[00:00:05]
[CALL TO ORDER]
ORDER.[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
OUR FIRST, UH, ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.AND I'VE GOT A COUPLE PEOPLE HERE ON THE LIST.
I'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE, UM, SUSAN, FRANK, AND TANIA.
SO, UM, SUSAN, YOU'RE FIRST ON MY LIST.
IF YOU WANNA COME UP, SUSAN HOOVER, AND YOU JUST COME UP TO THIS MICROPHONE RIGHT HERE AND PUSH THE BUTTON.
AND WE'LL, I KNOW YOU'RE ONLINE, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GET YOU NEXT.
AND I WANNA TELL YOU, I CAME, UM, TWO WEEKS AGO AND I REALLY APPRECIATED YOUR THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION ON DRIP IRRIGATION AND WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, TODAY I'M GONNA READ SO I CAN GET THROUGH IT IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME.
THE, THE POINT OF OUTDOOR IRRIGATION AT ALL IS TO SUPPLY THE INSTALLED LANDSCAPE WITH THE WATER TO SUSTAIN IT.
GIVEN OUR WATER CIRCUMSTANCES, WATER CONSERVATION HAS TO BE THE VERY FIRST CONCERN.
I HAVE A DONE A LOT OF CONSULTATION WITH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, AND BUILDERS ON HOW TO TRANSITION FROM WATER.
HEAVY, HEAVY LANDSCAPES TOO MINIMAL, BUT SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPES.
A KEY TO THE SUCCESS IS THE UTILIZATION OF DRIP IRRIGATION.
UP TO THIS POINT, THE CITY HAS HAD NO RESTRICTIONS ON DRIP, AND THAT STRATEGY CANNOT REMAIN.
AND JENNIFER POINTED THAT OUT VERY ELOQUENTLY AT THE FIRST MEETING.
I'M HERE TO ENCOURAGE, THOUGH A BROADER VIEW ON THE FREQUENCY OF DRIP IRRIGATION WATERING THAN IS CURRENTLY BEING PRESENTED BY AUSTIN WATER.
AND THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN DRIP IRRIGATION IS VASTLY SUPERIOR IN WATER SAVINGS.
THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH ON IT AND DOCUMENTATION OF IT, AND ALL THE PROFESSIONALS IN THE COMMUNITY CAN VERIFY THAT IT WORKS REALLY WELL.
THE PLAN TO MAKE DRIP IRRIGATION EQUIVALENT TO ABOVE GROUND IS BY ONLY ALLOWING WATER ONE TIME PER WEEK IS SHORTSIGHTED AND INEFFECTIVE.
LONG-TERM POLICY, IF WE HAVE TO GO TO ONE TIME PER WEEK WATERING DURING EXTREME DROUGHT, THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT PLEASE PROVIDE A PATHWAY FOR EFFICIENT DRIP WHEN THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
BY LIMITING DRIP TO ONE TIME A WEEK PERMANENTLY, YOU ELIMINATE THE INCENTIVE TO INSTALL DRIP IRRIGATION AND DIRECT PEOPLE TOWARDS YOUR LESS EFFICIENT, ABOVE GROUND WATERING, BECAUSE YOU CAN PUT DOWN A WHOLE LOT MORE WATER IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME.
OUR RECOMMENDATION ON WATERWISE LANDSCAPES IS WATERING 30 MINUTES TWO TIMES A WEEK WITH DRIP IRRIGATION.
THIS IS CRITICAL IN KEEPING THE PLANTS ALIVE AND IN GOOD SHAPE AND HAS A VERIFIABLE RESULT.
THERE'S VERY LITTLE PLANT LOSS IN THIS SCENARIO, AND SO WE'RE NOT ALWAYS REPLACING AND USING MORE WATER TO ESTABLISH THE WATERING EFFICIENCY STAYS AT A MINIMUM 50% BETTER THAN ABOVE.
GROUND RUNNING ONE TIME PER WEEK, WATERING TWICE PER WEEK WITH DRIP, DOESN'T USE ADDITIONAL WATER.
IT DISTRIBUTES IT IN A WAY TO ENSURE PLANTS SUSTAINABILITY.
THE PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE AND IRRIGATION COMMUNITY ARE YOUR BEST AMBASSADORS FOR EDUCATING CLIENTS ON THE BENEFITS OF WATER CONSERVATION, DRIP IRRIGATION, HOW MUCH TO RUN A SYSTEM, ET CETERA.
WE'RE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AND WE NEED THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE BEST WATER CONSERVATION SOLUTION TO CONTROL THE OVERUSE ON THE UNREPAIRED DRIP, WHICH SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES, IS I'M GONNA PROPOSE SOMETHING, WHICH IS TO ALLOW DRIP TO BE RUN TWO TIMES PER WEEK, CHANGE YOUR WATERING SCHEDULE, SO IT'S RUN ON MONDAY AND THURSDAYS.
USE YOUR SMART METERS TO IDENTIFY REAL ABUSERS AND HAVE A PROCEDURE FOR DEALING WITH THEM, AN INSPECTION, A WHATEVER.
UM, WITH YOU, YOU COULD IDENTIFY THEM AND IT, IT WOULD WORK.
BY UTILIZING THIS MESSAGE, YOU COULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUR VERY BEST OPTION FOR WATER CONSERVATION WHEN IT COMES TO OUTDOOR WATERING.
THOSE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS.
UM, AND, UH, ARE YOU A LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL? I AM A EXCUSE LICENSED IRRIGATOR AND A, A PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPER.
AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK OVER THE YEARS AND I DO A LOT OF CONSULTATION WITH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS WHO WANNA TAKE, YOU HAVE A LOT OF SUBURBAN LANDSCAPES.
THEY'RE ALL JUST ONE KIND OF TURF AND A LOT OF WATER.
AND WE WORK WITH THEM ON IMPLEMENTING THINGS THAT HAVE COME FROM YOUR WATER CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT USING LESS TURF, USING MORE ROCK, GETTING THE RIGHT KINDS OF PLANTS.
BUT THE DRIP IRRIGATION, WHICH IS SO TARGETED, IS REAL CRITICAL TO MAKING IT SO PEOPLE WILL BUY THE SYSTEMS AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE PLANTS.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, WITH JUST THAT WATER SCHEDULE THAT I GAVE YOU 30 MINUTES TWICE A WEEK, WE HAVE ALL OF OUR CLIENTS TURN THEIR WATER OFF ON NOVEMBER 1ST AND DON'T ADVISE THEM TO TURN IT BACK ON UNTIL MAY OR JUNE, WHICH IS A BIG LONG TIME.
AND IT'S MUCH BETTER TO HAVE A ROBUST PLANT THAT WILL BE ABLE TO SURVIVE THAT WITH JUST SOME ADDITIONAL RAIN AND WHAT WE NORMALLY GET A COOLER TEMPERATURES, ALL THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE THEM TURN THE
[00:05:01]
WATER OFF AT THE DOUBLE CHECK, WHICH ALLOWS NO WATER TO GO THROUGH.SO THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WORK THIS WAY.
WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH WATER CONSERVATION ON DEVELOPING THESE KINDS OF PROCEDURES.
WE UNDERSTAND WE'RE IN A TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, BUT WE'RE NOT TO WHERE IT'S JUST GONNA BE GRANTED IN THE FRONT YARDS YET.
AND SO I'M REALLY ENCOURAGING YOU TO HAVE A PATHWAY TO MAKE THE DRIP STILL APPEALING TO PEOPLE.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT MORE TOOLS FOR SOME SOLUTIONS LIKE THAT, UM, TO EXPLORE SOME OPTIONS THROUGH AUTOMATIC METERS AND WATER BUDGETS AND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
SO I THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
UM, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE REST OF THE TASK FORCE? ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO FRANK DAVIS, WHO IS GONNA MAKE SIGN UP TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
HE'S REMOTE, SO, UM, SOMETHING WILL NEED TO HAPPEN MAGICALLY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME OKAY? WE CAN HEAR YOU, FRANK.
I AM THE CHIEF CONSERVATION OFFICER AT HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY, AND I'M HERE TO OFFER REMARKS ON THE CURRENT WATER FORWARD PLAN.
UM, ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE AND IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THIS PLAN IS ITS FOCUS ON PRESERVING AREAS UPSTREAM OF LAKE TRAVIS AND LAKE AUSTIN FOR THE BENEFIT OF DRINKING WATER PROTECTION.
NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF CHOOSING WHICH CRITICAL WATER RESOURCES NEED TO BE PROTECTED FOR AUSTIN'S FUTURE.
THANKFULLY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN PURSUING PROTECTION OF SENSITIVE WATER RESOURCES IN THE BARTON SPRING ZONE THROUGH THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS PROGRAM.
AND OF COURSE, MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE THROUGH FUTURE CONSERVATION BOND MEASURES AND OTHER INCENTIVES.
STILL, THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY CAN BE OVERSTATED AS OF NOW.
ALL OF THIS WATER COMES FROM THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN UPSTREAM OF THE CITY'S WATER INTAKES, WHICH ARE ON LAKE TRAVIS AND LAKE AUSTIN.
TO DATE, BALCONES CANYON LANDS PRESERVE.
IN ADDITION TO PROTECTING VAST AREAS OF ENDANGERED SPECIES, HABITAT HAS HAD THE ADDED BENEFIT OF PRESERVING UPSTREAM AND UPGRADIENT AREAS, WHICH ARE SO CRITICAL TO PROTECTING AIR WATER SUPPLY.
WATER FORWARD AIMS TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS BY RESERVING AND OTHERWISE PROMOTING WATERSHED HEALTH AND SOURCE WATER AREAS DRAINING INTO THOSE RESERVOIRS.
THE PLANTS ALSO INDICATES THAT WALL TREE, LONG LAKE AND EAST AUSTIN'S BEING EXPLORED FOR FUTURE USE AS AN ADDITIONAL DRINKING WATER RESERVOIR.
THIS STRATEGY WOULD REQUIRE PRESERVATION OF ALL UPSTREAM AREAS IN THE COLORADO, INCLUDING LANDS WITHIN THE BARTON SPRING ZONE.
THIS IS FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY IS NEEDED FOR ENSURING THAT AUSTIN'S DRINKING WATER SUPPLY IS SECURED FOR THE FUTURE.
NOW, ALL OF THIS WILL BE COSTLY, BUT THERE IS NO GREATER NEED FOR HUMAN FLOURISHING AND WATER.
AND THERE ARE WAYS TO MAKE LIMITED FUNDS GO FURTHER.
AS NOTED IN THE PLAN, NUMEROUS STRATEGIES WILL NEED TO BE EMPLOYED.
I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS AND LEVERAGING OF OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, MANY OF WHICH WILL GREATLY ENHANCE THE CITY'S CAPACITY TO ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVES OF BOTH THE WATER FORWARD PLAN AND THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS PROGRAM.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST SOURCES OF MONEY IS THROUGH THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE THROUGH SEVERAL PROGRAMS. THE NRCF PROVIDES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR FOR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS THROUGH VARIOUS PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.
AND IT RECENTLY HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF ADDITIONAL MONEY COMING IN BY WAY OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION MATCH.
SO NOW IT'S A GOOD TIME TO ACT WITH THAT PROGRAM.
TRAVIS COUNTY AND HAYES COUNTY BONDS HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY HELPFUL.
WE BELIEVE THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE TO PARTNER WITH OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES ON BOND MEASURES.
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION PROGRAMS, SUCH AS THOSE BEING USED IN LITTLE ROCK AND RALLY FOR A SMALL FEE, TYPICALLY LESS THAN A DOLLAR PER MONTH IS PAID AS PART OF THE WATER BILL IN ORDER TO FUND WATERSHED PROTECTION.
PRESENT ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, AS WELL AS WATER PROVIDERS AND FEDERAL HAZARD MITIGATION FUNDS PROVIDE FUNDS TO MITIGATE IMPACTS FROM FLOODING AND CLIMATE CHANGE AND TO PLAN FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF FUTURE IMPACTS.
FINALLY, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR VERY LOW INTEREST RATE LOANS.
I BELIEVE THE CITY HAS USED SOME OF THESE, BUT EVEN LOAN FORGIVENESS THROUGH THE CLEAN WATER AND DRINKING WATER STATE REVOLVING FUNDS, WHICH HELP MAKE THOSE LIMITED FUNDS GO FURTHER IN PROTECTING AIR PRECIOUS DRINKING WATER.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THE OTHER WAYS IN WHICH NONPROFITS AND OTHER CONSERVATION PARTNERS CAN HELP AUSTIN ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS OF WATER.
NONPROFITS CAN SECURE FUNDS FOR SOURCE WATER PROTECTION AND CAN ADVOCATE FOR NEW CONSERVATION BONDS.
EXCUSE ME, FOR INSTANCE, THE COALITION OF NONPROFITS WAS CRITICAL IN GETTING THE 2020 HAYES COUNTY PARKS AND OPEN SPACE BOND, $75 MILLION ON THE BALLOT AND WHOLE COUNTRY CONSERVANCY AND 26 OTHER PARTNERS RECENTLY SECURED $21.8 MILLION FOR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
THAT'S THREE MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
[00:10:01]
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THOSE IN WRITING OR NOT AND WANTED SHARE THEM WITH, UH, WITH THE, THE AUSTIN WATER STAFF AND THEY CAN SHARE 'EM OUT TO THE TASK FORCE, OR IF YOU WERE JUST YEAH, WE HAVE TO DO THAT.
