAL CONSERVATION, AND SOME DIFFERENT, UM, FIXTURES AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
UH, THEY SEND OUT TO ALL SIXTH GRADERS THROUGHOUT THE AUSTIN ENERGY SERVICE AREA.
SO EVERY SIXTH GRADER IS INTENDED TO GET A BOX TO TAKE HOME, AND THAT'S ABOUT SIX TO 7,000, UH, SIXTH GRADERS, UH, ACROSS THE AREA.
SO WE PARTICIPATE WITH THAT TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT.
ALSO IN THE PLAN, YOU SAW THAT WE HAD OUR RESIDENTIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS DESCRIBED.
UM, THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY THE REBATE PROGRAMS. UM, THE COLUMNS IN THE MIDDLE INDICATE THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE, WE PROCESS FOR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, UH, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND ON THE RIGHT THERE YOU SEE THE SAVINGS PER ACTIVITY IN A SENSE.
SO SOME OF 'EM CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN MORE SUCCESSFUL, SOME OF 'EM HAVE BEEN LESS UTILIZED OVER THE YEARS.
UM, AND SOME OF THEM ON THE FAR RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE THEY HAVE UNDETERMINED WATER SAVINGS ACTIVITIES.
AND THESE ARE PARTICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN A RANGE OF DIFFERENT NUMBERS FROM DIFFERENT ANALYSES.
UM, SO WE REALLY HAVEN'T DETERMINED WHAT A SAVINGS MIGHT BE.
HOWEVER, PROGRAMS THAT EVEN IF THEY DO NOT HAVE A, A QUANTIFIED OBSERVABLE SAVINGS, THEY CAN BE VERY VALUABLE.
UM, THEY CAN HELP THE CUSTOMERS HAVE A BETTER MINDSET REGARDING CONSERVATION CAN BUILD COM PARTNERSHIPS TO BETWEEN THE UTILITY AND CUSTOMERS.
AND IN SOME CASES THEY CAN MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF OTHER WATER SAVING MEASURES.
IT SEEMS LIKE VERY LOW PARTICIPATION RATES.
YES, PRIMARILY THROUGH OUR, OUR PIO UM, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.
UM, THEY'RE MARKETED THROUGH TRADITIONAL AND UM, SOCIAL MEDIA.
REBATES IN THEMSELVES AND INCENTIVES ARE VERY CHALLENGING PROGRAMS. I MEAN, I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, THERE'S NO AMAZON, BUT YOU HAD REBATES FOR ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT PRODUCERS, YOU KNOW, MADE YOU THINK THAT YOU WERE SAVING MONEY BECAUSE IT WAS THIS MUCH AFTER A REBATE AND YOU HAD TO SEND THAT REBATE IN.
SO, CAN, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? UM, THIS IS SARAH.
SO I THINK ONE OF MY COMMENTS OVERALL ON THE THE 2029 PLAN WAS THAT IF IT HAD THE,
[00:30:01]
THE GOALS, THE WATER USE REDUCTION GOALS IN THE FRONT AND THEN IT EXPLAINED HOW TO GET THERE, UM, IT WOULD PROBABLY MAKE IT MORE COMPELLING AND EASIER TO UNDERSTAND.AND SO I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING IS, AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, LIKE ARE YOU ABLE TO EXTRAPOLATE SORT OF LIKE THIS IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND THEN AS YOU JUST MENTIONED, INCENTIVES ARE CHALLENGING.
LIKE HOW MUCH ARE WE RELYING? ARE WE CONTINUING TO RELY ON INCENTIVES IN THE FUTURE PLAN? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS LIKE WHAT ARE OUR GOALS FOR WATER CONSERVATION AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE, LIKE BASED ON THIS, HOW MUCH FUTURE SAVINGS ARE YOU GUYS PLANNING FOR? IS IT THE SAME OR I'M JUST TRYING TO SORT OF BE ABLE TO KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF, OF WHERE INCENTIVES FIT INTO THE PLANS.
IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND? YEAH, I MEAN, AND HOW YOU CALCULATED, YOU KNOW, WHAT FUTURE SAVINGS YOU ESTIMATE.
LIKE CAN WE LINE THOSE THINGS UP WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT? YEAH.
AND I THINK THIS IS BUILDING TO THAT.
SINCE THESE PROGRAMS HAVE VERY LOW PARTICIPATION RATES, WHAT ROLE DO THEY PLAY IN OUR FUTURE GOALS? WHICH I THINK REALLY, LIKE, WE WANNA GET TO THE FUTURE GOALS PRETTY QUICK HERE SO WE CAN UH, YEAH.
START KIND OF THINK ABOUT YEAH.
BUT I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THE CONVERSATION HERE.
IS WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED A BUNCH OF THINGS.
WHAT, WHAT ELEMENTS OF THIS PLAN ARE ACTUALLY MOVING THE NEEDLE FOR US? MM-HMM.
AND HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MAKE THOSE ELEMENTS MORE SUCCESSFUL? YEP.
YEAH, WELL WE'LL MOVE TOWARDS THAT.
UH, COMMERCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, AGAIN, WE HAVE A HOST OF COMMERCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. MANY OF THEM VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SAW ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.
UH, AND WHEN I SAY COMMERCIAL HERE, I MEAN BOTH COMMERCIAL LIKE TARGET OR A BIG BOX STORE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT ALSO INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL.
ALL OF THEM, YOU KNOW, CAN APPLY FOR OUR INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. UNFORTUNATELY MOST OF THOSE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN VERY UNDERUTILIZED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, THE ONE THAT WE DO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THE BUCKS FOR BUSINESS PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS A PERFORMANCE BASED PROGRAM IN WHICH WE PAY THE REBATE AMOUNT IS BASED ON HOW MUCH THEY'RE GOING TO SAVE SAVED.
AND WHILE ON THE CHART ON THE BOTTOM MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH OF THAT ALSO.
AND GRANTED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THERE HAS NOT BEEN MUCH COMMERCIAL INTEREST.
UM, UH, A LARGE PART I THINK IS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC WHEN MANY COMMERCIAL, UH, FIRMS ARE JUST TRYING TO GET BY RATHER THAN MAKE SAVINGS.
UM, BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS, UH, BEYOND THE CHART THAT YOU SEE THERE.
UM, JUST AGAIN ON A QUESTION OF LIKE, WHAT'S THE
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BIG FACTOR WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE PARTICIPATING AND BE STREAMLINED TO BE FASTER, BUT WE
WELL, AND TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, UH, I UNFORTUNATELY WANTED TO MENTION IN FISCAL YEAR 24, WELL YOU SAW THE LOW NUMBERS IN PREVIOUS, WE'VE HAD 18 APPLICATIONS JUST SINCE OCTOBER THAT HAVE COME THROUGH.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET A STAFF MEMBER IN THERE TO HELP REALLY FOLLOW UP ON A LOT OF THESE LEADS.
SO WE'VE HAD 18, THERE'S 17 MULTIFAMILY IN ONE COMMERCIAL THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH ALREADY.
AND A LOT OF 'EM HAVE BEEN EITHER REPLACING TOILETS, UPGRADING TOILETS ABOVE CODE.
UM, AND THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW WHICH WORK WITH, UM, WATER, CAR WASH, UH, WATER TREATMENT.
WE SEE A LOT OF POTENTIAL IN THIS NOW THAT WE'RE UP AND GOING.
IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS, IT SOMEWHAT VARIES IF THEY'RE BRINGING IN THIS INTO US A NEW TREATMENT, UM, PROCESS WE HAVE TO TAKE TO MAKE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT, DOES THIS REALLY SAVE WATER? DO YOU HAVE PROOF, DO YOU HAVE WHAT HAVE YOU? I MEAN THAT CAN TAKE A NUMBER OF MONTHS, BUT ONCE THAT DECISION IS MADE, UM, AND THESE, WHEN WE'RE CONTACTED, IT'S GENERALLY PRETTY FAR OUT IN THE PROCESS.
I, I KNOW OF NONE OF THE APPLICANTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUSHED UP AGAINST THE WALL.
[00:35:01]
IF IT'S AN ESTABLISHED KNOWN, UH, PRODUCT OR SAVINGS MEASURE, UM, WITHIN A, SO RELATED TO THAT, KIND OF STREAMLINE THOSE THINGS FOR THE PUBLIC TO LET THEM KNOW.I DON'T KNOW IF WE DO OFFHAND, BUT UM, WE DO HAVE THE APPLICATION FOR THE PEOPLE ONLINE.
AND THEN GENERALLY IT'S EASIEST WHEN THAT INTERESTED PARTY CONTACTS OUR, OUR STAFF MEMBER.
AND THEN IT CAN MOVE ALONG PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO A LOT OF, IN, A LOT OF EXCITEMENT IN THAT BUCKS FOR BUSINESS GOING FORWARD.
THOSE ARE THE CONSERVATION AND SINCE ACTIVITIES, UH, WE'RE MOVING ON TO RECLAIM ON-SITE WATER REUSE AND AUSTIN WATER'S BEEN DOING RECLAIMED WATER FOR QUITE A WHILE.
WE STARTED AT THE JIMMY CLAY GOLF COURSE IN PROVIDING THAT.
AND WE'VE BEEN BUILDING OUT THE SYSTEM EVER SINCE.
UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE OVER 160 CUSTOMERS, UM, PROVIDING OVER 1.6 BILLION GALLONS OF RECLAIMED WATER A YEAR.
UH, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THE TIMING OF THIS PLAN IS, IS THAT WE HAD THE BIG GO PURPLE PUSH BACK IN MARCH WHERE THAT REALLY WAS ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL REALLY TO MOVE RECLAIMED AND REUSE WATER FORWARD BY THAT.
BY THAT POINT WE HAD A CHALLENGE PUTTING IN HERE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THAT INTO THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
AND YOU'RE STILL DEVELOPING NOW WITH THE PROGRAM AND THE FUNDING, WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL OVER THE SUMMER BEFORE WE BRING THIS BACK IS THAT WOULD GIVE US TIME TO FLESH OUT WHAT THAT GO PURPLE IS AND WHAT WE MORE WE CAN DO AND WHAT MORE WE CAN PUT INTO THE CONSERVATION PLAN.
QUESTION ABOUT, SO I GUESS I DON'T HAVE ALL THE TORICAL CONTEXT HERE, BUT AS WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER HERE, IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS A LONG GAP BETWEEN WHEN WE FIRST TRIED TO ROLL THIS OUT AS A CITY AND WHEN IT ULTIMATE THEY GOT ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, LIKE
IT WAS A THREE YEAR VOLUNTARY PERIOD.
IT WASN'T THE PART OF CODE NEXT OR SOMETHING.
AND SO I, I'M TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF LIKE THE REGRET ON AUSTIN'S WATERS PART OF LIKE HOW MANY YEARS WENT BY, LIKE WHERE WE WERE MISSING DEVELOPMENTS, LARGE DEVELOPMENTS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD'VE BEEN COVERED BY ORDINANCE THAT FOR LIKE A DECADE OR SUBJECT THAT LOST IT.
UM, AND I WANTED, I CONTINUALLY TRYING GET A SENSE OF LIKE, GOING FORWARD, HOW MANY BIG FISH ARE THERE OUT THERE FOR US THAT, AGAIN, IF THAT MAKES SENSE, SENSE AND GET COVERED BY THIS PROGRAM AND THEREFORE CAPTURE SAVINGS LARGE.
SO I'LL TAKE A SHOT AT SOME OF THAT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE WERE CERTAINLY EARLY COMPLICATIONS ABOUT TRYING TO GET LAND USE CHANGES, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE CODE NEXT PROCESS.
I WOULD SAY PRAGMATICALLY THOUGH, UM, OUR DELIVERY OF THAT PROCESS DESPITE THOSE CHALLENGES WAS NOT TOO FAR OFF THAN OUR ORIGINAL EXPECTATIONS IN WATER FORWARD.
