[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2024 AT THE, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY MUELLER HEADQUARTERS.
AND THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION IS NOW CALLED THE ORDER.
I'M PRESIDING OVER THE COMMISSION MEETING ON BEHALF OF CHAIR RETTA WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT TODAY.
UM, SO WE'LL RUN THROUGH A ROLL CALL.
UM, SO THE COMMISSIONER'S PRESENCE ARE COMMISSIONER REYES, COMMISSIONER PENN AND COMMISSIONER NAVARRO, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAINES, AND THEN REMOTE.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MORIARTY AND COMMISSIONER PEN.
SO MOVING ON TO, UH, THE, UH, NEXT ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
ARE THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? NO.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
NONE, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.UM, SO WE HAVE THE, UH, AUGUST 7TH, 2024 MEETING, MINUTES UP FOR APPROVAL.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR REVISIONS ON THESE MINUTES? OKAY, SO HEARING NONE, DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? UH, MOTION TO APPROVE.
I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER NAVARRO.
SO ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS PRESENT TODAY.
[DISCUSSION AND ACTION]
SO NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, SO NOW I, I WILL CALL UPON THE COMMISSIONERS TO ASK FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR RECUSALS ON THE AGENDA ITEMS, ITEMS NUMBER TWO THROUGH NINE.SO, COMMISSIONER REYES, QUESTION ON NUMBER EIGHT, AND, UH, NO BUTTON.
UH, QUESTION ON NUMBER EIGHT AND NO RECUSALS.
COMMISSIONER PENN? SAME FOR ME.
QUESTION ON EIGHT? NO RECUSALS.
COMMISSIONER NAVARRO? NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS.
NO RECUSALS, UH, COMMISSIONER MORIARTY? NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS.
COMMISSIONER PENI? NO QUESTIONS? NO, RECUSALS.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE ITEMS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, AND NINE.
SO I GUESS, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? MOVE TO APPROVE.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PENN TO HAVE A SECOND.
I HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NAVARRO.
SO ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
SEEING ALL IN FAVOR, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED.
[8. Recommend approval of Service Extension Request No. 5845 for wastewater service to a 2.85-acre tract located at 1107 Castle Ridge Road within the Drinking Water Protection Zone, the City’s two-mile ExtraTerritorial Jurisdiction and Austin Water’s service area]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.UH, NUMBER ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST NUMBER 5 8 4 5 FOR WASTEWATER SERVICE TO THE 2.85 ACRE TRACT LOCATED AT 1107 CASTLE RIDGE ROAD WITHIN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE, THE CITY'S TWO MILE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION AND AUSTIN WATERS SERVICE AREA.
SO I BELIEVE COMMISSIONERS, REYES AND PENN HAVE QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM.
UH, THE MICROPHONES ARE WORKING.
UH, QUICK QUESTION ON NUMBER EIGHT.
NOTICE THAT'S IN THE ETJ READ THROUGH THE PREVIOUS DOCUMENTATION THAT WAS PROVIDED, WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL TO PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BACKGROUND OF THIS SITE AND LOCATION.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE IS, UH, A BILL THAT ALLOWS PROPERTIES WITHIN THE ETJ TO DNX THEMSELVES HAS AUSTIN WATER EXPERIENCE THAT AS FAR AS ANY PROPERTIES THAT ARE SERVICED BY AUSTIN WATER OR THE RECEIVING SERVICE HAVE BEEN DNX.
AND HOW DOES THIS AUSTIN WATER HANDLE THAT, IF, IF ANY, IF ANY CHANGES HAVE
[00:05:01]
BEEN MADE? UM, SO IS THIS MICROPHONE ON? CAN YOU HEAR? UH, SO THE AUSTIN AREA SERVICE, AUSTIN WATERS SERVICE AREA IS, UM, IS DEFINED BY OUR, CAN'T HEAR.OH, THANK YOU FOR THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR KEVIN CRITTENDEN, FOLKS.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MORIARTY.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
AUSTIN WATERS SERVICE AREA, UH, IS DEFINED AS OUR IMPACT FEE BOUNDARY, WHICH IS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL AND IT'S ROUGHLY MATCHES THE ETJ OF THE CITY.
WE DID AN EVALUATION OF THE, UH, OF THE SENATE BILL 2038 THAT ALLOWS, UM, PROPERTIES TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE ETJ.
AND WE, UM, AND WE PUBLISHED A MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT WE'D BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU THE LINK, LINK TO, UH, THAT ESSENTIALLY SAYS THAT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, UNIFORM PLANNING AND SERVICE TO OUR SERVICE AREA, UH, THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA REGARDLESS OF ETJ STATUS.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
UM, SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET MY ARMS AROUND THIS ONE.
'CAUSE READING THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION, THERE WERE, UH, A RECOMMENDATION TO DENY FROM WATERSHED AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS.
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T GET THIS KIND OF THING OFTEN, IT, IT, WHAT IS, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF AUSTIN WATER, YOUR, YOUR ROLE IN THIS, IS IT JUST TO SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT THE ABILITY TO SERVE AND TECHNICAL ISSUES AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN DESIGN? IS THAT HOW YOU APPROACH THIS? AND JUST THINKING OF IT, HOW I WILL APPROACH IT? SEE IF I CAN TURN MINE ON HERE.
UH, KEVIN CRITTENTON AUSTIN WATER.
UM, YES, IN SHORT, UM, OF COURSE THE CITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY IS SET BY GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE, UH, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AND MANAGED THEIR FOUR, UM, WATERSHED HAS REVIEWED, AND AS YOU INDICATED, STAFF HAS INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT SUPPORT, AND IT'S FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE LOOK AT IT PURELY FROM A UTILITY SERVICE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, IT IS IN OUR SERVICE AREA, I THINK AS THE WRITE-UP INDICATES WE CAN PROVIDE SERVICE, UM, GIVEN THE, UM, UM, UM, IMPROVEMENTS IDENTIFIED IN THE SCR AND SO WE CAN AND, AND ARE ABLE TO SERVE.