YEAH, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD, UH, GOOD, UH, THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE PROGRAMS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE TASK FORCE? OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, FRANK.
OUR NEXT PUBLIC COMMENT IS FROM, UH, FROM TANIA KAREEM.
UM, I'D LIKE TO FIRST THANK MARISSA AND THE AUSTIN WATER TEAM FOR MEETING WITH ME AND BOBBY EARLIER THIS WEEK, UM, AND CLEARING SOME OF OUR CONCERNS UP.
UM, BUT IN LIGHT OF THE AUSTIN MONITOR ARTICLE THAT WAS PUBLISHED THIS MORNING, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON AUSTIN'S WATERS.
UM, CONSISTENT LACK OF TRANSPARENCY ON A LOT OF LEVELS.
UM, MAINLY THE FACT THAT THE WATER LOSS REPORT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDED TO THE TASK FORCE BACK IN JUNE HAS BEEN WITHHELD.
AND REGARDLESS OF THE EXCUSE FOR NOT PUBLISHING THE REPORT, UH, I THINK IT'S BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE TO DELAY THE OCTOBER 8TH VOTE AND NOVEMBER CITY COUNCIL ADOPTION TO ALLOW THE TASK FORCE APPROPRIATE TIME TO REVIEW KEY DATA THAT INFORMED THE DECISIONS LAID OUT IN THE WATER FORWARD PLAN AND WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
THIS WHOLE PROCESS, IN MY OPINION, HAS LACKED TRANSPARENCY FROM THE VERY START.
UM, AND I'VE HAD, I'VE BEEN HAVING TO PRESS THAT INFORMATION, UM, IN ORDER TO ACCESS, UH, MORE, UH, CLARIFICATION THROUGH EACH OF THESE PLANS.
UM, HOW CAN THIS DATA ACTUALLY BE LEFT OUT IF IT'S VITAL TO MAKING THESE LONG-TERM DECISIONS LIKE FAST TRACKING AND PRIORITIZING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND LIGHTING WATER DEMAND STRATEGIES? TAKE A BACK SEAT.
THIS LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IS WHY OUR ORGANIZATION SOS KEEPS PRESSING FOR MORE AND MORE INFORMATION BECAUSE THESE WATER LEAKS NOT ONLY UNDERMINE OUR CONSERVATION GOALS, BUT ALSO RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE POLITICAL AGENDA DRIVING THESE DECISIONS AND THE DEADLINE, UM, TO HAVE SUCH AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE TO ADOPT THESE PLANS.
YOU CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF IT FAVORS PROF PROFITABLE CONTRACTS FOR MEGA CONSTRUCTION FIRMS. AND LAST WEEK, SHEA CLAIMED LAST, UH, THAT AUSTIN IS THE LEADING, UH, CITY NATIONALLY WHEN IT COMES TO WATER CONSERVATION.
BUT WITH THESE NUMBERS LAID OUT IN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, WITH THE COMMITMENT TO GO BACKWARDS IN OUR CONSERVATION GOALS, I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT CLAIM IS EVEN CLOSE TO THE TRUTH.
AND WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THIS NEGLIGENCE AND MAKING GENUINE ATTEMPTS TO EDUCATE OUR CUSTOMERS ON WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES, I'M LOSING CONFIDENCE IN THIS DEPARTMENT'S ABILITY TO ACT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CUSTOMERS.
WE NEED THIS REPORT, UH, PRIOR TO ANY KIND OF VOTE OR APPROVAL FROM THE COUNCIL OR THE TASK FORCE.
UM, AND AUSTIN WATER DESERVES, OR AUSTIN DESERVES A WATER UTIL UTILITY THAT VALUES TRANSPARENCY AND PUTS CONSERVATION FIRST, NOT JUST COSTLY INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE FOREFRONT.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, TANIA.
UM, SO WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE WATER LOSS REPORT? THE WATER, THE WATER LOSS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BLACK AND VEATCH.
SO, UM, WE HAVE MATT CULLEN HERE.
HE IS DIVISION MANAGER OF OUR PIPELINE ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS SUPPORT, AND HE HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR, UH, THE, UM, WORKING WITH BLACK AND VEATCH ON THIS REPORT AND FINALIZING IT, AND HE CAN PROVIDE US AN UPDATE ON THE REPORT.
ARE WE GOING OUT OF ORDER OF ANY, IS IT LIKE A PLANNED AGENDA ITEM FOR HIM TO DO THIS OR CAN HE GIVE US UPDATE NOW? YEAH, IF IT'S IN RESPONSE TO, OKAY, PERFECT.
MATT AND SARAH HAS HER HAND UP.
CAN WE DO IT ON THE AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN ALL ASK QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS? OH, ARE WE, YEAH, LET'S WE YES, I THINK WE CAN.
WE'RE IN THAT PART OF THE MEETING NOW.
UM, LET ME, UH, LET ME DO THE HOLD TIGHT.
AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, COULD WE JUST FINISH THAT, I GUESS? YEAH, YEAH, THERE IS.
NOT THAT I AM AWARE OF ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
[00:15:01]
ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 10TH MEETING.UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? I'LL MOTION TO APPROVE THEM.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION? CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? WE, I CAN HEAR YOU, YEP.
ANY, UH, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
UM, SO WHICH ONE SHOULD WE, IF WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WATER LOSS, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO TAKE THESE A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER.
I'M LOOKING OVER AT MARISA FOR A LITTLE AGENDA GUIDANCE HERE.
YEAH, WE HAVE, SO THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE, OH, LET'S SEE THE PRELIMINARY WATER FORWARD 2024 WITH THE COLORADO RIVER LAND ANALYSIS.
I MEAN, IT IS PART OF WATER 4 20 24 LOSS IS INCLUDED AS A PART OF WATER 4 24.
[2. Presentation on revisions to the draft Water Forward 2024 plan report, including preliminary Colorado River Land Analysis recommendations]
MOVE TO THOSE SLIDES.UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, IF THAT'S OKAY.
OR DO, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE THE WATER LOSS ITEM OF DISCUSSION COME FIRST AND THEN PRESENTATION SLIDES? LET'S, LET'S GO AHEAD AND CHAT ABOUT WATER LOSS.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S TOP OF MIND FOR FOLKS.
SO COULD WE ACTUALLY THEN TAKE DOWN THE SIDE SO WE CAN SEE FOLKS IN CASE THERE'S HANDS UP? OKAY.
MY NAME'S MATT COLEN, AS SHE SAID.
I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER OF PIPELINE ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS SUPPORT AT THE UTILITY.
UM, AND, AND JUST TO KIND OF LAY OUT WHERE THIS REPORT CAME FROM AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, THE UTILITIES VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WATER LOSS AND WE WANNA BE, UH, RESILIENT, UH, AND SUSTAINABLE IN HOW WE MANAGE OUR RESOURCE.
AND THAT'S KIND OF LED US TO BRINGING ON BLACK AND VEATCH LOOKING FOR AN EXPERT TO REVIEW, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, 'CAUSE WHILE WE WERE DOING THE THINGS TO, TO MINIMIZE WATER LOSS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE METRICS WEREN'T WHERE WE WANTED THEM TO BE.
AND SO, UH, WE BROUGHT BLACK AND VEATCH IN, UH, AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH US AND WE'VE BEEN, UH, WORKING ON THEIR, THEIR FINAL REPORT, WHICH WILL BE OUT VERY SHORTLY.
UM, I KNOW ANTICIPATED BACK IN JUNE, BUT, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, BACK AND FORTH TO MAKE SURE WE ENDED UP WITH A REALLY GOOD REPORT WITH, UM, THINGS THAT WE COULD REALLY ACT ON AND, AND IMPLEMENT.
AND SO WE'RE VERY NEAR, UH, THE END AND WE'LL HAVE THAT REPORT HERE, UM, VERY SHORTLY.
I DUNNO IF YOU WANT ME TO GO INTO ANY MORE DETAIL, I THINK WE CAN ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT REPORT.
AND, AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE SAID ABOUT ISSUING THE FINAL REPORT IS THAT WE WOULD, UM, WHAT WE WANT, WHAT OUR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS, IS TO ISSUE THE REPORT AND OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN SO THAT EVERYBODY COULD BE VERY CLEAR ON HOW WE INTEND TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REPORT.
UM, AND, AND SO THAT, UM, I THINK WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT OCTOBER, UH, FOR, FOR GETTING THAT ALL WRAPPED UP.
UM, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON IT VERY DILIGENTLY.
MATT AND TEAM HAD KIND OF A FINAL WRAP UP MEETING WITH BLACK AND VEATCH YESTERDAY.
AND SO EVERYTHING IS, IS, UH, IS COMING TO, UM, UH, TO IT, IT'S CONCLUSION IN TERMS OF WRAPPING UP THE REPORT AND BEING ABLE TO MAKE THAT PUBLIC AND SHARING OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
I'LL JUST KICK IT OFF WITH A QUESTION.
I KNOW OTHER FOLKS HAVE, HAVE 'EM TOO, BUT MAYBE JUST A LITTLE KIND OF CONTEXT SETTING HERE FOR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR DRAFT WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
WE KNOW THAT WATER LOSS IS A BIG DRIVER FOR POSSIBLY NOT MEETING THE GOALS THAT WE SET OUT, BUT ALSO IT'S A HUGE THAT WE'RE LOSING, UM, 21 GALLONS PER PERSON IN AUSTIN PER DAY.
UM, IT, IT WORKS AGAINST ALL OF OUR POSITIVE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE DOING.
SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WANNA ADDRESS.
AND I KNOW AUSTIN WATER WANTS TO DO THAT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T DOUBT THAT AT ALL.
UM, I'M, I'M WONDERING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE REPORT FROM BLACK AND VEATCH, I THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU ALL AUSTIN WATER IS LIKE, OKAY, WE'VE GOT THIS PROGRAM.
WE NEED TO, UM, EITHER VALIDATE WHAT WE'RE DOING OR FIGURE OUT WHAT, GET SOME IDEAS FROM PROFESSIONALS THAT, YOU KNOW, DO THIS ON A WIDER SCALE ABOUT WHAT WE COULD BE DOING DIFFERENTLY.
[00:20:01]
NOT SEEING THE RESULTS WE WANNA SEE.UM, IS THIS REPORT GOING TO SIMPLY RECOMMEND THE STRATEGIES THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET TO THESE GOALS? OR IS THE REPORT GOING TO SAY, IF YOU IMPLEMENT THIS SUITE OF STRATEGIES, WE THINK THAT YOU CAN REDUCE WATER LOSS BY X, THEREFORE IT WOULD IMPACT WHAT WE SEE IN THE PLAN.
UM, SO WHAT, WHAT KIND OF DATA ARE WE LOOKING FOR FROM THIS, FROM THIS REPORT, FROM BLACK AND BEACH? SO THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES AND, UH, TARGET SAVINGS THAT CAN COME FROM THOSE.
AND CERTAINLY AWARE OF, UH, WHAT THE GOALS ARE IN WATERFORD AND, AND WHAT WE, WHAT'S IN THE REPORT WILL HELP US IN THAT DIRECTION.
THERE'S STILL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PLAN WAS, OR, OR THE REPORT WAS A WHAT CAN WE DO TO DO BETTER? WHAT CAN WE DO TO REDUCE OUR WATER LOSSES AND EXACTLY HOW THAT'S GONNA FEED INTO WATER FORWARD IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THAT, THAT'S A CONSTANT, UH, THING THAT, UH, THAT WE'LL BE, UH, WORKING ON ON EXACTLY HOW THOSE CAN AFFECT, UH, WHAT THOSE GOALS ARE.
SO, SO THIS REPORT ACTUALLY DOES HAVE PROJECTED SAVINGS, UM, WATER LOSS REJECT REDUCTION VALUES ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THE STRATEGIES.
SO THEREFORE HAVING A COMPLETED REPORT WITH THOSE MIGHT CHANGE WHAT'S IN TABLE 23 IN THIS REPORT.
COULD CONCEIVABLY, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE IT YET, AND THIS DATA, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THAT YOU GET THE REPORT AND ACCEPT IT AND ARE LIKE, WE AGREE THAT WE WOULD IMPLEMENT THESE THINGS AND THESE ARE THE SAVINGS YOU PROJECT AND WE AGREE WITH THOSE, IT COULD CHANGE THE VALUES IN THIS TABLE IN THE DRAFT REPORT.
AM I CONNECTING DOTS IN AN APPROPRIATE WAY? SO AS WE'VE BEEN UPDATING THE WATER FORWARD REPORT, WE HAVE BEEN COORDINATING WITH DAN STRUB AND MATT CULLEN ON THE NEAR TERM GOALS FOR WATER LOSS WITHIN BOTH THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.
UM, ESPECIALLY FOCUSING ON THE GOALS RELATED TO 2029 AND 2034.
UM, I THINK THAT WE MAY BE IN FAIRLY CLOSE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, WATER FORWARD PLAN, AS WELL AS THE BLACK AND REACH REPORT, UM, UH, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES THAT MAY BE, UH, HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE REPORT, UH, MORE RECENTLY.
UM, SO I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES THOUGH THAT, UH, COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN OR WATER FORWARD PLAN BASED ON THE, UM, UH, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT.
AND I'VE SEEN DIFFERENT KINDS OF WATER CONSERVATION PLANS WHERE IT'S MORE LIKE, WE'RE GONNA DO THESE THINGS OR MORE, OR WHERE IT'S LIKE, THIS IS OUR ACTUAL WORK PLAN AND THESE ARE ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING, WHICH SEEMS THAT WE'RE LEANING TOWARDS THAT VERSUS A MORE KIND OF QUALITATIVE, LIKE, WE'RE GONNA UNDERTAKE PROGRAMS TO REDUCE WATER LOSS.