WHAT WE USED TO CALL LIKE CLEAN WATER FORWARD 1.0.
UM, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, OUR IMPLEMENTATION ALWAYS ENVISIONED FIRST A VOLUNTARY PROCESS THAT IS BEST PRACTICE.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE NATIONAL BREW RIBBON COMMISSION ON ONSITE WATER REUSE.
AND WE DID ALL OF THAT WORK WHILE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, THE UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC LAND USE DEVELOP LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WAS STILL WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO IT'S A LONG WAY TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK US PROBABLY FOUR, SIX MONTHS, MAYBE LONGER THAN WE THOUGHT.
BUT, UM, WE LEARNED A LOT ALONG THE WAY.
AND OF COURSE THE KEY TO THAT WAS FIRST ADOPTING WHAT WE CALLED OUR REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, WHICH WE ACTUALLY DID IN 2021, WHICH AGAIN WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE PLAN.
UM, BUT OUR WORK'S NOT OVER YET.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE ADOPTED PLANS, WE GOT, YOU KNOW, KEVIN MENTIONED THE MARCH 7TH ADOPT, UH, ADOPTION OF OUR VARIOUS GO PURPLE ACTIVITIES.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK IT, WE CONTINUE TO SEE LOTS OF LARGE DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND OF COURSE THAT SHOWS UP AND DOWN.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THERE'S A SENSE THAT THAT MAY BE SLOWING UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE HAVEN'T COMPLETELY SEEN THAT.
[00:40:01]
I JUST, I'M STILL TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF, UH, DO WE THINK THAT THEARE WE MISSING, ARE WE MISSING BIG DEVELOPMENTS? YEAH.
UH, I'LL JUST STEP IN REAL QUICK AND SAY THAT, UM, FROM, SO WE DEVELOPED POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS, TRANSLATED THOSE INTO PROJECTIONS OF UNITS, UM, AND EMPLOYEES TURNED THAT INTO WATER DEMAND PROJECTIONS THAT WE'RE USING AS LIKE THE BASIS FOR OUR CALCULATION OF, OF POTENTIAL YIELDS FROM CONSERVATION AND REUSE STRATEGIES.
'CAUSE THEY, THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT CAN BE CONSERVED HAS TO BE CONSTRAINED BY LIKE THE AMOUNT OF DEMAND THAT'S AVAILABLE TO BE MET.
UM, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE NON POT FOR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, UM, WE IDENTIFY LIKE THEIR NON POTABLE DEMAND THAT'S AVAILABLE TO BE MET FROM THAT MODELING.
AND THEN WE SEE HOW MUCH OF THAT COULD BE CAPTURED BY, UM, THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM STRATEGY BASED ON THE EXTENT OF THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM BY, UM, ONSITE REUSE.
AND WE USE KIND OF AN ABSTRACTION.
WE IDENTIFY LIKE HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE COMING ONLINE WITHIN A SPECIFIC SPATIAL AREA.
AND WE ASSOCIATE, UH, WE SAY IF THERE'S A CERTAIN THRESHOLD OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE PROJECT OUT INTO THE FUTURE, UM, THEN THERE'S LIKE ENOUGH CAPACITY TO SUPPORT A LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
AND WE SAY LIKE, OKAY, SO IN THIS SPATIAL AREA WE CALL IT A, A POLYGON, THERE COULD POTENTIALLY BE LIKE ONE OR FIVE LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
OF COURSE THIS IS ALL BASED ON MODELING, YOU KNOW.
BUT, UM, WHEN WE DID THAT ANALYSIS LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONSITE REUSE, CENTRALIZED RECLAIMED AND DECENTRALIZED RECLAIMED, DECENTRALIZED RECLAIMED ARE THOSE SMALLER WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS THAT ALSO PRODUCE RECLAIMED WATER THAT ARE SEPARATED FROM THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM.
OUR INITIAL YIELD ESTIMATES IN THE MEDIUM SCENARIO CAME UP FAIRLY CLOSE IN THE 2040 TIMEFRAME WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REDOING THE ANALYSIS WITH WHAT WE HAD ESTIMATED AS LIKE THE 60 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY FROM ONSITE REUSE, CENTRALIZED AND CENTRALIZED RECLAIMED AS A PART OF, UM, OUR ROLLOUT FOR THE GO PURPLE PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S COMFORTING AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID THAT WORK WITH OUR CONSULTANT AND WE ARE USING OUR DEMAND PROJECTIONS AND OUR MODELING TO KIND OF TRUE UP WHAT WE THINK IS, IS FEASIBLE TO BE ACHIEVED, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT 16 YEARS, 15 AND A HALF YEARS.
IT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THAT COULD CHANGE BECAUSE THAT'S WITH A MEDIUM GROWTH SCENARIO.
LET'S SAY WE HAVE A LOW GROWTH SCENARIO, THEN THERE'S LESS DEMAND THAT'S AVAILABLE TO BE MET.
LET'S SAY WE HAVE FEWER, WE GO INTO A DIFFERENT KIND OF ECONOMIC SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE FEWER OF THOSE LARGER DEVELOPMENTS COMING ONLINE.
MAYBE, UH, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT TALKED ABOUT, UM, CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAME PROJECTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I REMEMBER IS LIKE, WE'RE CURRENTLY ABOUT ABILITY, PEOPLE WE'RE EXPECTED TO GO TO 3.5.
WHAT'S THE NEW PROJECTIONS THEN THE MEDIUM SCENARIO? IT WAS LIKE AROUND 3.5 MILLION, 3.5 MILLION IN THE NEXT YEAH.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL THERE.
AND I THINK ALSO HAVING WORK WITH TRYING TO IMPLEMENT IT, TWO, WHEN WE'RE AT THE STATE, INNOVATIVE WATER TECHNOLOGIES AND WATER SPACE SHOULD CONSIDER INNOVATIVE.
BUT INNOVATIVE IS ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF CONVENTION WIDE SUPPLY A CHANGE MANAGEMENT.
THAT'S KIND OF THE REASON FOR THE, THE PHASE AND INSTEAD, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEVELOPERS, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS, WHICH I THINK WORKED REALLY WELL.
IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T A, IT WASN'T A SURE THING GOING DOWN.
THERE WAS ALSO A LOT OF SUPPORT TOO.
AND I THINK THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THESE STRATEGIES IN CITY OWNED FACILITIES LIKE THE, THE LIBRARY AND THIS BUILDING AND OTHER, OTHER BUILDINGS, AUSTIN ENERGY'S HEADQUARTERS, WHERE WE COULD DEMONSTRATE THAT IT WORKS, I THINK SMOOTH THE PATH TO ADOPTION SO THAT WHEN WE GOT INTO THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NEW DEVELOPMENTS HAVING TO DUAL PLUM THEIR BUILDINGS, THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY, LIKE WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK ON PEOPLE HAVING TO DUAL PLUM THEIR BUILDINGS, WHICH I THINK FIVE YEARS AGO WE WOULD HAVE MM-HMM.
SO FROM A CHANGE MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THIS, THIS TIME HAS BEEN IMPORTANT.
UM, AND WE FACTORED IT INTO OUR PLANNING.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE BIG ONE'S GONNA HIT.
AND SO LIKE, WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS ONE'S GOING TO END.
[00:45:01]
SO A YEAR OR TWO MIGHT BE LOOKING BACK ON AND GETTING IT SHOULD HAVE.WELL I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO THE FACT THAT PROBABLY KINDA WHAT PAUL'S ALLUDING TO IS WAS SOME LADY FROM LAKE THE OTHER NIGHT, THERE'S SIX BIG CRANES DOWNTOWN.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, THOSE, YOU CAN LOOK AT THOSE AS DEVELOPMENT, YOU CAN ALSO LOOK THEM AS OPPORTUNITIES LOST.
SO, UM, AND, AND I WILL SAY THAT WHEN, WHEN WE ADOPTED THE VOLUNTARY ONSITE WATER REUSE ORDINANCE, UM, WE NEED CITY COUNCIL, BUT WE AS A COMMUNITY, UM, I WAS FEELING VERY LIKE, ANXIOUS ABOUT IT.
LIKE WHY ARE WE WAITING THREE YEARS? AND THAT THREE YEARS, WHAT REALLY WENT BY? UM, AND THE BLINK OF AN EYE AND, AND UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING THAT WE ARE ONLY THE SECOND CITY IN THE US THAT I KNOW OF TO DO THIS.
UM, YOU COULD, YOU COULD SEE ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES LOCK AND IT RATES UP TO HAVE THESE STRATEGIES ON BUILDINGS.
BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVE TO, IF YOU, IF YOU DO IT, YOU GO TOO FAST AND LIKELY BLOW YOUR FACE.
UM, SO ON ONSITE RE IS NOT A NEW THING.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE NOT NEW STRATEGIES, BUT THEY HAD FACED CHALLENGES IN THE PAST BECAUSE OF SYSTEM FAILURES.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE KIND OF THE APPROPRIATE, UM, YOU KNOW, GUIDANCE FOR, UH, DESIGN AND ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS AND REPORTING FOR THE STRATEGIES, THEN THOSE STRATEGIES, THE SYSTEMS WILL FAIL AND THEY WON'T BE, UH, CONTRIBUTING TO OUR PRODUCTION IN POTABLE WATER USE.
THAT WAS SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM LIKE PAULA KEHO OVER AT SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, WHO IS THE OTHER CITY THAT'S IMPLEMENTED THIS.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THAT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK IN PLACE THAT CAN GUIDE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL, LIKE WE WERE SAYING, SO THAT WHEN WE DO, WHEN WE PULLED THE TRIGGER ON THIS, THEN WE WOULD KNOW THAT WE WOULD GET SOMETHING SUSTAINABLE, A SUSTAINABLE YIELD OUT OF THIS THAT IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, A KEY PART OF OUR PLAN IN THE LONG RUN.
UM,
SO JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, IS BILL ON THERE? OKAY, MADELINE, JERRY, YOU WANNA ASK A QUESTION? CAREFUL.
GO CAREFUL THAT THE LAST QUESTION ACTUALLY.
UH, WHAT KIND OF FRAMEWORK IS IN PLACE FOR THE TER OR OVERFLOWS ENVIRONMENTAL HARM THAT COULD COME FROM
SO, SO WE HAVE A REALLY ROBUST SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW RESPONSE PROGRAM, UM, AND, UH, IN ORDER, YOU KNOW, TO PROTECT OUR, OUR WATERWAYS.
AND, AND, UM, AND THEN ON THE RECLAIM SIDE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL TREAT, UM, THE RECLAIM SYSTEM IS ANOTHER WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR US.
AND SO IT'LL BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME RESPONSE TIMES AND RESPONSE ACTIVITIES, UM, THAT WE HAVE ON, ON THE WATER SIDE.
EXPLAIN, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY, 'CAUSE WE'RE JUST LOOKING BACK AT THIS POINT AND I THINK THE POINT IS TO LOOK FORWARD TO AS WELL AS UNDERSTAND KIND OF HOW WE GOT HERE.
BUT LET, LET'S, LET'S KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
'CAUSE I COULD ASK QUESTIONS ALL DAY LONG ON EACH OTHER SLIDES, BUT, OKAY.
UH, AND THEN THE FINAL SIDE IN THIS SECTION TALKS ABOUT THE WATER LOSS CONTROL.
YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF MITIGATING WATER LOSS, AUSTIN CONTINUES TO HIT ALL OF THE INDUSTRY BEST STANDARD BEST PRACTICES, EXCUSE ME, INCLUDING LEAK DETECTION ACTIVITIES, UH, PIPE REPLACEMENT, WATER LOSS AUDITING, AND RAPID LEAK REPAIR.