AND THEN JUST KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF THAT, IF I NOTICED, IT LOOKED LIKE AN ADJACENT PROPERTY HAD AN ONSITE SEWAGE.
SO IF AUSTIN WATER DIDN'T PROVIDE GRAVITY, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE, THEY WOULD GO, THEIR NEXT STEP MIGHT BE A O UH, ONSITE SEWAGE, UH, FACILITY, RIGHT? DEPENDING UPON THE, THE SIZING AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT INTENT FOR THAT PARTICULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY, SO, RIGHT.
AND, AND THEN MY LAST, UH, QUESTION IS JUST SO IF THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION APPROVES RECOMMEND THE RECOMMENDATION, THAT WOULD THEN BE THE CONSIDERATION FOR THE SER.
THESE, THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SEPARATE IN ON KIND OF SIDE RECOMMENDATIONS, OR WOULD THEY POTENTIALLY WEIGH IN AT THE, AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL? AS FAR AS THE, THE SCR ITSELF, I THINK I WOULD BASICALLY DESCRIBE IT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS POLICY MATTER SORT OF WOULD BE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL WITH THE, UM, RECOMMENDATION FROM ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO NOT APPROVE AND WITH THE RECOMMENDATION FROM WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION TO APPROVE.
AND THE POLICY BALANCE WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN, YOU KNOW, ON THE DICE BY THE COUNCIL.
I, SO, SO THERE'LL BE A CONSIDERATION THAT'S COMES FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP THERE.
THERE'LL BE A CONSIDERATION THAT COMES FROM THE WATERSHED, AND THEN THERE'LL BE THE, THE AUSTIN WATER.
IN THIS CASE, I'M THINKING ABOUT IT KIND OF TECHNICALLY, UM, UH, PROVIDING SERVICE AS, AS KIND OF WE, AS THE AUSTIN WATER AS, UM, ALMOST PROMISED TO DO WITHIN A SERVICE AREA.
NO MORE QUESTIONS ON THAT THEN I HAVE A QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER MURTY, UM, IF WE VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ARE WE VOTING TO APPROVE THIS OR ARE WE VOTING NOT TO APPROVE IT?
[00:10:01]
IF YOU VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, YOU ARE VOTING TO RECOMMEND THAT COUNSEL APPROVE THIS SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST TO THIS PROPERTY.SO IF WE DON'T LIKE THIS, WE SHOULD VOTE NO.
I GUESS, UH, COMMISSIONERS, WE WILL NOW, UM, TAKE A VOTE.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT? A MOTION TO APPROVE.
SO COMMISSIONER REYES, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.
SO ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
SO WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER REYES, COMMISSIONER PENN, COMMISSIONER NAVARRO, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAINES VOTING IN FAVOR.
AND WE HAVE COMMISSIONER PENGE AND COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER MORIARTY, UH, NOT VOTING IN FAVOR.
SO THE ITEM DOES YEAH, I'M VOTING AGAINST.
SO THE, UH, COMMISSIONER PENI VOTED FOR COMMISSIONER MORIARTY IS THE ONLY COMMISSIONER VOTING AGAINST, SO THE ITEM DOES NOT PASS BECAUSE OF NOT A QUORUM OR OVER THE QUORUM NUMBER.
SO ITEM EIGHT DOES NOT, UH, PASS.
[10. Appoint alternate member to Joint Sustainability Committee]
SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 10, BUT I, UH, WOULD LIKE TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER 10 IS TO APPOINT AN ALTERNATE MEMBER TO THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.BUT I, UH, WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST, UH, TABLING THIS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONER VACANCIES POP UP, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THREE COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE ABSENT.
SO I DON'T WANT TO PUT THIS OUT TO TRY TO GET AN ALTERNATE MEMBER IF WE DON'T HAVE A FULL NUMBER OF PEOPLE AVAILABLE.
SO, UM, I GUESS WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT.
I CAN JUST SAY LET'S TABLE IT.
[11. Staff briefing on Wastewater Capital Improvement Projects]
SO NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO STAFF BRIEFINGS, AND WE HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING ON THE WASTEWATER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.AND, UH, MY PROGRAM AREA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF AUSTIN'S WATER CAPITAL OF IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING ON THE WATER SIDE, UH, GROUND STORAGE TANKS, AND BOOSTER STATION, AS WELL AS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS TONIGHT IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, UM, LIFT STATIONS, WASTEWATER PIPELINES, AND RECLAIM FACILITIES AND ALL.
FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 THROUGH 29, IT'S APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 500 PROJECTS FOR ABOUT $2.3 BILLION.
SO, SO FOR TONIGHT, UH, WE'LL BE CONCENTRATING ON THE WASTEWATER.
UH, FISCAL YEAR 25 THROUGH 29, BUDGET HAS ABOUT 210 PROJECTS.
AND WE'LL START WITH PROJECT NUMBER ONE.
UM, I, I DID SAMPLE SOME OF, SOME SAMPLE PROJECTS OF OR DI DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND COLLECTIONS.
UM, WE'LL START WITH THE BIG PROJECT OF WALNUT CREEK FOR A QUICK BRIEFING.
I'LL TOUCH BASE ON SOME OF THE OTHER WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS THAT WE DO OUR EFFORTS IN SOME ODOR CONTROL AND CORROSION FACILITIES.
LOOK AT SOME WASTEWATER COLLECTION LINES.