AND THEY COULD BE THESE THINGS, BUT AUSTIN TRYING TO BE FAIRLY SPECIFIC IN THEIR APPROACH HERE.
THAT IS OUR INTENTION WITH INCLUDING A MORE SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS IN BOTH THE WATER FORWARD PLAN AND THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN IS SETTING, WHAT ARE THOSE ACTIVITIES GOING TO BE AND SETTING SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL.
WELL I'LL, I'LL, I'M GONNA LET OTHER PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA MONOPOLIZE THE CONVERSATION AND I THINK SARAH AND PERRY HAD QUESTIONS OR SARAH, SO SARAH, THEN, PERRY, CAN WE SWITCH THIS A LITTLE BIT? THERE'S A GLARE ON IT AND I CAN'T SEE, JUST IF WE CAN SCOOCH IT THIS WAY A LITTLE BIT, THIS LITTLE SCREEN.
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON OUR CURRENT WATER LOSS.
JENNIFER, YOU, UM, STARTED OUT BY SAYING 21 GALLONS PER CAPITA PER DAY IS OUR WATER LOSS AMOUNT.
AND I WANTED TO GET SOME VERIFICATION OF THAT BECAUSE IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE RECEIVED ON AUGUST 13TH ON SLIDE EIGHT, THAT ONE HAD AN 18 GPCD WATER LOSS.
AND THAT WAS THE NUMBER I'VE BEEN OPERATING FROM.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME EXPLANATION OF THE 21 NUMBER THAT'S IN THE WATER CONSERVATION REPORT THAT WE GOT ON SEPTEMBER 10TH.
AND I JUST WOULD NOTE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY, THAT'S A, THAT'S 3G PCD DIFFERENCE, BUT THAT'S ALSO MORE THAN OUR ENTIRE PROJECTED
[00:25:02]
WATER LOSS SAVINGS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND NEARLY OVER THE 10 YEARS.SO WHAT IS OUR BASELINE? HOW DID IT CHANGE BETWEEN THE LAST MONTH? IS THAT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT'S FROM THE REPORT? AN EXPLANATION OF THAT TO START WITH WOULD BE GREAT.
I HAVE MY PACKET FROM THE 13TH IF ANYBODY NEEDS TO LOOK AT IT.
YEAH, I MEAN, I WAS JUST GOING OFF OF THAT INFORMATION.
UM, WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THAT SO THAT WE CAN, THE PRESENTATION SLIDE EIGHT, THIS KEVIN CLUE YASSEN WATER CONSERVATION IN THE MOST RECENT, UH, DRAFT OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, UM, THAT WENT OUT, UM, ON PAGE 37, IT DOES IS MENTIONS A FIVE YEAR HISTORIC AVERAGE OF 21.
UM, BUT THEN ON PAGE 22 EARLIER IT TALKS ABOUT HISTORICAL WATER LOSS VOLUMES AND IT, FOR 2019 IT WAS 18.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S WHERE IT WAS CONFUSION WAS, AND I'M LOOKING BACK, JENNIFER, WHAT SLIDE DID YOU SAY? IT'S OUR, IT'S THE AUGUST 13TH PRESENTATION.
AND I'M JUST, IT'S NOT A VERY DETAILED SLIDE, BUT IT IS WHERE ALSO YOU GUYS GAVE LIKE SOME POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO, THIS IS ALSO DIFFERENT.
UM, GET STRAIGHT ON ON ON WHERE WE ARE.
THE, THE AVERAGES I BELIEVE ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, BECAUSE THAT DATA WAS FROM, UH, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD WAS PULLED FOR THE, FROM THE TWD UM, WEBSITE, AND THEY ONLY HAD 2019 THROUGH 2022.
UM, SO IT DOESN'T INCLUDE 2023 IN THE AVERAGE.
SO THE AVERAGES ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THERE.
UH, I CAN LOOK FURTHER INTO THAT, BUT, BUT THAT'S OFFHAND WHERE THE APPARENT DIFFERENCES IS.
DIFFERENCES ARE, WOULDN'T THAT MEAN THAT OUR 2023, IF YOU ADD IT, WOULD HAVE TO BE REALLY HIGH? YEAH, I MEAN MAYBE IT IS.
SO, I MEAN, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE A PAIN, BUT MAYBE IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE A NUMBER LABELED WATER LOSS, GPCD IN ONE PRESENTATION AND THEN USE A NUMBER LABELED WATER LOSS GPCD IN ANOTHER PRESENTATION, BUT THEY'RE CALCULATED DIFFERENTLY AND ARE A DIFFERENT NUMBER, YOU COULD USE AN ASTERISK OR SOMETHING TO EXPLAIN IT.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, THE, ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH, WITH WATER LOSS CALCULATIONS IS THAT IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT GOES INTO, UM, INTO HOW YOU CALCULATE WHAT YOU QUANTIFY AS WATER LOSS.
AND SO THERE, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS THAT WE'RE COLLECTING THAT DATA OVER AND THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE ARE REPORTING THAT DATA.
AND, AND I AGREE THAT THE LACK OF, OF CONSISTENCY IN THAT IS FRUSTRATING.
SO LET US TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND AND, AND CLARIFY FOR YOU WHERE THOSE NUMBERS COME FROM.
AND, AND, UM, BECAUSE I DO RECOGNIZE THAT I, THE WAY I WOULD QUANTIFY THE WATER LOSS IS IT'S TOO HIGH AND WE ARE, UM, WHETHER IT'S 21 OR 18, AND WE ARE DOING A, A WIDE VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES TO REDUCE WATER LOSS.
AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO DO THOSE ACTIVITIES BETTER.
UM, AND THAT IS, THAT IS MATT'S, UM, FOCUS.
AND SO YOU KNOW WHAT, ULTIMATELY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE NUMBER IS 21 OR 18, THERE'S MORE THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING AND WE WILL BE QUANTIFYING WHAT THOSE ACTIVITIES ARE.
UM, I DO RECOGNIZE HOWEVER, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR GPCD, UM, WATER CONSERVATION GOALS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE SMALL INCREMENTS.
AND SO THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SO THAT EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON, ON WHAT WE'RE RELY WHAT STRATEGIES WE'RE RELYING ON TO ACHIEVE WHAT LEVEL OF WATER CONSERVATION.
AND SO ESPECIALLY THE LAST PART, I MEAN, WHETHER
[00:30:01]
THE NUMBER IS 21 OR 18 IS ALSO THE DIFFERENCE IN EVERYTHING WE'RE GONNA DO AND SPEND OVER 10 YEARS IS THAT SAME AMOUNT.SO, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS IT? UM, I MEAN ALSO I WOULD JUST SAY, JUST TO EMPHASIZE THIS POINT AND WHY I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND WE SHOULD DEFINITELY CONSIDER WAITING TO ADOPT THIS WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND TAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS IS, YOU KNOW, IN THIS SAME PRESENTATION FROM AUGUST 13TH THAT THERE'S A PIE CHART THAT SHOWS WHERE A LOT OF THE WATER SAVINGS WERE PROJECTED TO COME FROM BETWEEN 2019 AND 2024 AND 44% OF IT WAS UTILITY SIDE WATER LOSS CONTROL.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH OF THAT 44% WAS ACHIEVED, HOW MUCH WAS NOT ACHIEVED, AND WHAT THE PLANS ARE GOING IN THE FUTURE.
THERE'S THIS ONE LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTIONS, UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY VALUES FOR IT.
AND THE DISCUSSION PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THIS REPORT, I DON'T THINK IT HAS ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT I THINK IT WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION TO HELP US GET OUR ARMS AROUND THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
'CAUSE IT WAS A BIG MISS ON THE PREVIOUS WATER CONSERVATION GOALS.
AND I, IF WE OURSELVES CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED, THEN WE NEED TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION.
AND THOSE COMMENTS ARE REALLY FOR MY OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN THE WATER LOSS IS A HUGE PORTION OF THIS, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT ALSO WITH RECOMMENDING THIS PLAN TO CITY COUNCIL, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT FROM A TASK FORCE PERSPECTIVE, THAT WE HAVE FAITH IN THE PLAN AND THE STRATEGIES AND THE PLAN AND THAT WE SHOULD MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS.
SO LIKE IT SHOULD ALL LINE UP PRETTY, PRETTY NICELY.
UM, PERRY, YOU HAD A, YOUR HAND UP NEXT? YEAH, I, MOST OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED, BUT I, I JUST WORRY THAT IN THE END, IN THE END IT'S GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, UH, YOU'VE GOT LEAKY PIPES GO FIX THEM KIND OF RESPONSE.
AND SO IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF THESE NON-PROFITS PAY CONSULTANTS TO COME TELL THEM, PAY 'EM $50,000 TO TELL 'EM HOW TO RAISE MONEY.
AND THEY COME BACK AND SAY, ALL YOU PEOPLE NEED TO WORK.
YOUR ROLODEX IS REAL HARD AND GO ASK FOR MORE MONEY
SO I DON'T KNOW, UH, IT'S JUST, I GUESS I SHOULD WAIT TO SEE IT BEFORE I'M SO CYNICAL.
BUT THE REST OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.
UH, YOUR EXAMPLE REALLY RANG TRUE TO ME.
SO, UH,
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR HOW DO WE OPTIMIZE WHAT WE'RE DOING? AND WE DO THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, GOOD OUTCOMES FROM THIS STUDY.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, A PREVIEW IS THAT, YOU KNOW, 10 OR 12 YEARS AGO, WE STARTED A PROGRAM CALLED RENEWING AUSTIN, WHERE WE USE OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY A POOR PERFORMING PIPE.
THIS IS PIPE THAT'S JUST BREAKING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND WE, THAT'S, THIS IS NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL AND WE HAVE GONE IN AND REPLACED MILES AND MILES OF PIPE AND WE REDUCED OUR BREAK RATES IN OUR WATER MAINS FROM WELL ABOVE THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE TO TO UNDER THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE.
SO THAT PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, WHAT WE REALIZE NOW IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF SERVICE LINE BREAKS.
SO THIS IS FROM THE MAIN TO PEOPLE'S HOMES.
AND SO WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED SOME PROGRAMS, MANY, SEVERAL PROGRAMS TO REPLACE SERVICE LINES.
WE'VE CHANGED OUR OPERATIONAL PRACTICES FOR WHEN WE REPLACE SERVICE LINES.
UM, BUT THIS REPORT IS, AND SOME OF THESE STRATEGIES ARE GONNA HELP US, UM, OPTIMIZE THAT PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN, UH, GET MORE WATER LOSS REDUCTION FROM THE WORK WE'RE ALREADY DOING BY TARGETING IT TO WHERE IT'LL MAKE THE MOST DIFFERENCE.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? PAUL HANEY? BILL MADELINE, OR CONVERSATION,
[00:35:01]
NOT JUST COMMENTS, DISCUSSION, CONVERSATION, PAUL? YEAH, I MEAN, I, I, UH, I HEAR PERRY'S COMMENT AND I, I'M TEMPTED TO, TO FEEL THE SAME WAY, BUT I, I ALSO HEAR JENNIFER AND SARAH TOO.AND I, UM, YEAH, THERE'S THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THE REPORT CONTAINS AND HOW IT CAN INFORM OUR ADVISORY PROCESS HERE, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT AND WE'VE KIND OF ALREADY TOUCHED ON IT.
I THINK WE DO ULTIMATELY WANNA SEE IT, EVEN IF IT JUST SAYS FIX THE LEAKY PIPES.
AND THEN THERE'S THE OTHER CONCERN, WHICH IS ABOUT WHY DOES IT TAKE US SO LONG? AND IF IT WAS DUE IN JUNE, LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN JUNE AND NOW? AND IF THERE WAS A DRAFT REPORT POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE IN JUNE, CAN WE JUST SEE IT? I MEAN, THERE'S NO, I, WHAT'S THE HARM IN JUST PUBLISHING IT NOW BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR IT.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S THE, THE REPORT AND THEN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT YOU MENTIONED, SHEA.
SO THOSE SEEM LIKE TWO DISTINCT PRODUCTS.
AND IF I HAD TO GUESS, MAYBE THE REPORT IS DONE AND Y'ALL ARE JUST KIND OF POLISHING UP THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND YOU WANNA PUBLISH THEM TOGETHER.
BUT, UM, IS THERE ANY REASON WE CAN'T JUST GET THE REPORT NOW? SO THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET DRAFT REPORTS, THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT HAPPENS AFTER THE DRAFT REPORT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ACCURATELY REFLECTS, UM, WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE, THAT IS A WHILE WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTANT ALL ALONG THE WAY.
ONCE THEY COMMIT ALL OF THEIR WORK TO PAPER, WE CAN SEE THE GAPS.
UM, AND WE CAN MAKE, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLOSING THAT GAPS.
WE'RE CORRECTING ANYTHING THAT GOT MISINTERPRETED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THAT REPORT IS ACCURATE.
SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT THE, I WE ARE SO CLOSE NOW.
LET US SEND YOU THE FINAL REPORT WHEN IT'S FINAL.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN THAT WILL BE THE MOST ACCURATE REFLECTION OF, OF WHAT, UM, WHAT THE FINDINGS AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.
'CAUSE IT IS REDUCING WATER LOSS IS A WATER SUPPLY.