AND NOW IN ADDITION WITH THE ROLLOUT OF THE MY A TX WATER SYSTEM, WHICH IS ALMOST COMPLETE, I THINK ABOUT 85% OR SO, UM, THAT'S PUTTING NEW METERS ON ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS A ACCOUNTS, SO THEY ALL GET NEW METERS.
SO THAT WILL HELP WITH WATER LOSS CALCULATIONS ALSO, BECAUSE IF METERS WERE MISREADING IN THE PAST, THEY WERE GENERALLY UNDER READING THE WATER FLOW, THEN FLOWING THROUGH THE METERS, UM, WHICH THEY'RE NOT BEING BILLED FOR, WHICH WOULD BE COUNTING ON OUR, UH, WATER LOSS SIDE.
[00:50:01]
UH, ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS THE ROLLOUT OF THE MYX WATER SYSTEM AND REPLACEMENT OF ALL THOSE METERS, I THINK REALLY CHECKS ALL THE BOXES OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.HOWEVER, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE WATER LOSS METRICS ARE NOT WHERE WE WANTED THEM TO BE.
THEY'RE NOT WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE NOW.
AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS WHAT MORE WE NEED TO DO, UH, SIMILAR TO THE GO PURPLE, UM, PROGRAM.
UNFORTUNATELY THE, THE TIMING OF THIS PLAN AND OTHER ACTIVITIES HAS NOT REALLY MESHED UP WELL.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE BLACK AND VE FIRM, WHICH SPECIALIZES IN WATER LOSS ACTIVITIES AND WE CONTRACT WITH THEM TO DO A REVIEW OF ALL THAT WE ARE DOING, UM, FROM AUDITING TO METERS, UH, TO READ TO DIFFERENT READINGS, ACTIVITIES, WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND THEIR FINAL REPORT IS NOT BACK TO US UNTIL JUNE.
UM, SO I THINK THOSE REPORT, THAT REPORT WILL HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE COULD BE DOING AND WHAT WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO OUR CONSERVATION PLAN GOALS FOR 2029 AND 2034, UH, CERTAINLY A TOPIC OF OF GREAT INTEREST, UM, BY EVERYONE.
AND BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THE NEXT SLIDE, I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE THE SLIDES, SO YOU'RE PROBABLY ANTICIPATING THE NEXT ONE THAT'S COMING UP.
UH, I JUST WANNA MENTION TWO THINGS TALKING ABOUT GPCD.
YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, GPD IS A RATHER RATHER SIMPLE CALCULATION, YOU KNOW, FOR A YEAR.
IT'S YOUR ANNUAL WATER USE DIVIDED BY YOUR POPULATION DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF DAYS IN THE YEAR.
SO IF YOU WANT TO REDUCE YOUR GPCD, YOU HAVE TO INCREASE YOUR POPULATION AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DAYS IN A YEAR, OR YOU NEED TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER USE AND YOU CAN CALCULATE HOW MUCH YOU NEED TO REDUCE IN GALLONS.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE TO SAY, IF I WANNA REDUCE GPCD FROM 1 27 TO 1 25, WE CAN CALCULATE HOW MANY GALLONS WE WILL NEED TO SAVE SPECIFICALLY.
AND THE SECOND POINT IS THERE'S TWO WAYS, UH, OF, OF PLANNING OR OR SETTING GOALS.
THERE CAN BE A TOP DOWN PROCESS IN WHICH YOU, FROM A HIGHER POINT OF VIEW, YOU CHOOSE A NUMBER OR, OR A PERCENTAGE FOR A HIGHER NUMBER AND JUST SAY, THAT'S OUR GOAL.
UH, OR YOU CAN TAKE THE BOTTOMS UP APPROACH WHERE YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE DOING, WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING, AND ADD THAT UP TO DETERMINE YOUR GOALS.
OUR PROCESS, OR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS IN LOOKING AT THESE GOALS WAS TO LEAN TOWARDS THAT BOTTOMS UP PROCESS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN BE DOING.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, I SEE IN THE PLAN THAT THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, TOTAL GPCD RESIDENTIAL WATER LOSS, GPCD GOALS AND THIS PLAN, UM, BUT YOU JUST WENT THROUGH, PRESENTED ON PROGRAMS THAT INCLUDED REUSE.
WHAT ROLE DOES REUSE PLAY? DO YOU ALL COUNT REUSE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE PART, THE WATER SUPPLY OR, OR IS IT NOT COUNTED? SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT REDUCES YOUR GPTD? HOW DOES ALSO DOING, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANYWAY, TELL ME WHAT YOU, WHAT Y'ALL LOOK IN.
SO, WELL THE, THE WATER USE NUMBER ON TOP, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR POTABLE WATER USE.
SO IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE, THE REUSE.
SO ANYTIME WE WORK WITH A COMMERCIAL FACILITY TO CONVERT THEIR, UH, IRRIGATION SYSTEM THAT USES POTABLE WATER TO ONE THAT USE RECLAIMED, THAT'S REDUCING THAT, THAT NUMBER, UM, MM-HMM
SO IT IS, IT CAN BE A REDUCTION IN THE WATER USE AND WHEN YOU REPORT IT TO THE STATE, YOU SEPARATE OUT REUSE, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO WITH THE GPCD AND THE STATE BEING HIGHER THAN IT IS HERE SINCE INSURED FOUND REUSE, THE GP, THE GPCD STATE WOULD, UM, IT'S, IT'S PO IT'S PUMP EDGE, THE GPCD.
SO THE WATER USE WATER, IT'S POTABLE WATER PUMP.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY, LIKE IN THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, WE HAVE REUSE CAPTURED UNDERNEATH THE DEMAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY BECAUSE IT'S ESSENTIALLY REDUCING OUR DEMAND FOR POTABLE WATER THAT WE GET FROM OUR COLORADO RIVER AND HIGHLAND LAKE SUPPLIES.
I KNOW, BUT ALRIGHT, THAT'S THE, SO THE TOTAL GPCD, BUT THAT'S, THAT CALCULATION IS DONE BECAUSE THAT THAT'S WHAT
[00:55:01]
TWDB ASKED FOR IN THE YEAH.'CAUSE THAT, THAT COMES FROM THE OLD TASK FORCE AND HOW THEY DEFINE, UH, WATER CONSERVATION TASK FORCE YEARS AGO, NINETIES.
THEY DEFINE HOW TO CALCULATE THAT.
HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE RESIDENTIAL? IS THAT ALSO THREE USE BUILT INTO THE RESIDENTIAL CALCULATION OR IS A RESIDENTIAL JUST BASED SOLELY ON THE HOUSEHOLD? CORRECT.
JUST FOR SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTI-FAMILY USE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO CONSIDER FOR THE FUTURE ITERATION OF THIS PLAN OR HOWEVER THIS PLAYS OUT, THAT THERE IS A DISCUSSION, A READ OF WHAT ROLE IT PLAYS IN THIS POPULATION BECAUSE WE'RE NOT LIKE COUNTING IT.
AND THEN IT'S ALSO LIKE A LITTLE MYSTERIOUS ABOUT LIKE, WHY ISN'T THE PLAN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW MM-HMM
IT'S JUST, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT MAYBE THOSE ONLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, 10 NERDS THAT CARE, BUT STILL, UM, IT'S NOT A TRADITIONAL WAY THAT GPC IS CALCULATED, SAY, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT IS CALCULATED CORRECTLY BECAUSE THAT TTWB IS EXPECTED IN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLANS.
BUT IT'S, IT'S AN UNUSUAL, UM, WAY OF CALCULATING AND I GUESS THE FACT TEXAS IS THE ONLY PLACE WAY I THINK, I THINK SKEW IT THOUGH, AS THE REUSE CONTINUES TO RISE, WE MIGHT NOT GET IT ACCURATE, YOU KNOW, PER CAPITA AND, AND I MIGHT BE, I HAVE TO ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND WRITE NUMBERS ON PAPERS AND STUFF THAT ALSO GET ALL TWISTED UP.
BUT STILL, IT JUST IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS LIKE I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THAT.
I DON'T WANNA, WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA INTER
NO, WE COULD SPEND A LONG TIME TALKING ABOUT, YEAH, LIKE, LET'S HURRY UP.
OKAY, SO
UM, SO I'D ASK YOU TO, YOU KNOW, IGNORE PARTS OF IT, UH, RIGHT OFF THE BAT AND LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT TABLE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THERE.
UM, THAT, THAT TABLE THERE YOU SEE, UH, A COLUMN OF GOALS AND, AND GPCD GOALS AND THEN REQUIRED SAVINGS AS I MENTIONED.
IF, IF YOU WANNA GO FROM A 1 27 TO A 1 23, WE KNOW THE POPULATION AND WE KNOW THE NUMBER OF DAYS IN A YEAR SO WE CAN ESTIMATE HOW MUCH WE NEED TO SAVE IN GALLONS TO DO THAT.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE CALCULATED THAT, UH, FOR INSTANCE ON TOP, YOU KNOW, TO GO FROM 1 27 TO 1 23 OVER FIVE YEARS, WE WOULD NEED TO FIND ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, 2.2 MILLION, I'M SORRY, 2.2 BILLION GALLONS OF SAVINGS.
SO THAT'S EITHER PEOPLE USING LESS, PEOPLE CONVERTING TO POTABLE TO NON-POTABLE OR LESS LOSING LESS WATER IN OUR SYSTEM.
HOW DO, UH, BUILDINGS YOU LEAD CERTIFIED THAT YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF DATA SPECIFICALLY AS PART OF BUILDING CERTIFICATION ION STUFF LIKE, OH, THIS BUILDING WHERE CAN BECOME MORE LEAD? I GUESS I, I'D HAVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW MUCH SAVINGS, MORE SAVINGS THAT IS FOR LEAD.
BUT YEAH, IF THEY'RE STRIVING TOWARDS WATER EFFICIENCY AND THAT'S PART OF THEIR DESIGN, THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
SO, UH, PASSIVE OBSERVATION BE BIG SOURCE OF CONSERVATION SAVINGS.
SO HOW MUCH MUCH OF THAT IS BUILT INTO THE PROJECTIONS AND HOW FAMILIAR, IT'S LIKE NEWER CONSTRUCTION TENDS TO BE MORE WATER EFFICIENT WHEN CONSTRUCTION JUST 'CAUSE IT'S NEW FIXTURES AND FOLLOW STATE FEDERAL STANDARDS.
SO IS THAT ALSO CONSIDERED THEY ARE CONSIDERED IN THE WATER FORWARD PROJECTIONS? IN THIS PARTICULAR EXERCISE WE HAVE NOT NECESSARILY CONSIDERED PASSIVE CONSERVATION.
SO AS YOU SEE IN THAT UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER THERE, UM, THERE'S DIFFERENT SETS OF GOALS.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE GRAY GOALS, UH, THE BLUE GOALS OF 1% A YEAR DECLINE OR IF WE JUST WANTED TO USE THE LAST GOALS FROM THE LAST PLAN AND CARRY THOSE FORWARD JUST FIVE YEARS FORWARD, YOU SEE JUST HOW MUCH WE NEED TO SAVE AND, UH, THE INCREASE CAN BE SUBSTANTIAL.
UM, AS WE HAVE HIGHER AND HIGHER GOALS, UH, WITH LOWER
[01:00:01]
AND LOWER TOTAL GPCD ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE A TABLE THERE IN WHICH WE WENT THROUGH AND WE ANTICIPATED OR WE, WE IDENTIFIED THE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.NOW THIS ISN'T WHAT WE DO DAY IN DAY, DAY OUT OR BREAD AND BUTTER.
THESE ARE NEW THINGS THAT ARE GONNA ADD NEW SAVINGS.
THEY CAN BE EXPANSIONS IN ADDING NEW SAVINGS.
BUT THIS IS ADDITIONAL, IF WE JUST DID WHAT WE DID TO NOW OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THERE MAY NOT BE ANY ADDITIONAL SAVINGS 'CAUSE WE'RE JUST DOING THE SAME THING.