WE'VE GOT THREE SAMPLE PROJECTS, AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT SOME WASTE WASTEWATER LIFT STATIONS.
SO THIS IS WASTEWATER BY THE NUMBERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT LATELY.
29,000 MILES OF GRAVITY LINE, 59,000 MANHOLES, 137 LIFT STATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE NINE DECENTRALIZED PACKAGED PLANTS, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PLANTS.
WE HAVE ONE FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP PLANT IN THE BRUSHY CREEK EAST WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UH, TWO REGIONAL PLANTS THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF, THE WALNUT CREEK AND THE SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL WASTEWATER.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR BIOSOLIDS PLANTS, WHICH TREATS THE SOLIDS FROM THOSE PLANTS AT THE HORNSBY BEND BIO SILAGE MANAGEMENT PLANT.
THIS IS KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, 25 TO 29 BUDGET IN THE, IN THE PIE CIRCLE THERE.
UM, HARD TO READ, BUT IN GENERAL, 50% OF ALL OUR SPENDING IS GOING TO BE FOR WASTEWATER.
[00:15:01]
INCLUDE, UH, CONVERTING OF SOME OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESSES TO BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL, UM, REHABILITATING SOME EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL, UH, INTERDEPARTMENT COORDINATION PROJECTS WITH PARD WATERSHED PROTECTION, STREET AND BRIDGE, UM, PROJECT CONNECT, ALL THE MOBILITY PROJECTS WE HAVE WITH TECH STOP, AS WELL AS, UH, PIPELINE MAINTENANCE PROJECTS, UH, FOR INCLUDING CLOSED CAPTION TV AS WELL AS SMOKE, UH, TESTING FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
SO, SIGNIFICANT PORTION GOING TO THE WASTEWATER SIDE.
WE'LL START WITH OUR, THE BIG PROJECT, THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
I'LL START WITH A QUICK, OKAY, THERE WE GO.
WITH THEY, OH, SHOULD HAVE HIT TOO MANY BUTTONS.
SO YOU'RE NOT RUIN THE SURPRISE.
UM, SO THE PLANT, AS WE MENTIONED, STARTED BACK IN 1977 AND IS THE 18 MILLION GALLON PER DAY FACILITY IN 87.
WE, UH, EXPANDED IT TO 40 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AND JUST SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WENT TO 60 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
THEN WE WAITED ABOUT 15 YEARS AND, UH, AND CONVERTED, UH, EXPANDED THE PROJECT.
UH, WELL
UM, SO THOSE WERE THE, THE, HOW, THE EVOLUTION OF THE PLANT, UH, AS, AS IT SITS TODAY.
AND THAT'S THE PICTURE TO THE RIGHT AS IT SITS TODAY.
RIGHT NOW, UM, AFTER THE PROJECT GOT ABOUT, OR THE PROJECT I KEEP SAYING PROJECT, EXCUSE ME.
AFTER THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT GOT TO ABOUT 30 YEARS OLD, UH, WE BEGAN SOME STRATEGIC, UH, REHABILITATION AND RENEWAL PROJECTS TO MAKE SURE WE, UH, MAINTAINED, UH, ENHANCED RELIABLE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROJECTS.
SO SOME OF THE, NOT ALL, BUT THE SIGNIFICANT REHABILITATION PROJECTS WE HAVE DONE AT THE WALNUT CREEK PLANT OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, UH, WITH SIGNIFICANT, UM, EXPENDITURES IN THE LAST 10 YEARS OF BEING APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SIDE OF THE SLIDE, ON THE RIGHT WHERE THE BLUE SHADE IS, IS WHERE THOSE REHABILITATION PROJECTS OCCURRED.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE PRETTY MUCH THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PLANT SITE, ABOUT 25 YEARS LATER NOW, NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING THE PLANT TO A HUNDRED MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
WE STARTED WITH A FACILITY AND OPTIMIZATION PLAN IN 2019 TO SEE WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED OF THAT AS WELL, WHAT KIND OF, UH, PROCESS TREATMENT WE WOULD NEED FOR THE BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL.
PICK OUT WHICH PROCESS WE WANTED TO USE WITH PRELIMINARY DESIGN.
STARTING IN, UH, 2021 IN BLUE IS SOME OF OUR REHABILITATION PROJECTS THAT WE'RE FINISHING AT THE PLANT, UH, INCLUDING THE HEADWORKS, WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL HEADWORKS FROM ABOUT 45 YEARS AGO.
THE DARK GREEN, WHICH IS KIND OF IN TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN AND KIND OF BELOW THE BLUE IS WHERE WE WOULD EXPAND THE PLANT, THE 25 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
UH, WITH THAT, WOULD, WOULD WE, WE WOULD HAVE THE BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL PROCESS AS WELL AS USE UV DISINFECTION.
THE LIGHTER GREEN THERE IS ACTUALLY GOING BACK INTO THE EXISTING PLANT AND CONVERTING ITS PROCESS TREATMENT TO BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL, AS WELL AS PROVIDING A UV DISINFECTION.
AND THE KIND OF BURNT ORANGE, BROWN IS SOME PROTECTIVE PROJECTS.
THE MAIN ONE IS THE FLOOD WALL THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO GO COMPLETELY AROUND THE PLANT.
THE PROJECT SITE IS IN IS WITHIN THE ATLAS 1400 YEAR FLOODPLAIN.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE A WET WEATHER FACILITY FOR HIGH FLOWS THAT REACH THE PLANT.
AGAIN, REMEMBER, THAT'S ABOUT A $900 MILLION PROJECT.
SO, UH, I WILL NOW GO TO SOME OF OUR PACKAGE PLANTS OR, OKAY, GONNA GO POINT, THAT'S A AERIAL PICTURE OF A PIERCE LANE IF ANYBODY'S WANT.