I MEAN, THIS IS WATER THAT WE ARE PULLING OUT OF THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
WE'RE TREATING AND USING ENERGY AND CHEMICALS AND PEOPLE POWER TO TREAT AND PUTTING THROUGH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IN AUSTIN.
AND WE'RE LOSING 20 GALLONS FOR EVERY PERSON IN THE ROOM EACH DAY, UM, AND IN THE CITY.
SO THIS IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING AND THAT WE NEED TO TACKLE.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, A REALLY WANTING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW WE ARE, WHERE WE ARE AND HOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE, MOVE FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY.
AND I DON'T THINK THIS REPORT IS GONNA ANSWER ALL THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A REAL CRITICAL PIECE OF THAT.
SO I, MY SENSE IS THAT FOLKS ARE GONNA HAVE A HARD TIME, UM, EMBRACING THE, THE PLAN WITHOUT THAT PIECE OF THAT REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION.
SO, UM, AND, AND I WANNA SEE IT TOO.
AND I ALSO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, REDUCING WATER LOSS IS NOT JUST ABOUT REPLACING PIPES.
IT'S ABOUT LOOKING AT THE PRESSURE IN YOUR SYSTEM AND, AND MAKING SURE YOUR METERS WORK AND, AND, UM, AND MAKING SURE YOUR, YOUR BIG METERS WORK IN YOUR SMALL METERS WORK.
AND THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT PIECES AND SOME OF IT'S EXPENSIVE AND SOME OF IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT EXPENSIVE.
UM, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO ADDRESS WATER LOSS AND IT'S VERY DYNAMIC.
IT'S A PROGRAM THAT THE CITY WILL ALWAYS PAY FOR.
BUT IF WATER LOSS CAN GET, GET REDUCED TO AN ACCEPTABLE KIND OF BASELINE LEVEL, THEN YOU KEEP INVESTING IN KEEPING THE SYSTEM GOING.
'CAUSE IT'S ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THINGS COMING AT IT.
I MEAN, EVEN THE HIGHER WATER USE MORE WATER GOING THROUGH OUR PIPES IN OUR CITIES LEADS TO MORE LEAKS BECAUSE OF MORE WATER IN THE PIPES AND MORE PRESSURE.
I MIGHT BE WRONG, I'M NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WATER LOSS.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THIS IS NOT ONLY, UM, AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO SOLVE NOW.
IT'S AN ISSUE THAT AUSTIN NEEDS
[00:40:01]
TO TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY.I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT VERY SERIOUSLY AND REALLY INVEST IN WITH PROFESSIONALS AND RESOURCES AND PEOPLE POWER, UM, NOT ONLY NOW, BUT FOR THE LONG HAUL.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA, UM, YIELD BENEFITS AND IT'S, IT'S ONE OF OUR MOST POWERFUL STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE.
SO I DO THINK THAT THIS REALLY IS A, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE OUR COLORADO RIVER SUPPLY, UM, THIS IS ONE OF OUR, LIKE, REALLY, IT'S NOT AS MUCH YIELD, BUT IT IS ONE OF OUR BIG BASELINE WATER SUPPLY STRATEGIES.
AND I THINK THAT WHILE IT IS, THERE ARE LIKELY, THERE ARE INVE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE BEYOND WHAT WE'RE MAKING NOW, WE ALSO NEED TO OPTIMIZE THE INVESTMENTS WE'RE ALREADY MAKING.
SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE WAYS IN WHICH WE ARE ALREADY DOING, OR WE ARE LOOKING THROUGH THIS REPORT AND THROUGH THIS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT WE'LL BE, THAT WE'LL BE PROVIDING WAYS THAT WE CAN OPTIMIZE WHAT WE'RE DOING TO DO IT BETTER.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, THAT, I JUST WANNA AGREE WITH YOU AND ASSURE THE TASK FORCE THAT WE ARE ALREADY HEAVILY INVESTED IN WATER LOSS.
IT HAS NOT ACHIEVED THE SAVINGS THAT WE PROJECTED AND WE WILL NOT LET UP, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA DOUBLE DOWN ON THOSE STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO, TO GET WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
UM, MY MY SENSE IS THAT FOLKS ARE GOING TO, THAT, THAT THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, ONE OF THOSE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE THAT WE REALLY NEED IN ORDER FOR THE PICTURE TO COME TOGETHER.
UM, DO WE HAVE AN OPTION TO, TO SHIFT THAT TIMELINE? DO WE HAVE A PLAN B? YES, WE DO.
SO I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH SOME DATES FOR OUR POTENTIAL PLAN B.
UM, WE HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED CURRENTLY FOR OCTOBER 8TH.
WE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THAT MEETING IN PLACE AND HAVE THAT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW UP ON DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'LL WE'RE HAVING TODAY AND WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, UH, HAD PLANNED FOR A COUNCIL WORK SESSION BRIEFING ON OCTOBER 8TH.
UM, WE MAY BE SHIFTING THAT TO PROVIDING A COUNCIL BRIEFING AT A, AT A COUNCIL MEETING ON OCTOBER 11TH, 10TH, 10TH.
UM, WE, UH, COULD POTENTIALLY ALSO SCHEDULE ANOTHER TASK FORCE MEETING IF DESIRED BY THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS, UM, IN LATE OCTOBER, AGAIN FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND HOPEFULLY TO, UM, FOLLOW UP ON, UH, THESE ITEMS RELATED TO THE WATER LOSS REPORT.
AND THEN, UH, WE COULD SCHEDULE AN ANOTHER TASK FORCE MEETING FOR EARLY NOVEMBER TO REQUEST THE TASK FORCE'S RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL ACTION THAT WOULD PUT US ON TRACK TO GO TO NOVEMBER 13TH, WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL ACTION, AND THEN TO COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 21ST.
JUST TO RECAP, IF EVERYBODY FOLLOWED THAT THEY HAVE A, THERE'S A PLAN BI KNOW THAT, THAT THE, WHAT THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAD HEARD WAS TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 7TH, IS THAT RIGHT? DATE? MM-HMM.
UM, THAT COULD BE PUSHED TO NOVEMBER 21ST, GIVING US MORE TIME AS THE, AS THE WATERFORD TASK FORCE TO DISCUSS THESE ISSUES, BUT ALSO TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION.
UM, AND THAT WOULD MEAN WE HAVE OUR OCTOBER 8TH MEETING COULD BE MORE OF LIKE A WORK SESSION TYPE MEETING.
IT MAY BE HOPEFULLY AT THAT TIME RECEIVE THE REPORT, UM YEP.
AND THEN HAVE A MEETING IN LATE OCTOBER AND OR EARLY NOVEMBER IN ORDER TO, I MEAN, IT'S AT ONE OF THESE MEETINGS.
THE, THE, UH, THE REQUEST WOULD BE THAT WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL AND ABOUT THESE PLANS, ALL THREE OF THEM.
MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FOR US TO REACH OUT TO THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS TO IDENTIFY BOTH A LATE OCTOBER AND EARLY NOVEMBER DATE TO SEE WHAT'S GONNA WORK.
I WANNA HEAR FROM THE TASK FORCE
[00:45:01]
MEMBERS TO SEE HOW Y'ALL FEEL ABOUT THAT PLAN OR IF YOU'RE LIKE, LET'S JUST DO THIS THING.OR IF YOU'RE LIKE, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED SOME MORE TIME IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION SO WE CAN MAKE A DECISION.
MADELINE, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME MORE TIME THAT SHE, THE REPORT AND EVERYTHING.
UM, HANEY? YEAH, I THINK THE TIMELINE THAT MARISSA CAME UP WITH IS GOOD.
AND, AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EVERYBODY IS, EVERYBODY IS PUTTING A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY INTO THIS.
UM, I KNOW EVERYBODY HAS OTHER DAY JOBS.
I MEAN, EXCEPT FOR AUSTIN WATER, THIS IS YOUR DAY JOB.
BUT, UH, BUT, UM, I, I APPRECIATE THIS 'CAUSE MORE MEETINGS IS NOT, NOT AN EXCITING PROSPECT FOR FOLKS.
UM, PAUL, WHAT DO YOU THINK? UH, YEAH, I AGREE.
I THINK THERE'S NO REASON WE SHOULDN'T, UH, ADOPT THE LATER TIMEFRAME IF WE CAN.
AND WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE REPORT.
IT MAKES ALL SENSE IN THE WORLD.
BILL A THUMBS UP FROM PERRY MORE TIME.
AND SARAH? YEAH, I THINK THE LONGER TIMEFRAME WORKS BETTER AND UM, ALSO GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, WHAT KIND OF WORK WITH STAFF ON LIKE THE, THE GET SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED, BUT THE PRESENTATION OF HOW, OF THE REPORT AND HOW WE'RE GONNA ADOPT IT AND WHAT OUR PROCEDURE IS GONNA BE.
UM, LIKE WE TRIED SOMETHING THIS WEEK WITH THE ONE PAGE EXCERPT AND YOU KNOW, HOW DID THAT WORK? DO PEOPLE, THOSE KIND OF DISCUSSIONS.
AND HOW DO FOLKS FEEL ABOUT HAVING ONE OF THESE MEETINGS OCCUR IN THE EVENING? 'CAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE'S SCHEDULES ARE PRETTY BOOKED UP.
UM, DOES, DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT MAYBE HAVING, UM, AN OLD FASHIONED EVENING MEETING LIKE WE USED TO DO? UM, OR, OR IS EVERYBODY LIKE, YEAH, LET'S DO IT DURING THE DAY.
I WANT TO EAT DINNER WITH MY FAMILY AT NIGHT.
MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE, OH YEAH, IT'D BE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR PAUL.
WOULD YOU BE FOR DAY HANEY? YEAH.
AND PAUL, YEAH, DURING THE DAY.
PAUL, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT A 2:00 AM MEETING FROM ITALY?
WE'RE GONNA STICK WITH DAYTIME MEETINGS.
BUT WOULD WE LIKE TO SCHEDULE THEM FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER? SO I'VE, I IT'S UP TO Y'ALL.
UM, YEAH, WE ADDED FOR THE OCTOBER 8TH MEETING, WE ADDED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS ACTUALLY WORKS FOR PEOPLE, BUT PART OF THE THING WAS WE HAVE LOTS TO DISCUSS.
SO WE ADDED AN AN HOUR TO THAT MEETING ON THE EIGHTH.
UM, PEOPLE MAY BE LIKE, NO, I'M LEAVING AFTER TWO HOURS.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, LET'S JUST HAVE THAT OPTION IN CASE WE NEED IT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE, WE'LL HAVE THE ROOM JUST IN CASE, SO WE'LL, WE'LL BLOCK OFF A YEAH.
UM, SO LET'S MAKE SURE THAT FOR THE OCTOBER 8TH MEETING, IF LIKE, LET'S GET THE INFORMATION AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS WE CAN.
IF WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE THE WATER LOSS INFO BY THE EIGHTH, LET US KNOW.
AND IF WE DO HAVE IT, HOW CAN WE DIGEST IT? LIKE LET'S REALLY FOCUS IN ON THESE ARE THE PROGRAMS, THESE ARE THE SAVINGS.
HOW DOES THIS ALIGN WITH WHAT CHANGES ARE WE MAKING TO THE WA WATER CONSERVATION PLAN BECAUSE OF THIS? MM-HMM.
YEAH, SO PREVIOUSLY WE WERE AIMING FOR, UM, SOME DELIVERABLES ON OCTOBER 1ST, A WEEK IN ADVANCE OF THE OCTOBER 8TH MEETING.
UH, YOU KNOW, A FULLY REVISED WATER 4 24 PLAN, FULLY REVISED VERSIONS OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE APPENDICES, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLAN, UH, WATER 4 24 PLAN.
SO I THINK WE CAN SHIFT OUR FOCUS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, GOOD MATERIALS READY IN ADVANCE OF THE OCTOBER 8TH MEETING.
THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
AND TRACK CHANGES WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL.
BECAUSE I, UM, ALMOST MISSED THE START OF THIS MEETING 'CAUSE I WAS SITTING THERE AT MY DESK TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD BEEN CHANGED AND SOME DOCUMENTS MM-HMM.
[00:50:01]
SO APOLOGIES ABOUT THAT.SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE SOME, UH, EDITS TO THE PREVIOUS DELIVERABLE THAT WAS SENT OUT THE EXCERPT OF THE CRLA, UM, AND LAND CONSERVATION STRATEGIES.
WE'LL ADD TRACK CHANGES TO THAT AND GET THAT OUT TO Y'ALL AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
UM, FOLKS ON THE TASK FORCE, IS THERE A WAY TO RECEIVE LIKE THE PIECES OF INFORMATION WE NEED, UM, WAYS FOR IT TO, TO BE PRESENTED, ET CETERA, THAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL TO US? UM, I MEAN, I'M COMING UP WITH IDEAS, BUT IT'S NOT JUST ME.
MADELA, I THINK, UM, LIKE A COMPARISON TO THE PAST WATER LOSS AND EVERYTHING AND SEEING LIKE THE STRATEGIES THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT GOING FORWARD WOULD BE NICE.
LIKE IN A TABLE, LIKE A VISUAL KIND OF THING.
SARAH, DID YOU HAVE A CO? YES, SARAH.
A COUPLE THINGS ON THE LAND ANALYSIS.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT LATER IN A MINUTE, BUT JUST SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FORMAT, YES.
A RED LINE WOULD'VE BEEN MUCH MORE HELPFUL.