WHAT MORE CAN WE DO? AND THIS IS WHAT WE LOOKED AT IN THIS EXERCISE, THESE, THESE SIX DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AND WE MADE ESTIMATES OF HOW MUCH THAT ACTIVITY WOULD BE, WOULD PRODUCE ADDITIONAL SAVINGS OVER THE NEXT FIVE AND 10 YEARS.
TO ADD THOSE UP, YOU KIND OF GOT, YOU GOT THOSE MIDDLE NUMBERS THERE.
UM, WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT THESE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES, UH, 1.7 BILLION GALLONS IN FIVE YEARS AND 3.6 BILLION GALLONS IN, IN 10 YEARS.
AND IT'S REFLECTED IN THE CHART THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
SO WHILE THOSE IDENTIFIED ACTIVITIES DON'T QUITE MEET THE, EVEN THE GOALS THAT WE PERFORMED, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT WE COULD COME UP WITH MAY NOT BE EVERYTHING WE CAN DO.
UM, WE, THERE MAY BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GO PURPLE AND UH, WITH THE WATER LOSS MITIGATION REPORT COMING OUT, THERE MAY BE MORE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
SO THAT'S WHY WE CHOSE THOSE GOALS WE PRESENTED BEFORE OF 1 23 AND 1 26.
UM, BUT YOU SEE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THERE AND AS SHEA ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WE WANT GOALS THAT ARE ASPIRATIONAL.
WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN WATER CONSERVATION AND WE WANT TO, UH, HAVE GREATER EFFICIENCY AND GREATER SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE CITY.
BUT WE WANNA DREAM WITH OUR EYES WIDE OPEN AND WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT, UH, WE WILL BE GETTING IN THE BALLPARK WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING AND ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES ON THE RIGHT.
THOSE ARE NOT GONNA BE EASY THINGS TO DO.
UM, THOSE ARE GONNA BE ADDITIONAL WORK, HARD WORK THAT AUSTIN WATER WILL HAVE TO UNDERTAKE.
SO I'LL PAUSE THERE FOR A MOMENT.
ANYONE, ANYONE ONLINE HAVE QUESTIONS? UH, THIS IS SARAH.
ALRIGHT, SARAH, GO FOR OKAY, I'M JUST, THIS IS JUST CLARIFICATION OF WHAT IS ON THIS SLIDE.
SO LET'S USE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.
LET'S JUST LOOK AT A 2029 GOAL OF 0.75% REDUCTION SO THAT THE REQUIRED SAVINGS IS, UM, 2.2 MILLION GALLONS.
IS THAT RIGHT? BILLION GALLONS.
THEN YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE NUMBER, THE NUMBERS FROM ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES, I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF THE 1.7 BILLION GALLONS FOR 20 25, 29 SAVINGS THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE 2.2 OR IT'S ADDITIONAL THINGS YOU COULD DO ON TOP OF THE 2.20.
WE'RE WE COMPARING THE 2.2 BILLION, UH, WITH THE 1.7? THE 1.7 IS THE SUM OF THE, UH, FIVE-YEAR ACTIVITIES, FIVE YEAR YIELD AS YOU MIGHT SAY, FROM THE ACTIVITIES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
CAN I TAKE A STAB AT THAT? SO YOU'VE GOT ONE, THE 1.7, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FROM THESE THINGS AND THEN THERE'S LIKE ANOTHER 0.5 THAT YOU ARE GONNA COME FROM ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL IN REBATES, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
I DON'T KNOW, DOES ANYBODY, CAN SOMEBODY ELSE EXPLAIN IT TO ME? WELL, WELL, WE'LL CONTINUE.
I'M SORRY, SHAY, YOU YEAH, I WAS GONNA TAKE A STAB AT IT AND JUST SAY OF ALL THE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND WE QUANTIFY EXPECTED SAVINGS FROM THOSE ACTIVITIES, WE'VE QUANTIFIED ABOUT 1.7 BILLION GALLONS, BUT WE ANTICIPATE PUSHING FORWARD ON, IN ADDITIONAL AREAS AND SET OUR GOAL TO 2.2 BILLION GALLONS OF SAVINGS.
RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WILL BE,
[01:05:01]
THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON.NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT EVEN THE 1.7 BILLION GALLONS, JUST LIKE KEVIN WAS SAYING, THAT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL WORK.
SO RAMPING UP EFFORTS ON TOP OF WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING, WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THAT, THAT IN THE BAG WE'LL HAVE TO WORK TO ACHIEVE THAT 1.7 BILLION GALLONS BY 2029 AND THEN TO GET UP TO THE 3.6 BILLION GALLONS BY 2034.
AND EVEN ON TOP OF THAT, TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED, TO MEET THAT GAP BETWEEN 1.7 BILLION GALLONS AND 2.1 BILLION GALLONS, WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO FILL THAT GAP.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS WORK AND ASPIRATIONAL AND YES, WE'RE LOOKING TO REALLY FOCUS ON BEING A WATER EFFICIENT CITY AS A GOAL.
AND SO LET ME JUST ASK A QUESTION.
IT FEELS LIKE A REALLY LONG TIME AGO ON WATER CONSERVATION PLANS, THERE WERE LIKE PRETTY, PRETTY FINE BREAKDOWNS, PRETTY GRANULAR BREAKDOWNS OF POTENTIAL, UH, YOU KNOW, REDUCTION IN USE BY STRATEGY.
UM, DID YOU GUYS, DO YOU GUYS HAVE THAT FOR YOURSELVES OR, AND IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE'RE JUST LIKE A, A HIGHER OVERSTOCK BODY THAT WE SEE, OR, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST WONDERING LIKE HOW YOU, IN ADDITION TO THESE BIG THINGS, HOW YOU DEFINE FOR YOURSELVES? IS IT PER STRATEGY, WHAT YOU EXPECT? SO LIKE TAKING THE, UH, INCENTIVES PROGRAMS AND MAKING PROJECTION OUT FOR THAT? UM, CORRECT.
WE, WE DON'T, AND IN THIS PARTICULAR ACTIVITY, WE ARE ASSUMING IN THIS SIMPLIFIED ACTIVITY THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS WE'RE GONNA DO THE SAME THING.
UM, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, BUT I MEAN, WE'RE INCREASING, DON'T, DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT I'M NOT EXPECTING A MAGICAL SURGE OF REBATES TO, UH, TAKE PLACE.
LEMME JUST ASK TWO OTHER QUICK QUESTIONS 'CAUSE I WANNA TURN IT OVER TO THE REST OF THE, THE GROUP.
I'M SORRY FOR TAKING UP SO MUCH TIME, BUT TO BE CLEAR, AND THEN ANOTHER CLARIFICATION ON YOUR ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.
YOU'VE GOT 245 MILLION GALLONS IN RECLAIMED WATER USE BY 2029.
SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU WOULD JUST TAKE THE, UM, THAT'S AN INCREASE FROM THE LIKE, UM, I DON'T KNOW, ONE 1,634 MILLION GALLONS THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY AT? IS THAT WHAT YOU WOULD JUST ADD THAT 245 TO THAT? CORRECT.
THAT'S AN EXPANSION OF THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS AND THE USE AND THE SYSTEM.
SO DOES THAT ALL VOLUNTARY RECLAIMED USE, LIKE CONNECTIONS TO THE CENTRALIZED VOLUNTARY CONNECTION TO THE RECLAIMED? WE, WE DIDN'T DIFFERENTIATE RE VOLUNTARY OR MANDATORY.
AND HOPEFULLY OTHER PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET THERE ADDRESSING LIKE THE ACTUAL GOALS AND WITH UNDERSTANDING FOR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT YOU WANT IT TO BE ACHIEVABLE, SO THERE'S NO GAPS IN THE WATER PLAN.
I FEEL LIKE THE, UM, THE INCREASE IN PROJECTED GPCD FROM THE 2019 WATER CONSERVATION PLANS IS JUST TOO GREAT.
IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT AMBITIOUS ENOUGH FOR THE CITY AND FOR WHAT WE NEED REALLY TO, YOU KNOW, BE CREATING OUR WATER SUPPLY THROUGH CONSERVATION.
SO I HOPE WE CAN FIND A WAY TO MOVE DOWN TO THESE, UM, ONE, AT LEAST THE 1% IF NOT MORE GPCD GOALS.
I WOULD, I WOULD ASK A QUESTION BUILDING ON SARAH'S FIRST QUESTION THERE WHERE SHE WAS TALKING THAT THESE ARE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.
SO, SO IF WE, I'M PRESUMING THAT IF WE WEREN'T DOING THESE ACTIVITIES, WHICH CLEARLY WILL, WE'RE JUST DOING OUR BASELINE, LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WHAT OUR CONSERVATION PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE I PRESUMED THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL ON SOME LEVEL, BUT OUR GPCD WOULD INCREASE, STAY BLACK, GO DOWN, LIKE IF THIS IS ADDITIONAL TO THAT.
SO WHAT IS THIS BUILDING ON TOP OF? AND I'M POINTING TO THE BOX ON THE RIGHT.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THOSE ARE ADDITIONAL THINGS AND IN THIS EXERCISE WE'RE ASSUMING WHAT WE'RE DOING WOULD KEEP IT FLAT.
SO WE'RE ASSUMING THAT THE CURRENT WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS RUNNING, DOESN'T ACHIEVE ANY ADDITIONAL SAVINGS, I THINK ACHIEVES SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS AS WE GO ALONG.
[01:10:01]
WE WANT TO GO DOWN, DOWN, DOWN LEVEL THOUGH IS WHAT WE'RE ASSUMING HERE.THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASSUMING HERE.
BECAUSE WE HAVE YOU, I MEAN YOU'RE, EVERYONE'S VERY AWARE, BUT FROM 2011 WE REALLY WENT DOWN TO 1 22 AND WE REALLY PLATEAUED AT 1 22 MM-HMM.
AND WE'VE BOUNCED UP THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THROUGH THE DROUGHT, BUT THAT WAS PLATEAUING YEAH.
THERE WE'RE, WE'RE REPEATED IZED SUMMER, SO THERE'S FATIGUE, BUT THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED, UH, WE COULD BE OUT THERE IN A LOT MORE VISIBLE REINFORCEMENT AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE DID DURING 2011 THAT IT DOESN'T.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'RE DOING IN SUCH A VISIBLE WAY AS WE USED TO, BUT THAT'S JUST ANECDOTAL BASED ON JENNIFER'S EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD.
SO, WHICH IS NOT VERY JUST ONE DAY POINT.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY WITH THE LOW PARTICIPATION AND THE INCENTIVES AND ALL THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE REALLY LONGING, WE HAVE STRATEGIES FOR THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE AND Y'ALL TO
WE WANT PEOPLE PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THESE AREAS THAT WE'VE BEEN ADVERTISING.
BUT GETTING REALLY VERY LOW PARTICIPATION.
I THINK GOING FORWARD, THESE ARE ALL IMPORTANT PROGRAMS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THEM.
UM, BUT WE WILL BE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT, WHERE WE GET THE BANG FOR THE BUCK, UM, IN DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, WHICH ONES PRODUCE THE SAVINGS AND THOSE NOT ARE, ARE NOT ALWAYS THE SEXY POPULAR ONES OF, YOU KNOW, NATIVE PLANTS OR NATIVE PLANTS ARE GOOD, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
BUT YEAH, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
UM, OKAY, SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UH, SIDE OF THIS.
THE SUPPLY SIDE OF THIS, IF I WAS LOOKING AT THIS IN 29 MM-HMM.