SO THIS IS OUR, OUR PICTURES OF ON THE, ON THE LEFT SIDE, KIND OF WHERE THEY'RE GRAPHICALLY, UH, LOCATED A LITTLE BIT, UH, CENTRIC ONTO THE EAST SIDE, THE WEST, UH, UH, THE BALCONES, UM, RIVER PLACE AND LOST CREEK ALL ARE FOR, UH, ALL PROVIDE RECLAIMED WATER FOR GOLF COURSES.
UH, YOU COULD SEE THAT WE HAD THE TWO BIG REGIONAL PLANTS FOR 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
EACH AND ALL THE OTHER PACKAGED PLANTS ADDED TOGETHER ONLY ENCOMPASSES ABOUT 3.3 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
IN ADDITION TO THE WALNUT CREEK EXPANSION, WE DO HAVE SOME PACKAGE PLANTS THAT ARE BEING CURRENTLY EXPANDED.
THE WILDHORSE, UH, PACKAGE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IS BEING, UH, EXPANDED TO 2.5 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
THE TATER LANE PACKAGE PLANT IS BEING, UH, UH, INCREASED TO 0.6 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AND THEN, UH, BRUSHY CREEK REGIONAL PLANT IS ALSO BEING EXPANDED AND OUR FRACTIONAL SHARE WILL INCREASE TO 3.26 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
[00:20:04]
WE'RE ALSO, UH, HEAVILY INVESTED IN ODOR CONTROL AND, UH, CORROSION FACILITIES.WE HAVE SEVERAL THAT ARE IN BLUE, UH, EXCUSE ME, COLORBLIND IN GREEN ON THIS, ON THE SLIDE.
UH, MAINLY LOCATED ON SOME OF OUR LARGER TUNNELS AND INTERCEPTORS, INCLUDING THE CROSSTOWN TUNNEL, WHICH IS RIGHT BY THE, UH, UH, WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UH, GOING NORTH ON THE LITTLE WALNUT AND UPPER GREATER WALNUT, WE'LL PROVIDE SOME, UH, ODOR CONTROL FACILITIES THERE AS WELL.
DOWN THE SOUTH, WE HAVE THE WILLIAMSON CREEK, UH, ODOR CONTROL FACILITY THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE WILLIAMSON CREEK INTERCEPTOR, WHICH WE WILL DISCUSS TONIGHT, AS WELL AS THE ONION CREEK.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL OF, OF, OF ODOR CONTROL.
UM, THE FACILITIES BASICALLY DRAW AIR OUT OF THE, UH, INTERCEPTORS AND TUNNELS, AND IT REMOVES THE RESIDUAL ODORS FROM THAT.
THE ADDED BENEFIT OF THAT IS THE EXCESS AIR PROVIDES, UH, INCREASED OXYGEN IN WITHIN THE TUNNELS, WHICH IN TURN REDUCES ODORS AS WELL AS REDUCE THE, THE, UM, PRODUCTION OF CORROSIVE GAS.
SO, UH, IT'S REALLY A BENEFIT FOR US AS WELL, FOR AS A CORROSION PROTECTION MEASURE AS WELL.
THE, UH, UNITS WILL BE BIO TRICKLING FILTERS, WHICH BASICALLY UTILIZE A NATURAL PROCESS TO CLEAN THE AIR AS IT MOVES ON OUR WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM SIDE.
UM, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 110 PROJECTS.
UH, THE SLIDE OF THE RIGHTS KINDA SHOWS THE GREEN KIND OF ALL THE AREAS THAT WE'RE IN DOING PROJECTS FROM THE DIFFERENT, UH, CATEGORIES OF GROWTH RENEWAL FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE.
THERE'S ABOUT $440 MILLION THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON SPENDING IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UH, THEY PROVIDE PIPELINE REHABILITATION OF OLD PIPE REDUCTION OF SSOS, SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS, AND OF COURSE SOME RELOCATION OF, OF, OF WASTEWATER LINES FOR MOBILITY PROJECTS SUCH AS TDOT OR PROJECT CONNECT.
AND I, I, I DID COME UP WITH THREE EXAMPLES THERE.
I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT THE UPPER HARRIS BRANCH, THE UPPER TANYA HILL, AND THE WILLIAMSTON CREEK WASTEWATER RECEPTORS THERE.
I KIND OF NORTH, SOUTH AND CENTRAL.
JUST TO KINDA GIVE YOU AN AREA WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED.
THE, UH, FIRST ONE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IS THE WILLIAMSON CREEK INTERCEPTOR.
UH, IT'S ABOUT 3.6 MILES OF 72 INCH GRAVITY SEWER.
IT'S KIND OF GONNA REPLACE AN EXISTING, UH, UH, INTERCEPTOR SEWER.
UM, THIS WILL HELP PROVIDE, UH, THE RISK OF SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS.
THE, THE PIPE HAS, UH, HAS EXPERIENCED THAT DECREASE LONG TERM OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COSTS DUE TO AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UH, MINIMIZES, UH, SOME OF THE IMPACTS TO THE, UH, ALONG THE CREEK BY REMOVING THE, THE INTERCEPTOR OUT FROM THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE, AS WELL AS ELIMINATE SEVERAL, UH, OF CREEK CROSSINGS ALONG THE WAY.
SO, AND IT'S, UH, IN FINAL DESIGN PHASE RIGHT NOW.
THE NEXT ONE, UH, IS A, UH, HARRIS BRANCH, UM, INTERCEPTOR.
THIS IS A NEW INTERCEPTOR AND, UM, IT'S ABOUT, UH, TOTAL ABOUT 4.3 MILES.