I DIDN'T THE WAY, AND I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WHERE YOU GUYS SAID, WE WANNA SEND YOU AN EXCERPT INSTEAD OF A FULL DOCUMENT YOU'D HAVE TO REVIEW.
AND I WANTED TO SEE HOW THAT WORKED OUT.
AND LIKE THIS TIME, AS NEAR AS I COULD TELL WHAT WE GOT, THE PAGE NUMBERS DIDN'T LINE UP WITH WHAT WE, WHAT WE RECEIVED COMPARED TO THE, UM, SEPTEMBER 3RD DRAFT WE HAVE.
SO, UM, YEAH, I DON'T THINK THAT REALLY WORKED TO TRY TO SEND US, UM, EXCERPTS THAT HAD DIFFERENT, DIDN'T LINE UP WITH WHAT WE HAD BEFORE.
SO I AM, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO WORK ON THAT.
AND THEN I GUESS SORT OF LIKE SUBSTANTIVELY ALSO, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I SAW IS, UM, THE, IN THE WATER CONSERVATION, GOSH, OKAY.
IN THE PLAN REPORT YOU SENT US THIS UPDATED TABLE THAT HAS LIKE WATER YIELD MM-HMM.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE ALSO IN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
BUT IN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, WE, IT'S IN A DIFFERENT, UH, METRIC.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A, A UNIT, UM, A DIFFERENT UNIT.
SO MAYBE THERE'S SOME WAY, I KNOW THAT IN THE OVERALL PLAN WE, WE, YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, ACRE FEET MM-HMM.
UM, AND I THINK, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN RIGHT NOW AS THE AGENDA ITEM? WE'RE ON RIGHT NOW? WE'RE ON WATER 4 24 PLAN.
BUT WE CAN SEND, UH, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH AN APPROACH THAT RED LINES, THE FULL WATER 4 24 PLAN REPORT, UM, FOR THE SIERRA LAKE AND LINE CONSERVATION STRATEGIES AND THEN ANY OTHER CHANGES THAT ARE MADE.
AND THEN WE'LL WORK ON LINING UP UNITS OR PROVIDING SOME SORT OF TRANSLATION BETWEEN UNITS.
SO, AND, AND LET ME JUST SAY, I WANNA HEAR WHAT OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBERS THINK BECAUSE WHAT WORKS FOR ME MAY NOT WORK FOR THEM.
BUT LIKE, MY THOUGHT WAS A, IF IT'S A, IT'S A BIG DOCUMENT AND YOU HAD SAID WE DON'T WANNA SEND YOU A BIG DOCUMENT, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BOOKMARK THINGS IN A PDF AND I CAN JUMP RIGHT TO WHERE YOUR SPOT IS.
OR EVEN THAT DOCUMENT YOU SENT WITH THIS LAND PLAN.
LIKE IF IT HAD SAID THIS IS INTENDED TO REPLACE PAGE 25 IN THE SEPTEMBER 3RD DRAFT, OR YOU KNOW, A LITTLE MORE EXPLANATION.
WE, WE, IT IT'S, YOU GUYS ARE MORE FAMILIAR WITH IT THAN US IS ALL THAT'S HAPPENING.
I GUESS WE'LL TO HEAR WHAT, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT WORKS FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
'CAUSE I MAY BE AN OUTLIER HERE.
I MEAN YOU COULD, ON THIS TABLE HERE, THE, THE ONE THAT I BELIEVE SARAH'S TALKING ABOUT, THE PROJECTED ANNUAL YIELDS, YOU COULD HAVE, UH, ANOTHER COLUMN FOR 2029 AND 2034 THAT, UM, I BELIEVE WHEN SARAH SAID THAT THIS IS DIFFERENT UNITS, THE OTHER UNITS ARE GPCD, UM, YOU COULD LIKE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, 2,240 ACRE FEET, WHICH IS HALF A-G-P-C-D OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW? OKAY.
MAYBE THAT'S TWO IN THE WEEDS, BUT, BUT THAT'S, IT DEPENDS ON KIND OF, IT IS HELPFUL TO SEE THE ACTUAL ACRE FEET 'CAUSE UM, HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, REDUCING.
I THINK I REMEMBER I WROTE DOWN TWO NUMBERS.
[00:55:01]
AND 700,000.BUT, BUT UH, SHAY WAS EXPLAINING LIKE HOW MANY GALLONS WE HAVE TO SAVE TO MAKE A ONE GPCD REDUCTION.
'CAUSE THE GPCD NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY KIND OF SMALL NUMBERS AND THEN YOU'RE SEEING JUST LIKE A ONE REDUCTION OR SOMETHING, BUT YOU DON'T REALIZE LIKE, WHAT WAS THE NUMBER, I CAN'T REMEMBER RIGHT.
BUT SO TWO GPCD FOR THE 2029 TARGET WAS 2,919 ACRE FEET.
SO LIKE, JUST ANYWAY, SO, SO THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
UM, FOR THE COLORADO RIVER LAND ANALYSIS, I THINK IT ALSO WOULD BE HELPFUL SEEING, UM, FUNDING SOURCES FOR THAT.
ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY NAMING A, A BUNCH OF POSSIBLE GRANTS AND IDEAS AND BONDS SO THAT SEEING WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND WHAT COULD BE EXPANDED ON TO DO BETTER AT CON CONSERVING THE IMPORTANT LANDS AND UNDERSTANDING THE, THE BIG PICTURE OF IT ALL.
UM, WE, I THINK SHERRY AND JUSTIN ARE GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO WITH THE COLORADO RIVER LAND ANALYSIS AND MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UM, UH, MAYBE AFTER WE FINISH UP THIS DISCUSSION, WE CAN MOVE INTO THE, UH, NEXT PART OF THE SLIDES AND SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION TASK FORCE MEMBERS, SARAH, JUST GENERALLY ON THE WATER FORWARD REPORT AND THE WATER SUPPLY STRATEGIES.
I JUST WANTED TO FLAG FOR THE OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
I STILL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WAL WALTER ELONG LAKE, UM, WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY AND A DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
AND, UM, PAUL HAD BROUGHT UP QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING A, A DRINKING WATER PLANT IN THAT AREA AND I, I JUST WANTED TO LIKE BROADCAST THAT.
I'M NOT TOTALLY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
I NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
I CAN ASK THIS STUFF RIGHT NOW, BUT IF ANYBODY ELSE IS LOOKING INTO THAT, YOU KNOW, PLEASE SHARE YOUR QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS WITH ME.
ARE ONE OF THESE INFORMATION SHEETS FROM THE, THE, THE AUGUST THE EQUITY AND WHATEVER 13TH MEETING, IS THERE ONE ABOUT WALL TREE LONG ON HERE? YES.
THAT, THAT'S THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY, UM, ANALYSIS.
SO THERE IS A, AN ANALYSIS RELATED TO USE OF LAKE LONG AS A WATER, AS AN OFF CHANNEL RESERVOIR.
SO THERE'S ALSO A, UH, MODELING CHARACTERIZATION SHEET THAT DESCRIBES THE INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENTS THAT WAS PROVIDED BACK, I THINK IN THE JULY 15TH BACKUP.
UM, AND THAT HAS MORE DETAIL ON KIND OF THE, THE DISCREET COMPONENTS OF THAT STRATEGY AND HOW IT WOULD BE, UH, USED.
THEN THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL EXPLANATION IN THE FUTURE WATER STRATEGIES CHAPTER OF THE DRAFT PLAN REPORT.
UM, THAT PAUL HAS HIS HAND UP.
UM, YEAH, WELL I GUESS MARISSA, IS THIS THE TIME THEN MAYBE TO TALK ABOUT THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ANALYSIS? 'CAUSE I SENT YOU A QUESTION VIA EMAIL AND UM, MAYBE WE CAN DISCUSS IT NOW IF THAT'S, THIS IS THE RELEVANT PART OF THE MEETING TO BRING THAT UP.
WELL, FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBERS, I SENT MARISA AN EMAIL.
UM, JUST TRYING TO DIG INTO THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ANALYSIS A LITTLE BIT AND UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT HOW IT PLAYED A ROLE IN THE PORTFOLIO SELECTION, UM, AND WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY SELECTION.
SO THE QUESTION WAS EFFECTIVELY, UM, BECAUSE THE DIFFERENCE IN SCORES, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCORES, THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES RECEIVED ON THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY FRAMEWORK, THEY, IT'S SOMETHING BETWEEN LIKE ONE AND FIVE.
AND THEY ALL SEEMED TO BE SORT OF LIKE AROUND THREE.
UH, SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM FELT SORT OF NEG NEGLIGIBLE IF YOU KIND OF JUST LOOK AT IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW, IT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME AT ALL TO WHAT EXTENT, LIKE DOING THAT, UH, EXERCISE IMPACTED THE SELECTION OF THE STRATEGIES, IF AT ALL.
AND WERE THERE ANY SITUATIONS IN WHICH, UH, A STRATEGY WAS BEING CONSIDERED BUT NOT SELECTED BECAUSE IT RECEIVED A POOR SCORE ON EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY? YOU KNOW, ARE, WERE THERE ANY SITUATIONS LIKE THAT? THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
SO IN, UM, THE SCORES THAT ARE INCLUDED ON THE BACKUP DOCUMENT, AND WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF, OF CHARACTERIZING
[01:00:01]
THIS IN THE, UM, UH, RAW DATA, RAW SCORES FOR THAT PARTICULAR METRIC.UM, THE SCORES THAT ARE INCLUDED ON THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP ARE WHAT I WOULD TERM RAW SCORES BEFORE WE, UM, KIND OF STRETCH THEM ACROSS A ONE TO FIVE RANGE.
AND SO EVEN IF IN THE RAW SCORE, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DIFFERENTIATION BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO COMPARE THE STRATEGIES RELATIVE TO ANOTHER, WE IDENTIFY WHAT'S THE, THE MAX SCORE AND WHAT'S THE MIN SCORE? AND THEN WE STRETCH THOSE, THE SCORES FOR ALL OF THE STRATEGIES, UH, ALONG THAT RANGE FROM ONE TO FIVE.
UM, AND SO THAT PROVIDED A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE SCORES.
BUT AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE, NOT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO GET AN ABSOLUTE VALUE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO COMPARE THEM, WE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, UM, ULTIMATELY THE, THE, THOSE STRETCHED SCORES, UH, FACTORED IN TO THE EVALUATION OF THE PORTFOLIOS OF STRATEGIES THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
AND SO IF A PORTFOLIO HAD A, UM, A LARGER NUMBER OF STRATEGIES THAT HAD A BETTER EQUITY AND AFFORDA, UH, EQUITY SCORE, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A LARGER PORTION OF THE 8%, UH, THAT WAS ALLOTTED TO THE EQUITY, UM, UH, EVALUATION METRIC, UM, FOR THE PORTFOLIO.
SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF HOW THE SCORES PLAYED INTO THE OVERALL, UH, EVALUATION OF PORTFOLIOS.
OF THE 10 PORTFOLIOS THAT WE IDENTIFIED TO BE COMPARED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, THE MAXIMUM VALUE THAT A PORTFOLIO COULD HAVE RECEIVED RELATED TO THE EQUITY METRIC WAS 8%.
AND IF THEY HAD A, A BETTER, UH, A HIGHER RANKING OR A BETTER SCORING, EXCUSE ME, UM, GROUPING OF STRATEGIES, THEN YOU WOULD'VE GOTTEN MORE OF THAT 8%.
IF YOU HAD, UM, LOWER SCORING OR WORSE SCORING STRATEGIES AS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE EQUITY METRIC, YOU WOULD'VE GOTTEN A, A SMALLER PORTION OF THAT 8%.
AND THAT WOULD'VE AFFECTED THE OVERALL SCORE OF THE PORTFOLIO WHEN COMBINED WITH OTHER EVALUATION METRICS LIKE WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY OR COST, UM, OR IMPLEMENTATION FEASIBILITY.
AND WE CAN PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION TO KIND OF SHOW IN A, UH, A MORE DETAILED WAY HOW THE, THE SCORES PLAYED OUT WHEN THEY WERE STRETCHED ACROSS EACH OF THE, UM, UH, ACROSS THE ONE TO FIVE RANGE.
AND, UM, AND PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW ALL YOU HAVE IS ON THE DRAFT PLAN REPORT ON PAGE 25, YOU HAVE THE ROLL UP OF THE SCORES AND WE CAN PROVIDE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON, UM, THE INDIVIDUAL, UH, PORTFOLIO MAKEUP FOR THE EQUITY COMPONENT OF THEIR SCORE.
IS THAT HELPFUL? THAT IS HELPFUL.
I DIDN'T, UM, FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AND WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE DIGGING INTO IT.
SO YEAH, IF YOU COULD SHARE YEP.
THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UM, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE PRESENTATION, MAKING SURE I'M, WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY OF THESE YET, AND SO THIS, THIS PRESENTATION HERE INCLUDES KIND OF, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF NEW WATER FORWARD INFORMATION AND THEN ABOUT THE COLORADO RIVER LAND ANALYSIS.
I THINK, I THINK YOU'RE RELEASED FOR THE MOMENT, MATT, OR YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO SIT THERE IF YOU WANT
SO I'M GONNA START OFF WITH JUST A COUPLE OF SLIDES AND THEN I'LL BE JOINED BY SHERRY KOOL AND JUSTIN BATES.
SHERRY KO IS OUR, UM, AUSTIN WATER ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER.