HOW, HOW MUCH THAT ERASES ALL OF THE SAVINGS WE WERE PLANNING FOR ON LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND LIKE HOW DO WE, ARE WE ACCOUNTING FOR THAT BEST BEING SERVICE EXTENSION REQUESTS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? AND IS THAT LIKE, WORRIED ABOUT THAT TOTALLY ERASING SOME OF OUR SAVINGS, HAVING WATER TO A BIG
UM, AND I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TAKING, YOU KNOW, THOSE AND WE CAN, I MEAN, TO BE A HEALTHY CITY, WE HAVE HAVE A A, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT USES AND, UM, SO WE'VE WATCHED CLOSELY AND CONTINUE TO WATCH SORT OF THE GROWTH IN THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL SECTOR.
AND SO THAT'S A PIECE OF OUR LONG TERM KIND OF PLAN.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE CAN'T DO IS PREDICT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALLY WHERE SOMEBODY MAY SHOW UP.
BUT I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON THAT AND WE REFLECT THAT IN OUR OVERALL PROJECTIONS.
AND SO IN THE DEMAND PROJECTIONS THAT WE DEVELOP THOSE A HUNDRED YEAR DEMAND PROJECTIONS, THEY'RE BROKEN OUT BY, UM, DIFFERENT SECTORS INCLUDING THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR, WHICH INCLUDES INGE INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS, AND THEN IT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, A SECTOR OR A SECTOR THAT WE CALL LARGE VOLUME.
THEY INCLUDE BOTH INSTITUTIONAL AND UM, INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS.
IT'S JUST BASED ON A, IT'S A CLASSIFICATION BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT YOU USE FOR LARGE VOLUME CUSTOMERS BECAUSE THEY'RE, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, UNIQUE.
WE HAVE, UM, SPECIFIC PROJECTIONS THAT ARE DEVELOPED BASED ON KIND OF LIKE OUR BEST AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE FOR HOW THOSE COULD GROW.
AND THEN, UH, FOR THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR AS A WHOLE AND OTHER COMMERCIAL SUB-SECTORS, WE HAVE PROJECTIONS FOR POTENTIAL GROWTH IN, IN THOSE SECTORS.
[01:15:01]
WE DO HAVE SOME ASSUMPTIONS BAKED INTO OUR DEMAND PROJECTIONS OF, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY BIG CUSTOMERS COMING ONLINE INTO THE FUTURE.OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TIMING OF WHEN THOSE COULD COME ONLINE, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME ASSUMPTION TO TRY TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT POTENTIAL UNCERTAINTY.
UM, SAME THING WITH OUR, WITH OTHER COMMERCIAL SECTORS AS WELL.
I GUESS, YEAH, I JUST, I DON'T WANNA HIDE THE BALL ON WHERE I'M COMING FROM WITH THAT QUESTION.
IT JUST, YEAH, MY GUESS ONE OF MY OVERALL CRITICISMS, UM, FOR HOPES FOR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IMPROVING THIS, UH, PLAN OUR WATER FORWARD PLAN, IT'S LIKE I DON'T SEE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PROTECTION GOING FORWARD FOR THE
SO THE NEXT TESLA COMING IN AND TOTALLY VERY SIMILAR
I ALSO DON'T HAVE ANY STICKS ALONGSIDE ALL OF THESE CARROTS THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, WHICH THAT INCENTIVES WE TALK ABOUT.
LIKE IF THEY'RE NOT BEING EFFECTIVE, MAYBE WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT OTHER THINGS.
LIKE WE, I, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE WORD REQUIREMENT IN HERE.
I LIKE TO SEE THE WORD RESTRICTION, BUT THEY DON'T SHOW UP A LOT.
BUT IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE A GRID STATE.
AND UH, AGAIN, THESE ARE TOOLS THAT WE'RE LIKE RELINQUISHING FOR SOME REASON, BUT I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND.
BUT I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BE REALLY AGGRESSIVE ABOUT IT.
LIKE ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE, WE WOULD INCLUDE COMING DOWN HARDER ON PEOPLE DURING DROUGHTS, ESPECIALLY INDUSTRIAL USERS AND POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, HAVING MORE OVERSIGHT OVER HOW WE INCLUDE THOSE INDUSTRIAL IN OUR SERVICE T SERVICE TERRITORY, WHICH COULD INCLUDE OR PUBLIC OVERSIGHT OF THE SERVICE
SO, YOU KNOW, OR COME ON THAT, BUT THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM WITH, SO INDUSTRIAL IS INCLUDED TOTAL
I MEAN THAT'S WHY THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
AND A LOT OF THAT I THINK WAS HELPED BY RECENT COUNCIL ACTIVITY AND CERTAINLY BY ADOPTION OF OUR, YOU KNOW, CBC CHARGES.
AND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THAT AND MAKE THOSE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE SO WE CAN HAVE FIT, REPURPOSE KIND OF ALTERNATIVES TO MEET INDUSTRIAL TYPES OF DEMANDS IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UM, I READ THE
I MEAN CERTAINLY WE CONTINUE OUR OUTREACH WITH OUR INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO TRY TO, UM, EITHER INCENTIVIZE OR HAVE THEM PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT RECLAIMED PROGRAMS. UM, SO IT IT IS, WE GOT MEETINGS HAPPEN AND
I MEAN, IT'S A NATIONAL CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, AND A LOT OF EFFORTS, UM, FROM THE, YOU KNOW, WATER RE AND OTHER NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ON HOW, AND FROM THE INDUSTRIES THEMSELVES, RIGHT.
HOW THEY BECOME MORE EFFICIENT AND, AND BETTER, UM, PARTNERS IN, IN PROTECTING WATER RE SO I, I FEEL PRETTY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OF, OF INDUSTRIAL WATER USE BECAUSE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT IT IS CERTAINLY, UM, A PRESSING NEED FOR US.
AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO ADD A COUPLE THOUGHTS.
I AGREE WITH, WITH THAT TO END, WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN SOME OF OUR INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS LOWER THE AMOUNT OF WATER USING IN SOME OF THEIR PROCESSES, RECOGNIZING
[01:20:01]
THAT THEY, UH,WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THAT IN OUR, UM, LARGE VOLUME AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS.
AND ONE THING I WANTED TO MENTION, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE POINTS ABOUT, UH, WE'RE IN MY, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, WE'RE WE'RE STILL GONNA BE WORKING ON AND GETTING THESE SAVINGS.
AND SO I DON'T, I FEEL LIKE, UM, AND MAYBE ROBERT, YOU WERE MENTIONING THIS TOO, ABOUT THE WAY WE CABINET PER DAY, IT'S ALL THE WATER PUT IN DIVIDED BY ALL THE POPULATION.
WE DO HAVE THAT SEPARATE PIECE FOR RESIDENTIAL, BUT UH, INDUSTRIAL USES INC.
CREATED IN THE TOTAL G BUT IT DOESN'T, UM, FROM MY POINT VIEW, UH, YOU KNOW,
SO, UH, 'CAUSE IT, OTHERWISE WE WOULDN'T BE EVEN THAT MUCH HIGHER.
SO I THINK IT IS, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT ABOUT IT WASHING OUT.
'CAUSE YOU MAY HAVE, UH, KNOW THE NEW CUSTOMER THAT COMES NORMALLY MIGHT USE AS MUCH MORE AS THE AMOUNT THAT YOU SAY, BUT IT'S STILL IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO SAVE THOSE AMOUNTS AND, UH, AND CONTINUE FORWARD AS WHAT, UM, ROBERT MENTIONING EARLIER, I THINK
I THINK SERVING MORE 3 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE.
SO AS WE RUN IN, UH, GO ON WAY, I, I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND LIKE IN THE, OH, GO AHEAD.
I JUST WANNA SAY WE HAVE 30 MINUTES LEFT.
TALKING ABOUT NO, GO TO THE BOLTS.
OH, DOES BILL HAVE HIS HAND UP? IT'S WHAT? OH, BILL HAS HIS HAND UP.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION ON HOW THE CURRENT GOALS ARE CALCULATED.
I WAS VERY CURIOUS AND I'M KIND OF PLEASED THAT THE, UH, THIS WAS THE CORRECT WAY.
I REVIEWED THE GOALS IN PAST WATER CONSERVATION PLANS AND AUSTIN WATER NEVER ACHIEVED ONE OF THEM.
SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT WOULD BE ANY DIFFERENT HERE.
AND WHEN I REVIEW THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN PLAN ITSELF, MOST OF THE STRATEGIES ARE PRETTY SOFT.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU READ THEM YOURSELF AND THERE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF GALLONAGE THERE TO, UH, WORK WITH.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN WAIT FIVE YEARS TO SEE IF THIS IS WORKING.
I THINK THERE HAS TO BE SOME ANNUAL CHECK-IN ON THIS THAT IF THIS STUFF THAT THE WATER DEPARTMENT'S RECOMMENDING ISN'T WORKING, WE GOTTA CHANGE GEARS.
UM, SECONDLY, I DON'T THINK THIS IS VERY ROBUST AT ALL.
I MEAN, WE'RE SITTING HERE IN 2019, THE WATER DEPARTMENTS SAID THEY'D HAVE THE GPC DOWN GPC DOWN 1 0 6 BY 2029 WE'RE GOING BACKWARDS.
AND I THINK THE PROBLEM IS WE ARE NOT TACKLING ANYTHING HARD OR ANYTHING SPECIFIC.
I MEAN, WHY ISN'T THERE A LIST OF THINGS ON THIS THING GOING TO ACCOMPLISH BY A DATE CERTAIN, FOR INSTANCE, THIS INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE, WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WORKING ON STARTING FIVE YEARS AGO, AND WE WEREN'T 20 MILLION GALLONS A DAY MINIMUM, THAT WOULD LOWER THE GPCD DOWN BY 20 GALLONS PER CAPITA.
A B WHY AREN'T WE CONTACTING BUSINESSES WHO ARE ALREADY ALONG A RECLAIMED WATER PIPE AND ASKING THEM WHY THEY WON'T CONNECT? WHAT, WHAT WE CAN DO TO FACILITATE THE CONNECTION.
THIRD, WHY HAVEN'T WE GOT THE TRAVIS COUNTY COURTHOUSE HOOKED UP? TRAVIS COUNTY COURTHOUSE BUILT THE COURTHOUSE WITH DUAL PLUMBING AND ALL THE RECEPTORS.
WE JUST NEED TO RUN A LINE FOUR BLOCKS.
[01:25:01]
WE'VE BEEN SITTING HERE SINCE 2018 AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT, BUT I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH THESE GOALS.WE'VE GOTTA BE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE.
WE ARE GONNA FIND OUT THIS SEPTEMBER, UH, THAT WE'VE GOT REAL PROBLEMS. I JUST OFFER THOSE COMMENTS TO YOU.
UM, LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE GOALS AND SEE WHAT WE GOT HERE.
YEAH, SO THIS IS A, A SLIDE, YOU KNOW, REALLY SHOWING, YOU KNOW, THE RESULT OF WHAT WE'VE DID THERE BEFORE.
UH, THE GOALS OF 1 23 AND ONE 16 GOING FORWARD.
AND THE RESIDENTIAL IS REDUCED AT THAT SAME AMOUNT.
LAST PRESENTATION I DIDN'T HAVE UP ON THERE.
2019 WATER CONSERVATION GOALS.
AND THERE YOU HAVE THEM UP THERE FROM OUR 2014 PLAN.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A 2024 GOAL OF 1 38.
SO 10 YEARS AGO, UM, WE, WE MADE THAT GOAL FROM, BUT, UH, AS MUCH AS THAT IS WORTH.
SO THESE GOALS ARE SELECTED BASED ON NEAR TERM ESTIMATES OF, OF WHAT WE COULD ACHIEVE.
ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS ON THESE? CAN YOU, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT FOR A SECOND? UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COMPARE THE 2024 PLAN TO THE 2019, NOT ONLY DID WE NOT MEET THE GOALS, BUT OUR BASELINE WENT UP.