WE HAVE IT DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES CURRENTLY.
AND THIS, THIS PROJECT IS FOR A CAPACITY GROWTH THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING.
ONCE THE INTERCEPTOR IS IN, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, RELIEVE A COUPLE OF LIFT STATIONS AS WELL AS THREE ADDITIONAL IN THE FUTURE AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO RELIEVE, UH, FLOW FROM THE DECAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, THIS INTERCEPTOR WILL GO AHEAD AND DIS EVENTUALLY DISCHARGE INTO THE WILD BOS WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, WHICH I DID NOTICE THAT IT'S BEING EXPANDED.
IT'S ABOUT A $70 MILLION PROJECT.
SO THIS IS A, AN ADDITIONAL INTERCEPT THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
AND IT'S IN ABOUT, UH, UH, 90%, UH, UH, SUBMITTAL ON THE DESIGN PHASE SERVICES.
THE LAST ONE IS THE UPPER HILL AL PROJECT.
IT'S A SMALLER PROJECT, IT'S JUST, IT'S A LITTLE ABOUT, JUST A LITTLE LESS THAN A MILE, A 4, 2 48 INCH LINE.
UH, I, I SHOWED THIS AS AN EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT WHERE WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH, UH, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION APARTMENT, AS WELL AS WATERSHED PROTECTION FOR FLOODING.
UH, THAT'S MORRIS WILLIAMS SOME GOLF COURSE, THAT BIG GREEN SPOT THERE.
AND THAT LINE KIND OF GOES AROUND THEIR EXISTING FLOOD CONTROL DAM.
SO OUR EFFORTS WILL WORK, WE'LL WORK WITH THEM ON THAT.
UM, AS WELL AS THE FRO 10 LINE IS, IS A NEEDS OF REHABILITATION AND IT WILL HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF SAN SEWER OVERFLOWS IN THE FUTURE.
AND THIS IS ABOUT A $19 BILLION PROJECT.
[00:25:02]
NEXT, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF LIFT STATIONS THAT WE HAVE GOING CURRENTLY ONGOING RIGHT NOW.UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, THE FIRST ONE I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS ACTUALLY ABANDONING THE LIFT STATION.
UH, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TO, UH, REROUTE THE ROCK HARBOR FORCE MAIN, WHICH CURRENTLY GOES TO FOUR POINTS.
NUMBER TWO, LIFT STATION AND, AND, AND DIVERT IT FROM FOUR POINTS.
NUMBER TWO, LIFT STATION AND ABANDON THAT LIFT STATION.
THAT LIFT STATION CURRENTLY IS LOCATED IN THE ALCON'S, UH, CONSERVATION PLAN.
SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, GOOD ONE TO GO AHEAD AND, AND REMOVE.
THERE IS NO DEVELOPMENT WITHIN AROUND THAT LIFT STATION.
THE NEXT, UH, ONE FOR CONSIDER, UH, FOR, FOR YOU TO KNOW IS THE GREAT HILLS LIFT STATION, WHICH HAS BED.
UM, IT IS TO BRING THE LIFT STATION UP TO STANDARDS.
THE, THIS IS A CANNED LIFT STATION THAT HAS THE, THE CONFINED SPACED STEEL TUBE THAT GOES DOWN TO A BURIED, UM, UH, DRY WELL WITH ALL THE PUMPS AND, AND ELECTRICAL.
AND IT'S SEEING SOME, UH, CORROSION EFFORTS IN THE STEEL.
SO THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IT UP TO, UH, AUSTIN WATER STANDARDS, REMOVE IT FROM THE HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN, AS WELL AS WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE AN, UH, ONSITE GENERATORS POWERED BY NATURAL GAS.
THIS PARTICULAR STATION'S ACTUALLY LOCATED BEHIND HOMES AND OUR ACCESS IS THROUGH A SHARED DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE OF THE HOMEOWNERSHIP.
SO THIS WILL PROVIDE AVAILABILITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, IF THERE IS POWER DOWN FOR THE GENERATOR TO COME ON BY ITSELF AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DELIVER DIESEL FUEL BACK AND THROUGH THERE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT PROJECT.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE BOULDER LANE LIFT STATION.
AGAIN, IT'S UP LOCATED IN THE NORTHWEST AUSTIN.
THIS, THIS IS TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE LIFT STATION AND ALSO BRING IT UP TO STANDARDS.
AND, UH, THE BOULDER LANE LIFT STATION ACTUALLY PUMPS INTO THE ROCK HARBOR LIFT STATION.
AND THAT AGAIN, OF COURSE, IS ANOTHER PROJECT WE'RE, UH, LIFT STATION THAT WE'RE INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF.
AND THAT PROJECT IS CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION, SO WILL BE READY ONCE BOULDER LANE.
IT HAS A INCREASED CAPACITY, UM, THE ONE THAT'S WITH ROLLER LANE.
WE ARE TRYING A PILOTED, UH, METHOD OF TRYING TO MAYBE DE RAG THAT LIFT STATION WITH BY MAYBE HAVING KIND OF IT LITTLE, I'M GONNA SAY HEADWORKS, NOT REAL HEADWORKS, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SCREEN THAT MAYBE BE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME OF THOSE RAGS.
AND WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW THAT WORKS.
'CAUSE WE DO HAVE A RAGGING ISSUE IN SOME OF OUR LIFT STATIONS.
THE LAST ONE IS THE SPRINGFIELD LIFT STATION ABANDONMENT.
UH, THAT'S LOCATED IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF O UH, OF AUSTIN.
UM, IT IS ACTUALLY IN THE 25 YEAR FLOOD PLAIN, SO IT'S REALLY GETS INUNDATED DURING FLOOD.