JUSTIN BATES IS OUR WILDLANDS, UM, PROGRAM DIVISION MANAGER, AND THEY'LL BE PRESENTING THE, UM, SLIDES ON THE PRELIMINARY COLORADO RIVER LAND ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATIONS SO WE CAN ROLL TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO WE ARE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FURTHER WATER FORWARD 2024 PLAN REVISIONS, AND YOU CAN ROLL TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
IN, UH, THE SEPTEMBER 10TH MEETING, WE PROVIDED SOME INFORMATION, UH, UH, TO COMPARE WATER FORWARD 18 AND WATER FORWARD 24 STRATEGY YIELDS AS WELL AS THE MAKEUP OF THE PORTFOLIOS, AND A SUMMARY OF THE WATER 4 24 STRATEGY YIELDS AND, UH, ON A DECATAL BASIS AND COSTS.
THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE TABLES.
[01:05:01]
MEETING, UPDATED THE YIELDS FOR THE CUSTOMER SIDE, WATER USE, MANAGEMENT, AND NATIVE AND EFFICIENT LANDSCAPING STRATEGIES IN THOSE TWO TABLES TO ALIGN WITH THE, UM, UH, UPDATED GPCD GOALS OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN THAT LEADS TO GREATER YIELD FROM THOSE TWO STRATEGIES IN THE 2030, UH, UH, TIMEFRAME AND BEYOND.THAT'S CARRIED FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE PLANNING HORIZONS.
SO THOSE UPDATED SLIDES ARE INCLUDED IN THE, UH, AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION AND WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE WATER FORWARD 24 REPORT.
UM, JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT SLIGHT CHANGE.
AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR DISCUSSION, WE'LL INCLUDE THESE TABLES AND AN UPDATED REVISION OF THE PLAN REPORT AS A WHOLE, UM, A REDLINED VERSION OF THAT PLAN REPORT DOCUMENT.
AND THAT WILL BE A PART OF THE NEXT, UM, REVISION DELIVERABLE THAT Y'ALL RECEIVE.
JUST LET US GO BACK AND WORK THROUGH OUR TIMELINE A LITTLE BIT, GIVEN THIS ADJUSTMENT AND, AND PRIORITIES AND, AND DELIVERABLES TO KINDA GET A, GET YOU A DATE FOR WHEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT.
SO TODAY WE WANTED TO PRESENT A LITTLE BIT OF NEW INFORMATION TO TALK ABOUT OUR DRAFT 100 YEAR ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PATHWAYS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, SHERRY AND JUSTIN WILL TALK ABOUT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE COLORADO FOR LAND ANALYSIS PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN, UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO FOR, UM, THE WATER FORWARD PLAN GO THROUGH EDITORIAL REVIEW, UM, WORKING WITH OUR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS TO UPDATE OUR, OUR GRAPHICS IN THE REPORT AND THE DESIGN AND THE LAYOUT OF THE REPORT.
AND THEN, UH, JUST AS WE ARE CONTINUING MOVING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, MAKING SURE THAT ALONG THE WAY WE'VE GOT GOOD ALIGNMENT BETWEEN WATER FORWARD AND THE REVISED WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS, UH, SLIDE IS PRESENTING, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE TASK FORCE HAS SEEN THIS.
SO I THINK THIS IS GOOD THAT WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, UM, ON OUR SCHEDULE AND TIMEFRAME FOR FOLKS TO DIGEST AND TO BE ABLE TO ANS ASK QUESTIONS AND HAVE DISCUSSION OF THIS AS WELL.
THIS IS SHOWING OUR DRAFT 100 YEAR ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PATHWAYS.
UM, THIS IS, UH, A 100 YEAR PLAN, BUT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SO FAR MORE SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR THE FIRST 50 YEARS OF THE PLAN THROUGH 2080, UM, TO BUILD OUT THE LAST HALF OF THE PLAN THROUGH 2081 THROUGH 2120.
UM, RATHER THAN DEVELOP SPECIFIC DETERMINISTIC, UH, SET OF STRATEGIES BECAUSE THERE IS GREATER UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURES THAT WE COULD EXPERIENCE THAT FAR OUT INTO THE FUTURE, WE ARE WANTING TO INCLUDE THESE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PATHWAYS.
THESE PATHWAYS IDENTIFY SIGNPOSTS THAT MAY PROMPT US TO PURSUE DIFFERENT WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN THE VERY LONG TERM FUTURE.
UM, THE THIS, THESE PATHWAYS BUILD ON PORTFOLIO SIX, WHICH IS OUR PREFERRED PORTFOLIO STRATEGIES THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT WATER 4 20 24 REPORT.
THE PATHWAYS, UM, HELP TO PROVIDE US WITH INSIGHT ON HOW THE STRATEGIES THAT WE IMPLEMENT TODAY AND OVER THE NEXT 50 YEARS SET US UP TO MANAGE THROUGH POTENTIAL FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS, UM, POSSIBLE RANGES AND VOLUMES OF REGIONAL SUPPLIES THAT ARE DEVELOPED BY THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY AND DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OF FUTURE DEMAND.
IT'S JUST REINFORCES THAT OUR DECISIONS TODAY ON IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE CONSERVATION REUSE AND SUPPLY STRATEGIES WILL INFLUENCE THOSE PATHWAYS THAT WE MAY NEED TO GO DOWN IN THE FUTURE AND IS PRIMARILY INFORMATIONAL AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH OUR IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS.
AND ALSO AS WE GO THROUGH CONTINUAL UPDATES TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.
AS WE UPDATE THE PLAN REPORT EVERY FIVE YEARS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW OUR NEAR TERM AND ONGOING EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT THE WATER FORWARD PLAN IN COMBINATION WITH FACTORS THAT ARE FRANKLY OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL, SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, OR TO A CERTAIN EXTENT LC, A'S DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL SUPPLY, MAY BE SETTING US UP FOR ADDITIONAL LONG-TERM STRATEGIES THAT WE MAY NEED TO BE ABLE TO MEET OUR FUTURE DEMANDS.
SO ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE PORTFOLIO SIX, UM, IN 2080.
AND FROM THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL BRANCHES SHOWING PATHWAYS THAT WE MAY NEED TO FOLLOW IF WE EXPERIENCED IN THE FUTURE A CLIMATE THAT WAS SIMILAR TO OUR HISTORIC CLIMATE.
UM, THE SECOND PATHWAY DOWN IS IF WE EXPERIENCE A LOW SEVERITY CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIO.
[01:10:01]
IS IF WE EXPERIENCE A MEDIUM SEVERITY CLIMATE CHANGE CHANGE SCENARIO.AND THEN FOURTH DOWN IS IF CLIMATE, UM, IS, UH, UH, THE KIND OF THE HIGHEST SEVERITY, UM, CLIMATE IN OUR ANALYSIS IS KIND OF A KEY DRIVER OR IS THE KEY DRIVER AND MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTOR, UM, ON POTENTIAL PATHWAYS THAT WE MAY NEED TO FOLLOW IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT THERE ARE, LIKE I MENTIONED, THINGS THAT ARE IN OUR CONTROL, LIKE OUR FUTURE DEMANDS, UM, AND OUR, UH, WORK TO IMPLEMENT CONSERVATION AND REUSE WILL SET US UP FOR DECISIONS THAT WE MAY NEED TO, UM, MAKE ON WHICH PATHWAY WE ARE FOLLOWING.
UM, I'M GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
IS THIS THE NEXT SLIDE OR IS THIS, THIS IS THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT WE CAN GO BACK IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO.
GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE THEN.
UM, SO YOU SEE THAT THESE, THE, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THERE'S SIX A, SIX B, AND SIX C THAT ARE OUTLINED AS POTENTIAL PORTFOLIOS THAT WE COULD NEED TO IMPLEMENT.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I'M JUST LIKE, UM, SHOWS THE CONTENTS OF THOSE PORTFOLIOS, SIX A, SIX B, AND SIX C.
UM, FOR THE INDIRECT PORTABLE REUSE, MM-HMM,
AND IT DEPENDS ON LIKE THE SEVERITY AND EVERYTHING.
IS THAT LIKE, UM, IS THE WAY THAT THEY'RE BEING BUILT SCALABLE? SO IF WE GO INTO THE DROUGHT OR IS IT LIKE GOING AND MAKING MULTIPLE AS FAR AS COST WISE? SO THIS IS, UM, SCALING UP AND IMPLEMENTATION ONE IM IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INDIRECT PORTABLE REUSE STRATEGY.
I WAS JUST GONNA, SO WOULD, WOULD IT BE LIKE ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S THERE AND THEN IF IT THE NEED BE THEY EXPAND MORE? MM-HMM.
UM, SO IF WE, LET'S SAY HAVE IPR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, UH, CLOSER TO TODAY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DECADE, OVER THE NEXT DECADE, THEN UM, BY THE TIME WE GET A HUNDRED YEARS OUT INTO THE FUTURE, THERE MAY BE, UM, THE, IT MAY BE ENTIRELY NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THAT'S PUT IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO MEET THAT YIELD BECAUSE IT'S SO FAR OUT INTO THE FUTURE 100 YEARS.
UM, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED, THIS INFORMATION HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND BETTER OUR NEAR TERM PORTFOLIO STRATEGIES.
NEAR TERM MEANING WITHIN THE FIRST 50 YEARS.
THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY A DEFINITIVE LIST OF THE STRATEGIES OR THE SIZE AND, UH, CAPACITY OF THOSE STRATEGIES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO IMPLEMENT A HUNDRED YEARS INTO THE FUTURE THAT WILL CONSISTENTLY BE BEING UPDATED AS WE GO THROUGH THE UPDATE PROCESS FOR THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.
BUT IT DOES HELP US, THESE PATHWAYS DO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND, LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HIGHER DEMAND, WE ARE EXPERIENCING A MORE SEVERE CLIMATE SCENARIO AND WE HAVE A HIGHER DEMAND.
UM, IF WE GO DOWN THE PATHWAY OF A MEDIUM SEVERITY CLIMATE AND A HIGHER DEMAND THAT COULD LEAD US TO IMPLEMENT PORTFOLIO C, WHICH INCLUDES MANY MORE STRATEGIES.
IF WE ARE EXPERIENCING THAT SAME MEDIUM SEVERITY CLIMATE SCENARIO AND WE HAVE A LOWER DEMAND THAT MAY PROMPT US TO GO TOWARDS PORTFOLIO SIX A OR SIX B, WHERE WE HAVE A LESSER NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES TO BE ABLE TO MEET OUR NEEDS.
I THINK AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT HERE TOO IS IT'S HARD TO REALLY KNOW WHAT OUR WATER USE IS GONNA BE OUT INTO THE FUTURE.
I HONESTLY DON'T THINK WE'LL BE USING WATER THE WAY WE ARE, BUT I PROBABLY WON'T BE AROUND, I DEFINITELY WON'T BE AROUND IN 2080 TO TO, TO, UM, SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
BUT, UM, THE THING TO KEEP IN MIND TOO IS THAT THIS PLAN IS INTENDED TO BE UPDATED ON A CYCLICAL BASIS SO THAT WE CAN DOUBLE CHECK OUR ASSUMPTIONS, WE CAN ITERATE AS WE GO AND BE ADAPTIVE IN OUR APPROACH.
I MEAN, SOME THINGS INFRASTRUCTURE IS PLANNED AND BUILT AND INVESTED IN AND THINGS LIKE
[01:15:01]
THAT, BUT, BUT THIS IS, UM, YOU'RE 2080S NOT AS FAR OFF AS, AS IT USED TO SEEM LIKE, BUT IT'S STILL, IT'S A WAYS OFF.UM, BUT UH, THIS IS KIND OF SAYING LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF OUR BENCHMARKS, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR MILESTONES AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MAKE, WE HAVE AS DECISION TREE ONCE, ONCE WE HIT THAT AND DOESN'T HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY BE 2080, IT COULD BE 2050 OR 60 OR SOMETHING.
BUT THIS IS KIND OF HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT APPROACH BEING ADAPTIVE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND, AND WE, IT'S NOT LIKE WE WAIT, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING UPDATES OF WATER FORWARD AND THESE THINGS MIGHT CHANGE AND YOU KNOW, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, LIKE THIS IS A DYNAMIC ADAPTIVE PLAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE LOCKING IN STRATEGIES BY PLANNING AND INVESTING, FOR EXAMPLE, A BRACKISH DESAL OR AN A SR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
LIKE ONCE WE GET PRETTY SOMEWHAT OF A DISTANCE DOWN THE ROAD ON THOSE, THOSE BECOME A STRATEGY.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF THE SIZE, UM, THAT IT IS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SHAY, WERE YOU GONNA SAY SOMETHING? WELL, I THINK YOU SAID IT VERY WELL, BUT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST 50 YEARS WE'VE IDENTIFIED A PORTFOLIO OF STRATEGIES THAT, UH, MANY OF THESE ARE ALREADY, UM, YOU KNOW, IN EVALUATION FEASIBILITY, WE WILL BEGIN TO MAKE THEM MORE REAL.
UM, AND THEY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON THE TIME STEP THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ON OUR 50 YEAR TIMEFRAME.