UM, I MEAN I THINK WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE WHAT'S GOING INTO THE 2024 GOALS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK BACK AND COMPARE AS I HAVE DONE WHAT POLICE ACROSS THE STATE, UM, AND YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AND YOU SEE THIS LIKE THIS IS, THIS WILL BE A BIG RED FLAG FOR THE ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, IS, IS THE BASELINE WENT UP AND DID WITH THE GOALS.
SO JUST A LOT OF, JUST BRIEFLY, WHAT WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT'S GONNA COME UP THAT WE HAVE.
WELL, THE BASELINE WENT UP PRIMARILY 'CAUSE THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAD EXTREME DRY CONDITIONS, HOT CONDITIONS, RECORD HIGH CONDITIONS, AND THE GPCD WENT UP TO ONE 30 MAYBE, BUT SUMMERS LOWER GPCD, LIKE, BUT NOT IN THE MID, NOT IN 2026, I MEAN, SORRY, 20 16, 20 15, 20 17.
YOU KNOW, THOSE WERE VERY WET YEAR OR RELATIVELY WET YEARS AND THE GPCD WAS DOWN.
AND THAT'S WHY WE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THOSE GOOD YEARS AND WE KINDA WENT ALONG IN TERMS OF OUR GPCD, BUT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE REALLY JUMPED UP.
BUT DOESN'T THAT KIND OF SPEAK TO THE POINT MAKING DROUGHT IS IT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH DURING THE FOREST DROUGHTS.
WE'RE ALLOWING OUR S TO GO UP AND UNDERSTANDABLY FOR CERTAIN USES, WE ARE ALLOWING WATER TO BE IRRIGATED THE PRODUCT DURING THE DRAFT.
IT'S A SIGNAL TO US THAT LIKE, HEY, WE ARE NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL AT, WE HAVE A AUTHORIZED SUMMER, BUT WE ARE NOT AS A COMMUNITY BEING SUCCESSFUL AT LETTING OUR POPULATION KNOW THAT EVERYBODY REALLY NEEDS TO RAMP BACK WATER USE.
AND IT'S PROBABLY LARGELY DRIVEN BY OUTDOOR WATER USE.
AND IT IS JUST IT'S INFORMATION.
SO WHAT DO WE, WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT? AND HOW DO, 'CAUSE 'CAUSE WE CAN'T KEEP ON THIS TRAJECTORY.
WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE IZED NUMBERS AHEAD OF US.
UM, THIS ISN'T JUST A PROBLEM FOR AUSTIN AND KAREN.
JENNIFER AND I ARE BOTH ON THAT AS WELL.
AND AND SHE'S NOTED THE SAME THING FOR LIKE SAN ANTONIO.
I MEAN THEY'RE IN, UM, UM, ALSO A REALLY, REALLY SEVERE DROUGHTS, BUT THEY'RE NOT SEEING THE POPULATION TAKING SERIOUSLY.
AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE SEEING THEIR NEEDS GO UP DURING THE TRIAL.
THEY'VE BEEN IN STAGE BREEDING, THEY'VE BEEN IN AS WELL.
AND THEN, AND THEN ON PAGE SIX, THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, BY THE WAY, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT DATA.
BUT, BUT PAGE SIX, YOU KNOW, IT SHOWS A DROP.
I KIND OF WISH IT WENT BACK OLDER TO KIND OF SEE WHERE THINGS WERE BEFORE THE 2000
BUT THERE'S A DROP IN GBCB AND THEN, AND THEN THERE'S PUBLIC TRACK.
[01:30:01]
I THINK IT BOTTOMS OUT AT 1 22, 1 23 GALLONS OF CAPITA PER DAY.AND THEN THE END THERE IS, BUT YES, IF NOT THAT APPEAR, THAT DROUGHT.
WHATEVER STRUGGLE, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M CALLING IT DROUGHT FATIGUE.
UM, YOU, I DON'T SEE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE AT A VERY SIMILAR PLACE NOW, WE'RE THE THOUSAND 8, 20 15 DROUGHT, PEOPLE AREN'T AS CONCERNED ABOUT IT.
I DON'T SEE FOLKS WORRY ABOUT IT MIGHT
UM, AND IT'S ONE, I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, SCARY BUT WORLD DIDN'T END.
SO NOW PEOPLE AREN'T GETTING SCARED UNTIL MAYBE WE SURPASS THE CONDITIONS, SAW THAT LAST OR MM-HMM.
THEY THAT HUMAN KIND GOING WITH THAT, LIKE WHEN MM-HMM
SO I THINK THERE'S A BIT OF AN EDUCATION GAP THAT'S REALLY MISSING.
THERE'S NOT MUCH OF THE PRESS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THIS STRONG THAT THERE WAS THE LAST, THE LAST COUPLE'S A LOT BACK.
I COULDN'T HEAR WHAT WAS JUST SAID ABOUT SPRINKLERS AND I ALSO HAD A QUESTION OR YEAH, I WOULD JUST GET US, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE KIND OF LIKE THE, THE 2019 BASED LIKE, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, LOOK BACK AND YOU COMPARE LIKE, I DON'T THINK WE REALLY GOT AN ANSWER TO THAT.
ALMOST NEXT SLIDE RIGHT THERE.
THE C 19 WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, THE BASELINE GOAL, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE OUR BASELINE'S HIGHER.
SO WHAT WERE THOSE JUST WE WERE A DIFFERENT TIME AND WHAT TRENDS HAVE CHANGED OR DID WE GET IT WRONG AND SAY WE WERE GONNA SAY MORE THAN WE WERE ABLE TO? LIKE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE? AND THEN DENNIS HAS A QUESTION.
I THINK FROM MY, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, UM, YES, IT WAS HOT THAT DROVE IT UP.
UM, BUT WE SAW A LOT OF REDUCTION, YOU KNOW, DOWN THOSE EARLY 2010S FROM THE IMPLEMENTING OF THE ONE DAY A WEEK WATERING AND THEY, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE BUYING IN.
AND THEN WHEN THINGS DID GET WET AND COOL COMPLIANCE FOR THAT WATERING RESTRICTION ONE DAY A WEEK WATERING SCHEDULE, UH, MAY HAVE TAPERED OFF, I MEAN, FOR THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS, WHICH IS WHAT YOU WOULD CALCULATE THE HISTORIC FIVE YEAR AVERAGE.
WE DID HAVE SOME OF THOSE, UM, NICE WET YEARS.
SO, ALRIGHT, WELL THAT MAKES A LITTLE SENSE THERE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A BETTER ANALYSIS FOR YOU, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO REALLY NICELY TRANSLATE FROM OUR PREVIOUS PLAN TO THIS ONE WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL, UM, FOR PROVIDING CONTEXT.
DID YOU GO IN, UM, SO VANESSA, YOUR QUESTION? WELL, I I KIND OF HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE IS RELATED TO, UM, SORT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN AND THIS WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT MORE STRINGENT, UM, IRRIGATION RESTRICTIONS UNDER THE VARYING DROUGHT, UH, RESPONSE STAGES IN ORDER TO HELP MEET THESE GOALS.
UM, BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT IS ALLOWED UNDER LIKE STAGE TWO, THREE AND FOUR, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THAT'S SO MUCH IRRIGATION, UM, THAT IS PERMITTED.
AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE'S SPACE TO SUBSTANTIALLY, UM, SCALE THAT BACK.
AND I KNOW FROM HAVING AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND RUNNING IT LIKE FOR MAYBE 30, 40 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK IN PREVIOUS YEARS THAT WHEN I JUST TURNED IT OFF, LIKE MY WATER USAGE WAS CUT IN HALF IF NOT MORE.
AND SO I, I JUST THINK, AND THAT'S ONLY WATERING FOR 30 TO 40 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK, WHEREAS THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PERMITTED TO ACTUALLY WATER FOR A WHOLE LOT LONGER.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
UM, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS JUST, UM,
[01:35:01]
IF THERE'S A WAY TO LIKE PARSE OUT AS, AS OUR BASELINE HAS INCREASED, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO NEW CONNECTIONS? AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS ALREADY TALKED ABOUT.IT'S BEEN HARD TO HEAR A LOT, A LOT OF THE CROSS CONVERSATION, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WONDER AT WHAT POINT WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP ALLOWING NEW CONNECTIONS, UH, WHEN WE'RE CONSTANTLY, UH, FACED WITH THESE DECLINING WATER SUPPLIES.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENT SLASH QUESTION.
ONE OF 'EM IS THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANS, SO WE CAN GET TO THAT.
UH, THE NEXT ONE, UH, WATER LOSS GOALS.
YOU SEE THERE, THESE GO, THE GOALS WERE DEVELOPED IN DISCUSSION WITH AWESOME WATER STAFF AND AS WELL AS PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH BLACK AND BEACH UNDER THAT CONTRACT.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, UH, THESE WERE ANTICIPATED INCREASES OR IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE COULD MAKE.
UM, BASED ON, ON THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CONSULTANTS, WITH THAT NEW PLAN COMING IN, THAT'LL GIVE US A MUCH BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THE GOALS COULD BE.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, UM, WHEN TO RESUBMIT WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND WE'LL HAVE A MUCH BETTER IDEA OF THE WATER LOSS GOALS.
AND AGAIN, THEY, WE DID NOT MEET 'EM AND WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE IN THIS IN PARTICULAR.
UM, THIS IS THE, THE DRAW CONTINGENCY PLAN.
THE, THE SLIDE THAT I HAVE UP THERE, YOU KNOW, AND TALKS ABOUT THE DIFFERENT NOTABLE CHANGES IN THE PLAN THAT WE'RE PRESENTING, WE'RE PROPOSING TO PRESENT TO COUNCIL.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, ON STAGE ONE, WE ARE KEEPING OUR TRIGGER AT 1.4 MILLION ACRE FEET, AS YOU REMEMBER, FALL IS 2 MILLION ACRE FEET AND 1.4 MILLION ACRE FEET IS THE TRIGGER THAT WE'VE BEEN USING THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
RECENTLY, LCRA WENT DOWN TO 1.1 MILLION ACRE FEET FOR THEIR STAGE ONE.
BUT WE BELIEVE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, THAT AUSTIN IS BEST SERVED BY KEEPING A 1.4 MILLION ACRE FEET TRIGGER INTO STAGE ONE, UH, REGULATIONS.
STAGE TWO TRIGGERS 900,000 ACRE FEET OF COMBINED STORAGE OF BUCHANAN AND, AND TRAVIS PLUS AN INFO INFLOW TRIGGER.
AN INFLOW TRIGGER WAS PROPOSED AND ADOPTED BY LCRA AND ESSENTIALLY TAKES A LOOK AT HOW MUCH WATER IS FLOWING INTO THE RESERVOIRS IN MARCH AND JULY.
AND IF THAT INFLOW IS LESS THAN THE 25TH PERCENTILE, IT'S A REALLY LOW AMOUNT OF WATER COMING INTO THE RESERVOIRS.
AND THE RESERVOIRS ARE BETWEEN 1.4 AND ONE 900,000.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE AN ADVANCEMENT OF STAGE TWO WHEN THEY KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING.
AND THAT WATER INFLOW IS SO LOW, STAGE THREE, 750,000 ACRE FEET IS THE TRIGGER.
THIS IS A NEW STAGE JUST DOES NOT EXIST IN OUR PLAN CURRENTLY.
UM, AND AT THIS STAGE TO THE CHANGES THAT WE'LL HAVE IN OUR CON IN OUR DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN INCLUDE THE ATHLETIC FIELD EXEMPTION, IT'S GONNA BE CONVERTED TO A VARIANCE THAT OPERATORS OF ATHLETIC FIELDS WILL NEED TO APPLY FOR IF THEY WANT OUR WATER OUTSIDE OF THE WATERING SCHEDULE.
AND THEN THE NO WARNINGS FOR WATERING VIOLATIONS, UM, IN THAT STAGE IN STAGE FOUR.