SO THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REMOVE THAT LIFT STATION FROM THAT FLOODPLAIN AND IT'LL GO OVER TO THE ONION CREEK TUNNEL AND, AND DISCHARGE THEM TO THERE.
SO THOSE ARE TWO PROJECTS WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET REDUCED, SOME LIFT STATIONS.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET TO REDUCE SOME LIFT STATIONS.
THE LAST, UH, SECTION OF THE, OF MY PRESENTATION, I WAS TALKING ABOUT POWER RESILIENCY, IF IT'LL FLIP.
MISSED THE, MISSED THE TITLE SLIDE, BUT THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT WE NEED TO SEE RIGHT NOW.
IS, UM, CURRENTLY ON THE, ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE, WE HAVE 137 LIFT STATIONS AS MENTIONED CURRENTLY, UM, IN 2025, WHERE THAT NUMBER'S GONNA GO UP TO 141 LIFT STATIONS.
UH, THAT'S ABOUT, UH, UH, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 15 LIFT STATIONS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO WE'RE SEEING A GROWTH IN LIFT STATIONS, AND YOU CAN SEE THE LAST FEW YEARS THE GROWTH IS EVEN BEING A LITTLE STEEPER.
SO WE'RE STILL CAN SEE, CAN SEE, UH, UH, INCREASES IN, IN LIFT STATION NUMBERS.
UM, ON THE RIGHT, ON THE UPPER LEFT IS A DESIGNATION OF OUR, OUR FIXED GENERATORS.
THE, THAT, THAT SCALE GOES OUT TO THE FUTURE.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE ABOUT 85 LIFT STATIONS, ABOUT 60% OR, OR CURRENTLY DO HAVE FIXED LIFT, UH, FIXED GENERATORS ON SITE TO, FOR BACKUP POWER.
AND WE ARE, ARE PLANNING ON INCREASING THAT TO ABOUT, UH, IN THE, IN THE, THE NEXT SIX YEARS FROM ANOTHER 30 LIFT, UH, 30 GENERATORS TO BRING US UP TO ABOUT AN 80% CAPACITY OF, UH, OR 80% OF OUR LIFT STATIONS TO HAVING ON, UH, FIXED GENERATORS ON SITE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, AVAILABILITY OF 25, UH, PORTABLE GENERATORS THAT WE CAN TAKE TO THE LIFT STATIONS AT TIMES FOR THOSE LIFT STATIONS THAT DO NOT HAVE, UH, GENERATORS ON SITE, THERE WILL BE LIFT STATIONS THAT, THAT WE HAVE ANNEXED THAT ARE SO SMALL, WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PUT AN ACTUAL, UH, GENERATOR ON SITE.
BUT HENCE BEING SMALL, THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FLOWS.
SO A PORTABLE GENERATOR WORKS VERY WELL FOR THAT.
AS, AS WELL AS, UH, JUST, I JUST DID NOTE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, OUR TOTAL GENERATOR FLEET IS 140, SO IF WE DO WHOEVER NEEDS, UH, SOME THINGS, SO WE DO HAVE SOME, UH, PORTABLE GENERATORS ARE ON THE WATER SIDE AND IF WE NEEDED TO BORROW IT, WE CAN BORROW THEM.
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE END OF THIS.
SO HOPEFULLY I JUST GAVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A
[00:30:01]
SMATTERING OF THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF PROJECTS THAT WE DO IN OUR WASTEWATER COLLECTION.UH, CIP PROJECTS FROM PLANTS TO COLLECTION SYSTEMS, ODOR AND LIFT STATIONS.
SO I'VE TRIED TO PICK A LITTLE EXAMPLE OUT FOR EACH ONE.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
OKAY, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHARLES.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
VERY, UH, ENLIGHTENING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, LIFT STATIONS AND WHEN YOU SEE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE OF MOVING THAT AROUND, IT'S, UH, PRETTY AMAZING.
SO YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU'RE WELCOME.
[12. Update from the Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force meeting regarding Water Forward Plan implementation and progress on plan updates – Commissioner Moriarty]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE COMMITTEE UPDATES.AND, UH, FIRST UP WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE MEETING REGARDING THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND PROGRESS ON PLAN UPDATES.
SO COMMISSIONER MORIARTY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
UM, OUR COMMITTEE, IT'S, UH, WORKING WITH THE AUSTIN WATER STAFF TO COMPLETE THREE VERY IMPORTANT THINGS.
UH, I AND I, I'LL GIVE YOU MY OPINION AS TO WHAT I THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, BUT WE, ONE OF THE THINGS AUSTIN WATER IS DOING, AND WE AS VOLUNTEERS ARE, UH, MONITORING, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY, IS AN UPDATE TO THE 2018 WATER FORWARD PLAN, WHICH IS A 100 YEAR WATER SUPPLY PLAN FOR THE BOSTON WATER SERVICE AREA.
AND SO THE INITIAL PLAN WAS COMPLETED IN 2018, AND IT WAS AGREED TO BY AUSTIN WATER THAT THERE WOULD BE REGULAR UPDATES OF APPROXIMATELY EVERY FIVE YEARS.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST UPDATE TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN.
AND MY OBSERVATION WOULD BE THAT THIS PROCESS HAS GONE PRETTY SMOOTHLY.
UH, THE CHANGES THAT ARE RESULTING FROM THIS UPDATE ARE NOT HUGELY SIGNIFICANT.
UH, THE MAJOR PROJECTS ARE STILL THE SAME WITH, UH, ONE EXCEPTION THAT, THAT BEING THE DECKER LAKE PROJECT THAT, UH, AND EVERYTHING I'M GONNA TELL YOU IS IF YOU GO TO THE WATER FORWARD WEBSITE, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE PRESENTATIONS AND ALL THE STUFF THAT, UH, THE CITY PROVIDES US.