AND THEN THE SECOND 50 YEARS IN MY MIND, AND I HAVEN'T SAID THIS OUT LOUD TO THERESA BEFORE, I MEAN MARISA BEFORE, SO SHE CAN CORRECT ME, BUT THE SECOND 50 YEARS IS REALLY ABOUT HOW DO THE, HOW CAN THESE STRATEGIES SCALE TO MEET OUR 100 YEAR WATER DEMANDS IN A, IN A, WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S VERY FAIR TO SAY THAT AS WE GO FORWARD AND GO THROUGH THIS ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN, UPDATING IT EVERY FIVE YEARS, WE, WE, WE WILL IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES, BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE, WE ARE CHECKING OUR WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT WE INVEST NOW, THE STRATEGIES THAT WE PUT IN PLACE NOW WILL SERVE OUR, OUR VERY LONG-TERM NEEDS.
SO THIS IS A NEW, WHOOPS, THIS IS A NEW PIECE OF INFORMATION, THE SLIDE WE'RE LOOKING AT OR A NEW, A NEW WAY TO PRESENT INFORMATION THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT ALSO THE DECISION TREE AND STUFF.
DO FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS ON THAT? OKAY.
I WOULD JUST, THIS IS JUST A SILLY, MAYBE A SILLY COMMENT, BUT GREEN, YELLOW, RED JUST HAS THE STOP AND GO KIND OF THING.
UHHUH
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY COLORS YOU CAN USE, BUT STILL, YEAH.
I'LL TALK TO THE GRAPHIC DESIGNER ABOUT IT.
SO THEN I THINK WE CAN MOVE INTO THE NEXT PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION, WHICH IS, UH, THE COLORADO RIVER LAND ANALYSIS UPDATE.
I'M THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE OFFICER FOR AUSTIN WATER.
AND I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE JUSTIN BATES, 'CAUSE THIS IS HIS FIRST WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE MEETING.
UM, HE'S THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR OUR WILD LAND CONSERVATION DIVISION, SO ALL OF OUR CURRENT AUSTIN WATER LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS IN THE BA CANYON LANDS PRESERVED.
UM, HE CAME TO US FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WITH GREAT EXPERIENCE, AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP THIS BRIEF, SO I'M JUST GONNA TURN IT OVER TO JUSTIN.
HE'S BEEN HELPING WITH THIS ANALYSIS FOR THIS.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER? DID I TOTALLY MISS THAT
I MUST BE THINKING OF A DIFFERENT TITLE.
I KNOW NOT THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER FOR THE CITY, BUT ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE OFFICER FOR AUSTIN WATER.
I WAS THINKING OF, OF A, I WAS THINKING OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I WAS, I WAS THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION MANAGER BEFORE THAT.
SO, AS SHERRY SAID, YOU KNOW, THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION, UH, OVERSEES PROTECTION OF OVER 48,000 ACRES OF LAND.
WE'RE REALLY HERE AT AUSTIN WATER, ONE OF THE, IF NOT THE BIGGEST LANDOWNER IN THE CITY.
UH, AND SO THOSE, UH, LANDS THAT WE MANAGE ARE REALLY FOR THE PROTECTION OF WATER FOR WILDLIFE, UH, AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE WHOLE
[01:20:01]
COMMUNITY.YOU KNOW, THE TWO PROGRAMS THAT SHERRY MENTIONED, THE BELCON CANYON LANDS PRESERVE AND THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS ARE BOTH ARRANGED, UH, WITH CERTAIN GOALS IN PLACE.
SO THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS HAD THE GOAL OF PROTECTING A HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRES OVER THE RECHARGE AND CONTRIBUTING ZONES OF THE BARTON SPRINGS SEGMENT OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER.
AND TODAY, UH, WE JUST DID SOME MATH AND IT'S OVER 74,000 ACRES BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OTHER PARTNERS HAVE BEEN PROTECTED IN THAT ZONE.
THE BICONES CANYON LANDS PRESERVE, UH, AIM TO SET ASIDE OVER 34,000 ACRE OR OVER 30,000 ACRES OF LAND, UH, FOR PROTECTION OF CRITICAL ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
AND TODAY WITH OUR PARTNERS, WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND OTHERS, WE'VE LARGELY ACHIEVED THE GOALS OF THAT, UH, UH, THE KIND OF ACREAGE GOALS AND CONFIGURATION GOALS OF THAT PRESERVE TO PROTECT THAT CRITICAL HABITAT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A BIG INVESTMENT IN THE ONGOING MANAGEMENT OF THOSE PROGRAMS TO ENSURE THAT THOSE LANDS ARE RESILIENT MOVING INTO THE FUTURE.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THOSE PROGRAMS REPRESENTED AN INVESTMENT OF OVER A QUARTER BILLION DOLLARS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFIT OF SETTING THEM ASIDE IS, YOU KNOW, NOW WE ARE REAPING ADDITIONAL BENEFITS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE BCP, THE BELK CLINICS CANYONLANDS PRESERVE, AS I THINK YOU HEARD, UH, FRANK SAY EARLIER, SITS WITHIN THE LAKE TRAVIS AND LAKE AUSTIN WATERSHED.
AND SO REALLY DOES CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO OUR SOURCE WATER.
YOU KNOW, REALLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THESE PROGRAMS IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LANDSCAPE OF TEXAS IS CHANGING AND THE BEST TIME TO, UH, MANAGE THAT CHANGE AND GET OUT AHEAD OF IT IS NOW.
UH, AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE CASE WITH OUR, OUR TWO PROGRAMS, UH, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE NINETIES WHEN THEY WERE INITIATED.
AND IT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS VERY MUCH THE CASE AS WE THINK ABOUT WATER FORWARD AND LOOK TO THE NEXT A HUNDRED YEARS.
IT'S VERY MUCH THE CASE UPSTREAM IN THE HIGHLAND LAKES WATERSHED AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A, IT, IT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S A, A LARGELY RURAL LANDSCAPE.
AND ACCORDING TO TEXAS A AND M NATURAL RESOURCE INSTITUTE WHO'S BEEN TRACKING THIS, YOU KNOW, JUST SINCE 1997, THERE'S BEEN THE LOSS OF OVER 108,000 ACRES OF WORKING LANDS, UH, IN THAT 20 ODD, UM, UH, COUNTIES UPSTREAM OF US, YOU KNOW, LARGE PARCELS ARE BEING BROKEN INTO SMALLER PIECES.
AND WE ARE REALLY IN THE MIDST IN TEXAS RIGHT NOW OF ONE OF THE LARGEST INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSFERS OF LAND IN OUR HISTORY.
AND SO THERE IS, AS YOU THINK ABOUT PLANNING FOR UNCERTAINTY, WHERE YOU SEE, UH, THE SIT WITHIN THAT WATER FORWARD REPORT, THERE IS UNCERTAINTY UPSTREAM IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LANDSCAPE LOOKS LIKE.
AND SO THAT REALLY WAS THE, THE IMPETUS HERE TO ANALYZE THE, THE, YOU KNOW, COLORADO RIVER UPSTREAM OF OUR INTAKES AND THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE CONSERVATION PRIORITIES? HOW DO WE LEARN FROM THE BELCON CANYON LANDS, PRESERVE THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS, OUR WILD LANDS THAT WE MANAGE TODAY FOR THE CITY, AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE EXTEND, UH, THAT WORK UPSTREAM TO PROTECT OUR DRINKING WATER.
SO AS WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS, WE'VE, UH, TALKED WITH A BUNCH OF, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND REALLY WHAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ANALYSIS WE DID AND THE NEXT STEPS AND ALL OF THESE FOLKS AND MORE WILL BE A KEY PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS MOVING FORWARD AS WE REFINE OUR, YOU KNOW, THE ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR AND LOOK TO KIND OF THE NEXT STEPS OF THE PROGRAM HERE.
SO, OBVIOUSLY, AS YOU KNOW, IT'S A HUGE WATERSHED THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, UM, 20 ODD COUNTIES, UH, UH, JUST A GIANT AREA.
AND SO IN ORDER TO DEFINE CONSERVATION PRIORITIES, IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHERE AUSTIN WATER COULD MAKE AN IMPACT AND COULD FOCUS, THE FIRST STEP WAS TO REALLY IDENTIFY WHICH PARTS OF THIS, YOU KNOW, GIANT AREA THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE ARE MOST IMPORTANT FROM A, A WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO THE ANALYSIS THAT WE DID, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE, THE WATER FORWARD REPORT IS REALLY FOCUSED FIRST AND FOREMOST ON, UH, WATER SUPPLY AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS.
SO WHAT, HOW DO WE IDENTIFY THE LANDS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING MOST MEANINGFULLY TO WATER QUALITY AND WATER QUANTITY? AND SO AS YOU'LL SEE HERE, WE LOOKED AT, UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE LOOKED AT 10 DIFFERENT FACTORS,
[01:25:02]
UH, USED, UH, AVAILABLE DATA SETS AND, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST LOOKED AT, AT WHERE IS THE WATER COMING FROM? SO LOOKING AT FLOW OF VARIOUS WATERSHED SEGMENTS AND THEN CLASSIFYING THOSE INTO DIFFERENT CLASSES, LOOKING AT THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF AQUIFERS, LOOKING AT WHERE SPRINGS ARE LOCATED.UH, IDENTIFYING THE DISTANCE FROM OUR INTAKES, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT THE, THE WATER THAT'S, UH, AND THE LAND THAT'S CLOSEST TO THOSE INTAKES IS, UM, MOST IMPACTFUL ON THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SORTS OF TREATMENT THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND THEN LOOKING AT NEGATIVE, UH, WATER SUPPLY FACTORS, THINGS LIKE OIL AND GAS WELLS THAT CAN NEGATIVELY INFLUENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE.
REALLY THINKING ABOUT WATER QUALITY.
WE ALSO TRIED TO LOOK AT RIPARIAN AND FLOODPLAIN AREAS, PRIORITIZE THOSE, LOOKING AT STEEP SLOPES, AREAS OF HIGH EROSIVE, UH, LOOKING AT PROTECTED LANDS AND TRYING TO BUILD OFF THE NETWORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE LANDS THAT WE AND OUR PARTNERS MANAGE.
UH, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT, UH, LANDS TO PROTECT THAT ARE ACTUALLY NATURAL LANDS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE NATURAL VEGETATION AND DE-EMPHASIZING THOSE DEVELOPED AREAS.
SO YOU SEE THAT PAVEMENT METRIC THERE.
AND SO BASICALLY WE TOOK ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT DATA SETS AND THE RANKINGS AND LAYERED THEM ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER.
UH, AND SO FOR EACH PIXEL WITHIN THAT, YOU KNOW, HUGE AREA, WE WOULD, WE COULD GET AN IDEA OF WHICH OF THESE CONTRIBUTE MOST MEANINGFULLY TO OUR, THE WATER QUALITY AND WATER QUANTITY THAT'S, THAT'S COMING TO OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE INTAKES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS CURRENT ANALYSIS DID WAS REALLY GIVE US A FIRST PASS OF THOSE AREAS THAT WERE, UH, MOST CRITICAL.
AND IT, IT STILL IDENTIFIES A REALLY LARGE AREA OR ABOUT A THOUSAND SQUARE MILES.
UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, AT THE, THE MAP OF PRIORITY AREAS THAT, THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING THROUGH THOSE FACTORS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, WATER QUANTITY OR FACTORS INFLUENCING WATER QUALITY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE, THAT ARE IMPORTANT THERE, OBVIOUSLY, UH, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND SQUARE MILES IS HUGE TARGET.
I JUST, I JUST TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR TWO EXISTING PROGRAMS HAD 130, 30,000 ACRES COLLECTIVELY OF A TARGET CONSERVATION PROGRAM.
AND WE'VE PROTECTED 48,000 ACRES OVER 30 YEARS, UH, WITH A QUARTER BILLION DOLLARS OR MORE OF INVESTMENT.
AND SO WHEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE NEXT STEP HERE AND WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE REPORT, UH, AND REALLY THE PLAN FOR MOVING FORWARD IS TO TAKE THIS FIRST PASS AND BEGIN TO REFINE IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND THERE ARE A FEW COMPONENTS OF THAT.
FIRST AND FOREMOST IS REFINING THAT CONSERVATION PRIORITIZATION MODEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THOSE WEIGHTING FACTORS THAT YOU HAD UP THERE, THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL GRANULARITY THAT WE CAN ADD TO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AND I THINK WORKING WITH OTHER CONSERVATION PARTNERS AND, AND STAKEHOLDERS WHO HAVE DONE THESE SORTS OF ANALYSES IN THE, IN THE PERIS AND OTHER AREAS UPSTREAM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO REFLECT, UM, SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES MORE.
YOU KNOW, E EVEN BEYOND THAT, I THINK THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY IS TO DO THE NEXT PASS ANALYSIS TO LOOK AT ECONOMIC FACTORS, UM, EQUITY AND SOCIAL FACTORS, REALLY TO TRY AND RIGHTSIZE THIS PROGRAM.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID ABOUT A THOUSAND SQUARE MILES WERE INITIALLY IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY AREA.