BUT THE PENALTIES, THE FINANCIAL PENALTIES CAN BE DISMISSED WITH, UH, ONLINE CONSERVATION COURSE.
AND THEN STAGE FOUR IS 600,000 ACRE FEET.
UH, WE HAVE THE LCRA PROPOSED AN ADOPTED MEASURE OF NO IRRIGATION OF NON-FUNCTIONAL TURF.
UM, ESSENTIALLY IT'S NO IRRIGATION OF LAWNS OR, OR MEDIANS OR RIGHT OF WAYS OR PARKING LOT ISLANDS.
UM, ONLY IRRIGATION OF AREAS THAT ARE USED REGULARLY USED FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS AND PROGRAM RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
SO THAT IS A BIG, BIG CHANGE AT 600,000 ACRE FEET, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON PERMITS FOR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND SINGLE FAMILY POOLS IN STAGE FOUR.
MAY I ASK A FOR THIS ONE? ASK A QUESTION.
[01:40:01]
AT WHAT POINT DO DOES THE CITY CLOSE THE CITY POOLS? HMM.UM, IS, IS THAT, IS THAT LIKE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS UNDER THESE DROUGHT UM, STAGES? IT'S, NO.
IF THE CITY POSES CITY POOLS, UM, MY GUESS IS THEY DON'T.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT, I MEAN, IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF SOCIAL CONSEQUENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
YEAH, I JUST REMEMBER, UM, LIKE IN TWO MY, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT DROUGHT THAT WAS, BUT, UM, THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF TOOLS THAT CLOSED AND IT WASN'T BECAUSE OF THE LIFEGUARD SHORTAGE.
IT WAS BE, IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE DROUGHT.
AND I FELT LIKE THERE WAS, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, KEVIN, A LOT OF INEQUITIES THERE WITH PRIVATE POOLS BEING OPEN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, IF THAT'S LIKE, IF THERE IS SOME SORT OF CLOSURE OF POOLS THAT APPLY ONLY TO PUBLIC POOLS THAT LIKE THAT NOT HAPPEN, UM, IF PRIVATE POOLS LIKE AT CLUBS ARE STILL, UM, PERMITTED TO BE OPEN, IT'S NOT IN THE DROUGHT PLAN.
UM, I, I WANNA COMMEND STAFF ON DOING A GREAT JOB COMING UP WITH ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WE HAD IN, IN OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, BUT THE GENERAL COMMENT THERE, THERE'S STORE UTILITIES IN TEXAS AND NATIONWIDE THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY PUSHING HARD, UM, FOR SOME TIME INTO, UH, INDIRECT PORTABLE USE AND IN CERTAIN AREAS, UH, LIKE EL PASSIVE FOR EXAMPLE, UM, GOING IN INTO, UH, DIRECT AUTO USE, UM, MM-HMM.
SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE WATER LOSS PROGRAM, I THINK THAT WE, UH, AS AN AUSTIN UTILITY HAVE BEEN REALLY BEHIND, UH, IN, IN THIS.
AND WE DEFINITELY NEED TO BE A LOT MORE AGGRESSIVE IN, IN PURSUING THESE, FIND OUT WHERE THOSE LEAKS ARE, UM, MAYBE A LOT MORE THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST AND, AND, UH, COME UP WITH, UM, PROJECTS TO GO OUT AND, AND FIX THOSE LEAKS, THE OLD LINES THAT HAVE BEEN LEAKING, UM, AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
WE JUST NEED TO ACCELERATE THAT.
SO, SO I'M PROUD STAGE FOR, UH, SO LIKE WE READ THIS DOCUMENT TO ME, I READ IT IS PEOPLE ARE STILL ALLOWED WATER FOR YARDS, BUT WHAT YOU DESCRIBED, THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO WATER THE YARDS.
SO IT'S FUNCTIONAL TUR EXPLAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT, THAT WAS, YEAH, BECAUSE THAT THE SECOND GREAT, WE'RE GONNA BE WATERING OUR YARDS.
IT, IT IS IN THE, THE ACCOMPANYING CODE.
WE HAVE A-A-R-C-A, WE'RE TAKING CODE CHANGES TO THE, UM, COUNCIL WHERE IT IS EXPLICITLY DESCRIBED IN THERE IN THE CODE WHAT'S FUNCTIONAL AND WHAT'S NON-FUNCTIONAL.
THAT'S A GOOD COMMENT ABOUT THAT.
BUT WHAT YOU DESCRIBED WHEN YOU WERE DOING THE SLIDE, KEVIN, WAS THAT THERE WOULD BE IRRIGATION OF LAWNS, BUT THERE WOULD BE IRRIGATIONS OF GATHERING SPACES.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS DOCUMENT SAYS.
THE DOCUMENT SAYS THAT YOU CAN WATER, UM, THAT YOU CAN WATER LOT AND SOME OTHER STUFF.
SO I MEAN, THERE'S A FUNCTIONAL, I GUESS IF THE, REALLY THE CRUX OF THE ISSUE IS WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL? MM-HMM.
WHAT, WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL? CAN Y'ALL JUST MAYBE GIVE US A QUICK ANSWER? UH, PART OF THE THE CODE DEFINITION, SORRY TO REGURGITATE.
UM, FUNCTIONAL TURF MEANS TURF GRASS THAT IS REGULARLY USED FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS PROGRAM, RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SPORTS FIELDS, GOLF COURSES, AREAS USED DIRECTLY FOR SPORT.
UM, WATER USED TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF FOUNDATIONS, UH, WATER FOR CEMETERIES AND AREAS DESIGNATED TO BE PART OF WATER QUALITY TREATMENT SOLUTION REQUIRED FOR COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL AGENCY WATER QUALITY PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS.
SO APOLOGIES FOR THAT LAST PART.
RESIDENTIAL LAWS IS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT LIST.
I THINK, UH, THAT LIKE A VEGETABLE GUARD
[01:45:01]
AND THATSO
SARAH, I THINK SARAH AND I HAVE SIMILAR QUESTION.
SARAH, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND, SARAH? YEAH.
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, I DID SUBMIT SOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND THE DROUGHT CONSERVATION PLAN VIA EMAIL.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WASN'T TIME TO RESPOND TO THOSE BEFORE THIS MEETING, BUT IF, UM, AUSTIN WATER IS GONNA BE RESPONDING, UM, IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE TO, YOU KNOW, RESPOND TO SOME OR ALL, PLEASE DO SO AND, UM, YOU KNOW, COPY THE COMMISSION, THE REST OF THE TASK FORCE ON THE RESPONSES, IT WAS MOSTLY QUESTIONS.
THERE WERE A FEW COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS IN THERE, UM, INCLUDING SOME THINGS ON THE DROUGHT CONSERVATION PLAN.
AND I RECOGNIZE THESE ARE SMALL THINGS, BUT, UM, I WANTED TO POINT OUT TWO OF THEM.
ONE WAS LIKE, THERE'S THIS THING ABOUT LIMITING HOURS, IT'S SPLASH PADS.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO THE CITY OF AUSTIN STARTED CONVERTING SOME OF ITS PUBLIC POOLS TO SPLASH PADS.
AND I FEEL LIKE JUST, THIS IS JUST KIND OF LIKE A, AN ISSUE, ANOTHER SORT OF LIKE, UH, VANESSA RAISED, IT'S LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, CAN WE LOOK AT HOW MUCH WATER WE'RE ACTUALLY SAVING WITH THESE SPLASH PADS? THEY OPERATE ON A BUTTON, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT EVEN RUNNING ALL THE TIME AND IT'S LIKE WATER STAGE, WAR, DROUGHT.
IT'S THIS HOT, LIKE LET'S GIVE THE LITTLE KIDS ALL YOU CAN DO, ALL YOU CAN DO IS RECREATE IN WATER.
IT'S, I GET IT, IT'S NOT A GREAT VISUAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IN 2009 I WAS LIKE, CUT OFF THE SPLASH PADS AND NOW I HAVE TWO KIDS AND I GET IT.
SO LET'S, CAN YOU REVISIT THAT? THE OTHER THING ALONG THAT LINES IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED IN THERE, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S LOOKED AT THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE POOL PERMITS, LIKE THE INCREASE IN CONSTRUCTION OF PRIVATE POOLS.
UM, SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DONE THESE PLANS FIVE YEARS AGO AND I WAS, UM, I GET THE SENSE THAT THERE IS A LOT MORE PRIVATE POOLS IN AUSTIN THAN THERE USED TO BE.
AND SO I WAS WONDERING ABOUT LOOKING AT THAT POOL REFILLING PROVISION.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WATER SAVINGS THERE IS FROM THAT DURING A DROUGHT, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY ITEMS THAT I NOTED.
UM, AND THEN ALSO ALONG THESE LINES TOO, IN THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, YOU KNOW, IT WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, IT'S VOLUNTARY WATER BUDGETING OUTREACH, I THINK UNTIL STAGE FOUR.
AND THEN IT'S MANDATORY WATER BUDGETING.
UM, SO I JUST WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK HARD ABOUT WHAT RESOURCES ARE GOING INTO THAT VOLUNTARY WATER BUDGETING OUTREACH AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS A ROBUST PROGRAM.
I ALSO NOTED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF RELIANCE ON, UM, ENHANCED MARKETING OF DROUGHT RELATED INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT KIND OF SEGUES TO THE OVERALL COMMENT I HAVE ON THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND OUR FAILURE TO MEET THE GOALS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HEARD PEOPLE SAY LIKE, THERE'S SOME DROUGHT FATIGUE, THERE'S SOME FATIGUE FROM PEOPLE IN WATER CONSERVATION.
UM, WHEN I, AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT LIKE, IF PEOPLE AREN'T UNDERSTANDING THE WATERING RESTRICTIONS, THE YEAR ROUND ONES AND SPECIFIC TO DROUGHT STAGES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THEIR FAULT.
THAT'S AUSTIN WATER, THAT'S THE WATER EDUCATION COMMUNITY.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE AUSTIN WATER TO REALLY THINK ABOUT YOUR OUTREACH AND MARKETING PLANS, UM, ON ALL OF THESE MEASURES, BUT IN PARTICULAR THE RESIDENTIAL IRRIGATION.
UM, AND AS BUDGET SEASON IS COMING UP IN THE END OF THE SUMMER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO REALLY LOOK AT YOUR OUTREACH AND MARKETING BUDGET, UM, AND THINK ABOUT BUMPING THAT UP AND LET'S DIGGING IN AND REALLY GETTING THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO CONTRIBUTE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK LIKE A, A CASUAL GOAL WE COULD SET IS THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THEIR WATERING DAY.
LIKE THEY KNOW THEIR TRASH DAY.
YOU COULD JUST ASK ANYBODY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT DAY YOU'RE ALLOWED TO WATER AND SEE IF THEY SAY IT RIGHT.
LIKE THAT LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALMOST DONE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE TASK FORCE THAT SAID WE NEED TO DO BETTER ON MEETING THESE GOALS.
AND, BUT I GET THAT THAT'S NOT FREE.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHY I ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT IT AS YOUR BUDGET'S COMING UP.
LIKE, LET'S REALLY, LET'S PUT SOME RESOURCES IN THIS AND, AND REALLY DO WHAT WE CAN, UM, TO DO BETTER.
ALSO, THE WATER LOSS IS JUST LIKE A HUGE GLARING THING THAT WOULD, UM, PROVIDE SO, SO MUCH SAVINGS.
I WOULD LIKE TO LET THE TASK FORCE KNOW THAT WE, UM,
[01:50:01]
UH, WE ARE ALL IN ON COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC AND PARTICULARLY WITH THE A MI METERS, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GAME CHANGER FOR US BEING ABLE TO DO THAT DIRECT COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE PORTAL.BUT ALSO WE PARTICIPATE IN THE JD POWER SURVEY OF WATER UTILITIES.