BUT WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF MEETINGS LATELY.
AND, UH, SO WE'RE DRIVING TOWARDS, I BELIEVE A NOVEMBER 7TH CITY COUNCIL DATE TO APPROVE THE, UH, WATER FORWARD PLAN UPDATE.
AND I WOULD DESCRIBE THAT PROCESS AS GOING ALONG PRETTY WELL.
UH, TWO OTHER ISSUES, UM, ARE THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
AND, UH, THAT TOO, I BELIEVE, UH, IS, IS REQUIRED, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, IS REQUIRED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND I, I, I EXPECT THAT THAT WILL GO THROUGH, UH, QUITE WELL.
I THINK, UH, UH, KEVIN KLUGE AND HIS GROUP HAVE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF, OF PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THE THIRD ITEM, WHICH HAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONTROVERSY, AND I PROBABLY HELPED MAKE IT A LITTLE CONTROVERSIAL, IS THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
AND, UH, SEVERAL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE, UH, THE FIVE YEAR UPDATE OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL, UH, DISAGREEMENT WITH IT WAS THE GALLON PER CAPITA PER DAY USAGE FIGURES WERE GOING UP.
SO WE FELT AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THIS WAS NOT CONSERVATION, THIS WOULD BE OPPOSITE OF CONSERVATION.
SO WE SORT OF RAISED OUR HAND VERY POLITELY AND SAID, CAN WE DO BETTER? CAN WE DO MORE? CAN WE BRING, DRIVE THESE NUMBERS DOWN BECAUSE, UH, EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE NEED TO CONSERVE WATER? AND TO THEIR CREDIT, AUSTIN WATER, UH, REDOUBLE THEIR EFFORTS.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD DESCRIBE, UH, THE, THE NEW VERSIONS THAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, HAVE SOME SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROJECTIONS.
AND, AND I SHOULD SAY OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, UH, WHEN WE'VE DONE THESE
[00:35:01]
WATER CONSERVATION PLANS, UH, IT, WE HAVE BEEN VERY POOR AT REACHING ANY OF THE GOALS, WHATEVER THE GOALS WERE SET FOR OR FIVE YEARS OUT, WE, WE DIDN'T DO VERY WELL.AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY A HUNDRED PERCENT THEY WERE WRONG, BUT THEY WERE GENERALLY NOT TOO GOOD.
SO WE WERE LIKE, UH, WE WANNA GET TOUGHER ON THIS AND WE WANT THESE NUMBERS GOING DOWN, WHAT DO WE GOTTA DO? SO THAT IS KIND OF WHERE WE ARE.
AND AGAIN, I CREDIT THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT ALL THE WAY FROM THE DIRECTOR ON DOWN WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ROLLED UP THEIR SLEEVES AND ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS THING BETTER.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME ELEMENTS THAT WERE SUGGESTED BY AUSTIN WATER THAT THAT WILL HELP.
AND THAT IS 'CAUSE TYPICALLY THESE WATER CONSERVATION PLANS GET SUBMITTED AND THEN WE FORGET ABOUT 'EM FOR FIVE YEARS AND THEN WE PULL 'EM OUT OF THE CLOSET AND GO, WE GOTTA REDO THIS, OR WE LOSE STATE FUNDING FROM THE WATER VALVE BOARD.
SO, UH, PERHAPS IN THIS NEW VERSION, WE COULD HAVE MUCH MORE REGULAR UPDATES AND IF THE PLAN DOES NOT SEEM TO BE WORKING, UM, THAT MORE EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS ARE APPLIED.
AND PART OF MY DEDUCTION ON WHY THESE PLANS DON'T WORK VERY WELL IS ALL THE, UM, STRATEGIES ARE VERY VAGUE.
UM, AND THEY RELY ON, YOU KNOW, THE A MHI METERS TO DO A LOT MORE THAN THEY EVER DO, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND AT LEAST IN MY MIND, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING WORK LIKE THAT WHERE YOU JUST KIND OF HAVE VAGUE PRINCIPLES AND A LOT OF HOPE.
AND I THINK MYSELF AND MY FELLOW VOLUNTEERS HAVE SORT OF MADE THAT CASE, UH, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN WELL RECEIVED AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE AUSTIN WATER LEADERSHIP.
WE'RE KIND OF, UH, WE REALIZE Y'ALL GOT A LOT OF STUFF TO DO AND NOT JUST MESS AROUND WITH US ALL DAY.
SO WE'RE TRYING NOT TO MAKE A, A COMPLETE, UH, WASTE OF YOUR TIME.
BUT WE DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND WE, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WE CAN COME UP WITH A BETTER WATER CONSERVATION PLAN TO TRULY DRIVES DOWN PER CAPITA USAGE.
SO OUR COMMITTEE, OUR 11 VOLUNTEERS, WILL BE MEETING VERY REGULARLY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE MEETINGS THIS WEEK.
WE HAVE A MEETING NEXT WEEK, MEETINGS UPON MEETINGS WHERE WE'RE KIND OF, UH, UH, GAINING OUR, OUR, OUR INPUT, UH, TO THE PROCESS AND, UH, WORKING TOWARDS, UH, EVENTUALITY THAT OF COURSE, ALL OF THESE REPORTS WILL, WILL COME BEFORE THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION.
SO YOU AS WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSIONERS WILL GET YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THEM AND READ THEM AND ASK YOUR OWN QUESTIONS.
BUT, UH, EVERYTHING'S POINTING TOWARDS NOVEMBER 7TH, GETTING ALL THIS WORK DONE.
I'LL CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION AND BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS KNOWING THAT IF I CAN'T ANSWER THEM, SOMEONE FROM AUSTIN WATER COULD.
COMMISSIONER MORIARTY, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU AGAIN VERY MUCH FOR THAT COMPREHENSIVE, UM, REPORT.
UM, I WAS WANTING TO VIRTUALLY ATTEND THAT MEETING, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO, SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE REPORT COMMISSIONER MORIARTY.
[13. Update from the Joint Sustainability Committee meeting regarding conservation and sustainability initiatives Vice Chair Maxwell-Gaines]
ALRIGHT, AND AS FOR THE NEXT ITEM IS THE UPDATE FROM JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE BY ME, BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, HENCE THE REASON FOR ALTERNATE MEMBER, UM, SEARCH.BUT, UH, SO YES, I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND, SO I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE.
AND SO NOW MOVING ON, I GUESS WE'LL GO TO, UM, DISCUSSION OF ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT THE COMM COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THE AGENDA.
OKAY, WELL, HEARING NONE BEFORE WE ADJOURN THE MEETING, UM, I HAD A, A COUPLE OF, OF TIDBITS OR POINTS I WANTED TO BRING UP.
UH, FIRST, UH, I GOT MY METER, SO I WANT TO THANK AUSTIN WATER FOR GIVING ME A NEW PASTIME OF CONSTANTLY CHECKING MY, MY ATX WATER.ORG ACCOUNT TO SEE HOW MY, ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENINGS, HOW MY BOYS ARE DOING WITH THEIR SHOWERS.
[00:40:01]
REALLY GREAT.THE FUNCTIONALITY OF IT HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS AND THE, UH, THE UNPLANNED USE EMAILS THAT I GET.
SO AGAIN, A NEW PASTIME THAT'S KIND OF DIVERTING ME AWAY FROM INSTAGRAM, SO THAT'S GOOD.
UH, THE SECOND THING IS I WANTED TO COMMEND THE AUSTIN WATER, UM, I GUESS ON THE, THEIR MARKETING.
SO I'LL SHOW THIS FOR, UM, THIS WAS IN A COMMUNITY IMPACT, UM, NEWSPAPER.
SO THEY'RE SHOWING OFF LATE TRAVIS IN ITS LOW STATE.
AND I JUST WANNA COMMEND THE MARKETING DIVISION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS WE KNOW IN OUR DAY AND AGE, VISUALS ARE SO KEY AND BEING ABLE TO PUT THIS OUT BECAUSE NOT MANY PEOPLE IN AUSTIN GET TO DRIVE OUT.
YOU KNOW, I'M OUT AROUND THERE ALL, ALL THE TIME, SO I SEE THIS CONSTANTLY, BUT NOT MANY AUSTINITE GET TO.
SO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS IN FRONT OF 'EM, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND, UH, I THINK IT HELPS A LOT WHEN PEOPLE CAN SEE THIS.
SO, UH, REALLY WANT TO COMMEND THEIR MARKETING EFFORT THERE.
AND THEN THE LAST, UH, TIDBIT JUST HAPPENED THIS MORNING AND I FELT LIKE I, I NEEDED TO BRING THIS UP.
UM, SO I WAS, MY COMPANY CALLED IN TO LOOK AT A MOISTURE ISSUE FOR A HOUSE FOUNDATION.
AND WHILE I WAS THERE, THE HOMEOWNERS SAID THAT THEY HAD, CURRENTLY THERE WERE PLUMBERS THERE AND THEY HAD DONE A LEAK TEST TO SEE IF IT WAS A LEAK IN THE HOUSE, PLUMBING, NO LEAK IN THE LEAK TEST, BUT THE PLUMBERS NOTED THAT THE PRESSURE FOR THEIR PARTICULAR RESIDENCE WAS PRETTY LOW.
SO THEY WENT OUT AND CHECKED OUT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID EXACTLY, BUT ESSENTIALLY THEY SAID YOU SHOULD CALL AUSTIN WATER BECAUSE THEY DID A JOB.
THAT'S WHAT IT WAS DOWN THE STREET, WHICH HAD MUCH GREATER PRESSURE.
SO THEY CALLED AUSTIN WATER LITERALLY AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, AND THEY SAID BY 11 THE CREWS WERE THERE, THEY STARTED WORKING AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WAS A LEAK ON THE STREET SIDE OF THE METER.
AND THEY DID, I DON'T, I DIDN'T CATCH ALL THIS, BUT THEY SAID SUPPOSEDLY ALSO THERE WAS POTENTIALLY, UH, SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THE SEWER UNDERNEATH, AND SO THEREFORE MAYBE THE WATER WAS JUST MOVING DOWN AND NOT MANIFESTING ITSELF LIKE AT THE STREET OR SOMETHING.
ANYWAYS, SO, UH, THEY WORKED AND THEY SAID TILL 11 THAT NIGHT.
SO ME, IT WAS MY OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, YOU KNOW, SO HOW WAS IT? YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT BEING A COMMISSIONER.
I WANTED TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK.
THEY WERE EXTREMELY DELIGHTED WITH THE SERVICE, AND SO IT MADE ME HAPPY.
AND SO I WANTED TO PASS THAT ON, YOU KNOW, TO THE WONDERFUL CREWS THAT ARE OUT THERE WORKING TO GET THAT INSTANTANEOUS FEEDBACK.
YOU KNOW, FOR, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST A SMALL PART OF IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE WORK THAT AUSTIN WATER DOES IN TERMS OF GETTING TO ISSUES AND TAKING CARE OF 'EM, UH, AND, AND KNOWING THAT AUSTINITES REALLY SEE THAT EFFORT AND THEY APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
SO I WANTED TO PASS THAT ON TO AUSTIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT.
SO, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 6 44.