AND IN THE LAST SURVEY, UM, WE WERE NUMBER TWO IN THE NATION FOR UTILITIES OF OUR SIZE FOR BRAND AWARENESS OF WATER CONSERVATION AND WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMMING.
UM, AND WE WERE ALSO NUMBER TWO FOR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION.
SO WE, WE ARE HEAVILY INVESTED IN GETTING IN FRONT OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND GETTING OUR SIGNAL THROUGH THE NOISE.
AND I LOVE THE GOAL OF EVERYONE KNOWS THEIR WATERING DAY.
LIKE THEY KNOW THEIR TRASH DAY.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT, THAT'S A GREAT PUSH FOR US.
SO, BUT I, I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT WE'VE PUT A LOT OF RESOURCES INTO COMMUNICATION AS WELL AS INTO THE WATER LOSS, AND I CAN APPRECIATE ALL OF THAT.
BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS LIKE, USE THIS NOT REACHING THE GOALS.
LIKE USE THAT TO TELL THE STORY AGREED TO COUNCIL AND IN YOUR BUDGET AND TO, YOU KNOW, AND TO SAY LIKE, WE GOTTA DIG IN HARDER.
WE'RE DOING GREAT, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
YOU HAVE BEEN PATIENTLY TRYING TO SAY
I, I, I'M COMPLETELY IN ACCORD WITH SARAH JUST SAID, AND I THINK PEER PRESSURE'S HUGE AND WHEN THAT, IF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW CRITICAL ALL OF THIS IS AND UH, HOW WE'RE ON THE BRINK, THEY REALLY PUT THE PRESSURE ON THEIR NEIGHBORS.
I KNOW 10 YEARS AGO IF SOMEBODY SPRINKLER SYSTEM WAS BROKEN, SHOOTING WATER STRAIGHT UP IN THE AIR AND INTO THE STREET EVERYWHERE, OH, WELL BROKEN SPRINKLER NOW THEY'LL COMPOUND ON YOUR DOOR AND CALL YOU AN IDIOT.
AND I THINK THE MORE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF IT, THE MORE THAT BECOMES REAL.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, PEER PRESSURE DOES FAR MORE THAN THAN PAMPHLETS, ALTHOUGH PAMPHLETS GET THE WORD OUT.
JOHN PLAN STRIKES ME, IT ASSUME THAT HAPPEN ASSUMES WE GO IN THE DROUGHT FOR, UM, STAGE FOUR STILL ALLOWS, UM, SOME IRRIGATION OF GOLF COURSES.
BUT, BUT WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW, BE BIG ONE MM-HMM
AND SO, SO IT DOES CONCERN ME LIKE THAT'S NOT A VISION IN THE PLAN THAT MAYBE, MAYBE ARGUE IS UNDER THE STAGE FIVE EMERGENCY, BUT LIKE DROUGHT IS NOT LISTED OR YEAH, EXTREME DRAFT IS NOT LISTED.
I'D RECOMMEND THAT YOU INCLUDE EXTREME GRAPHS TO SHOW FOR HOLD AT SOME POINT AS THE LAKES DRY UP.
IT HOPEFULLY DOESN'T HAPPEN, RIGHT.
BUT AT SOME POINT SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME REALLY TON OF DECISIONS ON CUTTING OFF EVERY THAT'S
UM, SO IT, IT, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO IT CLARIFY THAT STAGE FIVE IT'S ENCOMPASSES THAT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE INFORMATION AND THE DATA MM-HMM
I, I UNDER, I, I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE WERE MISSING LAST TIME IS, IS THAT WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE CONTEXT OF THE NUMBERS.
WE WERE JUST, UM, I SURE THIS EITHER BUT JUST KIND OF TOLD THE NUMBERS.
SO I APPRECIATE TAKING THE TIME TO, UM, TO HELP US KIND OF DIG IN AND UNDERSTAND MORE.
'CAUSE THAT'S DEFINITELY, UM, SO LUCKY THE TASK FLOORS REALLY LIKES TO DIG IN ALL THIS STUFF.
[3. Approve a letter from the Water Forward Task Force to the Austin City Council regarding the Austin’s Drought Contingency Plan and Water Conservation Plan updates]
THERE IS ON THE AGENDA, UM, BUT I DIDN'T THINK, I DIDN'T SEE IT THE RIGHT PACKET HERE, BUT OF THE LETTER, IT'S THE LASTING OF THE WHOLE PACKET.UM, I DON'T, I DON'T TAKE THE TEMPERATURE ON THE PEOPLE ARE PREPARED TO DO THIS OR NOT.
AND ALSO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KIND OF UNDERSTAND.
'CAUSE I THINK WE GUILTY, AS I UNDERSTAND THE PROPOSAL IS STILL TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL ON MARCH, MAY 2ND, UM, FOR APPROVAL OF THE PLAN.
SO THEY CAN BE SUBMITTED, THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND THE
UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE TO, TO UH, CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS OVER THE SUMMER AND SUBMITTED AS PART OF A PACKAGE WITH THE WATER, WATER, UM, PLAN
[01:55:01]
IN NOVEMBER.SO, YEAH, SO I MEAN THAT REALLY, I WANTED TO SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, I MEAN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES THEN FOR MAY AND JUNE AND JULY FOR I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT I'M JUST SAYING A SECOND.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS FOR LIKE THE NEXT THREE, THREE AND A HALF MONTHS, THAT MEANS THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND LOOK AT WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE WE INCLUDING WITHIN THE PLAN SPECIFIC STRATEGIES THAT WE CAN BELIEVE WE'LL HAVE ACHIEVABLE YIELDS.
I MEAN, I'M TURNING INTO A CONVENTIONALLY OLD SUPPLY PLANNER THAT IT'S LIKE, OKAY, IF WE'RE GONNA SET THESE GOALS AND TARGETS, THEN WHAT'S GONNA ACTUALLY GET US THOSE YIELDS? 'CAUSE WE WILL BE RELYING UPON THEM.
UM, SO OUR FOLKS, I MEAN, I THINK I STILL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS OUT THERE.
MY SENSE THAT, OR MY DIFFERENCE IS PROBABLY THAT WE PASS LETTER RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE JUST WANNA INCLUDE IT JUST IN CASE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A DEMOCRACY OF BOARD.
SO IF SOMEBODY, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION ABOUT, ABOUT THIS LETTER AT THE END OF THE PACKET AND, AND, AND THEN WE CAN JENNIFER, UM, ARE YOU, I FEEL LIKE THERE WERE QUESTIONS THAT LIKE SARAH HAD SENT THAT SHE WAS STILL WAITING, UM, ON ANSWERS FROM.
AND I, UM, YOU KNOW, RAISED THAT POINT ABOUT INCREASED INCREASING THE, UM, SORT OF RESTRICTIONS FOR OUTDOOR IRRIGATION AND THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN ARE, ARE THESE THINGS THAT, THAT WE CAN DISCUSS WITH THE CITY, UH, WITH THE UTILITY BEFORE WE SIGN THIS LETTER? I, I MEAN I, I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF ON A SHORT TIMEFRAME HERE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THERE WERE STILL SOME THINGS THAT THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT.
THE CITY COUNCILS NEXT THURSDAY, SO I MEAN, I THINK THAT RIGHT? YES.
UM, SO I MEAN I, I FEEL LIKE WE ARE STILL KINDA WAITING FOR SOME ANSWERS ON THINGS SO THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE AFTER THE TIME FOR THE MEETING TO ACTUALLY KINDA STOP, UM, THAT WE'RE READY FOR THAT I MOTION AS TO GO BOARD.
SO YEAH, I WAS JUST TO COMMENT THAT I THINK LIKE, UH, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE ANSWERS.
I KNOW WE STILL HAVE QUESTIONS AND LIKE MY PERSONALLY, I I, I DON'T THINK THE PLANS GO FAR ENOUGH.
I KNOW THERE ARE OBSTACLES, BUT I I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE ENOUGH STRONG SPECIFIC THINGS AS BILL MENTIONED THERE.
SO I, I WANNA GET THOSE DRAFTED IN THE WATER FORWARD PROCESS MAYBE, AND MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY TO DO IT.
WE, THERE ARE TIMING CONCERNS HERE, BUT I WOULD NOT WANNA ENDORSE THE LANGUAGE OF THE LETTER WITHOUT MORE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AND MAYBE PUT IT IN MORE FORWARD PLAN THAT STRONG.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS FOR THINK WE NOT PASSING IN THE COUNCIL MEETING STUFF, HE SAID THAT THERE ARE DROUGHT LEVELS AND STUFF OR STAGES WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
HOW WOULD THAT IMPACT THE RESPONSE AND THE WATER WE WORK ON IT OR STRONGER BEFORE? SO IS YOUR QUESTION IF, IF NEITHER ONE OF THEM WERE ADOPTED IN MAY, WHICH OFF UNTIL THE FALL.
UH, WELL, I THINK IT WOULD IMPACT, ONE WOULD BE UNDER THE OLD RULES FOR DROUGHT.
UM, SO WE, IF WE HAD SEVEN 50 LCRA WOULD SAY WE'RE IN A NEW DROUGHT STAGE AND WE WOULD, AND WE WOULD NOT, WE WOULD BE IN THE SAME DROUGHT STAGE.
UM, AND THEN WE'D WOULD NOT ENACT SOME OF THE NEWER, UH, RESTRICTIONS.
UM, WHETHER THEY BEAT THE ATHLETIC FIELDS OR THE THE NO WARNINGS, OR LORD FORBID, YOU KNOW, IF WE HIT 600,000 ACRE FEET IN SEPTEMBER, THOSE WOULD NOT GO IN IN TERMS OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
I THINK THE PRIMARY CONCERN THERE IS HOW A, NOT HAVING AN UPDATED WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, IF THAT WOULD MAKE IT US INELIGIBLE FOR WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FUNDING.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.
MAY I SAY SOMETHING? YES, YES.
WHY DON'T WE WRITE A DIFFERENT
[02:00:01]
LETTER SAYING WE HAVE DEEP RESERVATIONS WITH THIS PLAN AND IT MAY BE THE CHOICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR VARIOUS REASONS TO IMPROVE IT, BUT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS OVER THE SUMMER TO IMPROVE IT BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH.UM, BILL, I, UH, I'M VERY AWARE THAT IT'S 3 0 7 AND OUR TIME IS COMING TO THE END HERE AND CITY COUNCIL'S NEXT WEEK, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO ALL MEET IF WE'RE TO APPROVE ANOTHER LETTER AS A TASK FORCE.
BUT, UM, EVERY TASK FORCE MEMBER, OF COURSE IS AND CAN AND SHOULD, UM, TALK TO THE PERSON THAT APPOINTED THEM TO THE TASK FORCE FOR THIS SUPER AWESOME JOB.
UM, BUT, UH, I I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UM, I ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO, UM, REACH OUT TO THEIR APPOINTED COUNSEL OFFICE AND OTHERS IF THEY WANT, UM, TO SHARE KIND OF OUR EXPERIENCE OR THOUGHTS ON THIS PLAN.
UM, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO DO THAT.
AND AS I KNOW OF BILL AT THIS POINT, PLUS THERE WAS A LETTER WRITTEN BY EVERYBODY.
BUT ANYWAYS, WE'RE NOT DOING THIS LETTER, RIGHT? NO, WE'RE NOT.
I DON'T, THERE'S NOT A MOTION
UM, ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, LET'S, UH, BE ADJOURNED AT 3 0 8.
ARE YOU FREE TAPPING OUT? WELL, WELL, UH, NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY REALLY QUICK, I MEAN, I THINK THAT WHEN AUSTIN WATER PRESENTS THIS TO COUNCIL, UM, THEY COULD SAY THAT THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE DIDN'T TAKE ACTION, BUT IS LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK ON THIS AND IMPROVE IT OVER THE SUMMER.
I'M GONNA START AWAY STILL THREE AWAY.