OF THOSE ONLY ABOUT 70% ARE IN PARCELS, LARGER THAN 200 ACRES, WHICH WOULD BE THE TYPES OF, YOU KNOW, UH, LAND AREAS THAT WE WOULD PRIORITIZE FOR A CONSERVATION STRATEGY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT FACTORS LIKE THOSE, LOOKING TO PROXIMITY TO OTHER PROTECTED LANDS, WORKING WITH OTHER LAND CON CONSERVATION AND GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE WORKING AND WHAT THOSE PRIOR, WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES ARE, THAT ALL WILL HELP US TO BEGIN TO RIGHT SIZE A PROGRAM AND A TARGET OF WHERE DOES AUSTIN WATER THINK WE CAN MAKE AN INVESTMENT AND TRULY MOVE THE NEEDLE IN TERMS OF WATER QUALITY AND WATER QUANTITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WITH THAT TO THE QUESTION OF KIND OF FUNDING STRATEGIES AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING, HAVING A SMALLER TARGET THEN ALLOWS US TO EVALUATE THE MIX OF CONSERVATION STRATEGIES THAT WE WILL USE AND THE ASSOCIATED COSTS WITH THEM.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW OUR TWO PROGRAMS, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE,
[01:30:01]
THE BELCON CAN LANDS PRESERVE IS ALL FEE SIMPLE OWNED PROPERTY.THE CITY BOUGHT IT OUTRIGHT, WE MANAGE IT DIRECTLY, THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE OWN SOME LAND IN A LARGE CONTINUOUS BLOCK OVER THE RECHARGE ZONE.
WE MANAGE THAT, UM, AND KIND OF MAXIMIZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF THAT PROPERTY.
OTHER PROPERTY, ABOUT 22,000 ACRES UNDER THAT PROGRAM IS ALL MANAGED UNDER CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
SO MORE COST-EFFECTIVE STRATEGY WHERE WE OWN THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, UH, OVER IT.
SO AS WE LOOK UPSTREAM TO THE COLORADO, REALLY THINKING ABOUT THAT BALANCE AND WHERE WE APPLY THESE DIFFERENT FACTORS IS ONE OF THE KEY NEXT STEPS.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK FORWARD IN WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE WATER FORWARD REPORT IN FRONT OF YOU IS A STRATEGY TO REFINE SLIGHTLY THE CURRENT ANALYSIS OF, YOU KNOW, THE LANDS THAT CONTRIBUTE MOST SIGNIFICANTLY TO WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY TO THEN BEGIN TO RIGHTSIZE THE TARGET FOR FUTURE CONSERVATION BASED ON ECONOMIC, UM, CONSIDERATIONS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, THE AVAILABLE PARTNERSHIPS AND THAT SORT OF STUFF.
AND THEN TO BUILD A TRUE PROGRAM DESIGN THAT HAS A BALANCE OF, YOU KNOW, FEE SIMPLE ACQUISITION CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, PROGRAMS LIKE DIRECT PAYMENTS TO LANDOWNERS AND EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.
UH, SO THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK TO DO.
I THINK WE REALLY BENEFIT IN THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION FROM ALL OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS.
AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, A KEY PART OF THIS WILL BE ENGAGING WITH THAT LONG LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT YOU SAW TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING, THE RESOURCES THAT AUSTIN WATER CAN INVEST, ARE LEVERAGING ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THAT IS HAPPENING UPSTREAM IN THE HILL COUNTRY, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF WATER, FOR THE BENEFIT OF WILDLIFE AND, AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS.
AND I THINK THE LAST SLIDE IS JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, AGAIN, I I TOUCHED ON THE, YOU KNOW, GOAL IS TO KIND OF CONTINUE THIS WORK FORWARD INTO EARLY 2025, UH, AND CONTINUE COORDINATING WITH FOLKS LIKE YOURSELF, UM, OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY AND, AND LOTS OF OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, YOU, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY.
I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS AS WELL.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, DO YOU GUYS WORK WITH THE GROUNDWATER DISTRICTS TO SEE WHEN THERE'S PERMITS THAT ARE BEING APPLIED FOR, FOR, UM, AREAS THAT ARE IN YOUR PRIORITY ZONES IN EVERYTHING? BECAUSE I THINK YOU CAN MISS THE OPPORTUNITY IF SOMEBODY'S STARTING TO DO A DEVELOPMENT OR SOMETHING THAT COULD PUT OUR DRINKING WATER AT RISK.
UM, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET, BUT WE HAVE THAT KIND OF IN OUR LIST OF WHAT WE PLAN TO DO IS TO REACH OUT MORE WITH THE GROUNDWATER DISTRICTS.
WE, WE'VE DONE THAT TO ELIMINATE EXTENT, I THINK, WITH JUST OUR OTHER INTERACTIONS WITH THOSE WATER MANAGERS.
AND THE, AND THE OTHER OTHER THING I'LL SAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALMOST FULLY EXPENDED $72 MILLION OF OPEN SPACE FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED IN OR VOTED ON BY THE VOTERS IN 2018.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S SO MUCH WORK THAT GOES INTO THESE CONSERVATION DEALS FOR ANY OF Y'ALL THAT HAVE WORKED WITH THE CONSERVATION COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF THEM ARE JUST LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS.
AND SO WE ARE GETTING OUT THERE, UH, AND, AND MEETING LANDOWNERS AND UNDERSTANDING THEIR INTERESTS AND NEEDS, WORKING WITH PARTNERS LIKE, UM, HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY, LIKE THE NATURE CONSERVANCY AND OTHERS, UM, TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY, WHERE A PARCEL IS GOING TO, UH, SUBDIVIDE FLIP.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY.
MANY OF OUR WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS WERE SLATED FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO COME IN, IN THE RIGHT POINT IN A REAL ESTATE CYCLE WITH FUNDING TO, TO ACQUIRE THOSE AND PROTECT THOSE.
UM, SO I HAVE A, JUST A FEW QUESTIONS OR MAYBE COMMENTS.
AND I SEE THAT PAUL HAS HIS HAND UP TO, UM, LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY THESE REAL QUICK AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO PAUL.
BUT, UM, IN READING THIS SECTION, THERE'S REVISED LANGUAGE AND THE, AND ONE OF OUR ATTACHMENTS FOR THIS SECTION, BUT JUST A FEW THINGS AND THINKING ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD AND, AND, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, UH, AND THIS IS MAYBE JUST FOR ALL OF Y'ALL, BUT, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BARTON SPRING ZONE
[01:35:01]
IS STILL BEING PRIORITIZED, IS STILL A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY.AND I, AND I SAW SOMETHING IN THE PLAN WHEREVER IT IS IN MY STACK OF STUFF THAT I MARKED, YOU KNOW, THAT SAYS LIKE THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS, OR, YOU KNOW, TO PROTECT THE BARTON SPRING ZONE OF PERPETUITY.
I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO SAY EXPLICITLY IN THE PLAN IF THIS IS THE CASE, THAT THAT, UM, THE BARTON SPRING ZONE, UM, IS, IS CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN WATER AND WILD LANDS.
AND THAT THE COLORADO, THAT THESE COLORADO RIVER LANE ANALYSIS STRATEGIES DEVELOPED THROUGH THIS WOULD BE ADDITIVE TO THE CURRENT APPROACH, THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE NEEDED.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN I'M HEARING AND I SHARE THAT CONCERN MM-HMM,
'CAUSE I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL AND WE'VE SAID THESE THINGS LIKE LET'S PUT 'EM, WRITE IT DOWN IN WORDS IN THE PLAN AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S VERY CLEAR.
UM, AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT HOPEFULLY WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AND STUFF.
MY MY OTHER, MY OTHER PIECE, MY OTHER PIECE TOO IS JUST, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT AN INVESTMENT AND STUFF.
UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, BARTON SPRINGS IS, IS A SHARED RESOURCE, JUST LIKE ALL OF OUR WATERS A SHARED RESOURCE, BUT, BUT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, THE BARTON SPRINGS ZONE, THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, AND THE WATER THAT COMES OUTTA THE SPRINGS, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY GOES, IT'S, IT'S MORE CONTAINED THAN SAY, LIKE THE HIGHLAND LAKES WATERSHED AND LAKE TRAVIS IN PARTICULAR.
AND THERE'S MANY PEOPLE THAT USE IT.
UM, AND LCRA CONTINUES TO ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITH PEOPLE FOR THAT WATER.
SO HOW DO WE, AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ENSURE THAT OUR INVESTMENT IN LAND CONSERVATION WILL YIELD, UM, GALLONS OF WATER SUPPLY FOR AUSTIN? OR, AND I KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T JUST WATER QUANTITY, IT'S WATER QUALITY TOO, BUT GALLONS OF CLEANER WATER, LIKE HOW DO WE, I KNOW THIS IS TRICKY, BUT HOW DO WE HAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT OUR INVESTMENT IN THAT BIGGER WATERSHED HAS A TANGIBLE BENEFIT TO US? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS TO THAT, BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY AT THIS POINT, AS, AS JUSTIN DISCUSSED, IS THAT WE'VE DONE THIS INITIAL PASS OF WHAT, WHAT PARCELS, WHAT WHAT, UH, WHAT'D YOU CALL 'EM? PIXELS,
AND THEN THE NEXT PASS WILL, WILL HELP US HONE IN ON WHERE BEST TO SPEND, UM, TO SPEND MONEY.
AND SO THAT WE, UM, SO I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER YET ON HOW, I MEAN, MAYBE JUSTIN DOES, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER YET ON HOW WE SAY, YOU KNOW, UH, TIE IT TO EITHER WATER QUANTITY OR WATER QUALITY.
BUT THE, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE READY TO ACTUALLY CLOSE DEALS.
I'LL, UH, THE ONE THING I'LL ADD IS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS, THERE HAS BEEN SOME ANALYSIS IN THE PAST OF THE AVOIDED DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT OR THE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS BEEN AVOIDED AND IN AREAS THAT RELY HEAVILY ON GROUNDWATER.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOME QUANTIFICATION THERE OF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FEWER DRINKING WATER WELLS INTO THE AQUIFER IN PLACES WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROTECT THEM AND, AND PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING.
BUT THINKING ABOUT LAKE TRAVIS, WHICH IS HUGE, YEAH, IT HAS MANY, MANY WATER USERS AND CONTRACTS FOR WATER, AND NOT EVERYBODY MANAGES THEIR WATER SUPPLIES IN A SIMILAR, YOU KNOW, APPROACH TO WHAT AUSTIN DOES.
UM, IT BECOMES MORE COMPLICATED.
AND, AND, UM, AND I THINK JUST MY OTHER COMMENT AND I'LL PASS OVER TO PAUL IS JUST THAT, THAT, UM, THIS NEXT STEPS HERE AND, AND Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GONNA DEVELOP A PLAN IN 2025, AND WE'RE GONNA BE MM-HMM.
THIS IS IN HERE, LET'S SAY THAT EXPLICITLY IN THE PLAN AS WELL.
THAT, THAT THERE WILL BE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
LIKE MAYBE JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION HERE, LIKE, UM, IN THE TEXT OF THE PLAN.
I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
AND, UM, JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS INITIAL GIS ANALYSIS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE WANT TO REVISIT THAT AS A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT CONVERSATION THAT WILL CONTINUE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT FINALIZATION OF THIS HIGH LEVEL A HUNDRED YEAR PLAN, AND THEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MORE STR, UH, SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO BEGIN IN 2025.
UM, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF DOING THAT KIND OF HIGH LEVEL ANALYSIS, AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GONNA BE REVISITING THAT AS A PART OF OUR ONGOING CONVERSATION, IS
[01:40:01]
TO HELP US TO DEVELOP MORE TARGETED ANALYSIS TO INFORM, UH, THE STRATEGIES THAT WE WOULD IMPLEMENT.WE CAN'T EFFECTIVELY MODEL THE ENTIRE HIGHLAND LAKES WATERSHED.
AND SO WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE ADDITIONAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BEST BANK FOR OUR BUCK IN TERMS OF OUR INVESTMENT AND THESE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME, UH, AR SMALLER AREAS TO ZERO IN ON TO DO THAT KIND OF MORE TARGETED ANALYSIS AND MODELING IN ADDITION TO MORE CONSIDERATION, GREATER CONSIDERATION OF THOSE OTHER FACTORS THAT JUSTICE SPOKE TO THE ECONOMIC EQUITY SOCIAL FACTORS, UM, AS WELL.
AND WE, AND WE MIGHT JUST WANNA INCLUDE THE BARTON SPRING ZONE ON THAT MAP AND SHOW PHYSICALLY ON THE MAP THAT THAT IS CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY AREA.
BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT ONE OF THE AREAS THAT ARE IN PURPLE ON THE MAP, THEN IT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE IT'S NOT.
AND I TOTALLY ECHO YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, AND THANK YOU SHERRY AND JUSTIN FOR COMING AND FOR PRESENTING, UM, GREAT WORK KEEPING WITH THE GOOD WORK.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, AND MARISA, YOU KIND OF JUST ANSWERED MY QUESTION A LITTLE BIT WHEN YOU REFERRED TO THIS AS A SORT OF A HIGH LEVEL ANALYSIS, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M NOT MISSING SOMETHING.
BECAUSE LAST MEETING I WAS LIKE, OH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COLORADO RIVER LAND ANALYSIS.
AND THEN I WAS REFERRED TO A SLIDE DECK FROM A PREVIOUS MEETING, AN OLDER MEETING, SORT OF LIKE THIS SLIDE DECK GIVING SORT OF A SUMMARY OR AN OVERVIEW OF THE ANALYSIS THAT'S BEEN DONE AND SORT OF THE RESULTS.
AND I JUST, I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD SEE MAYBE LIKE THE ACTUAL ANALYSIS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE, UM, IS THERE HAS TO BE MORE BEHIND THIS.
AND SO I WOULD JUST MAYBE SUGGEST WE COULD, IF WE COULD SEE SOME MORE, AND LIKE, SO JENNIFER'S POINT ABOUT THE MAP, LIKE I THINK MAYBE A BETTER MAP WOULD BE, WOULD BE BETTER IF WE COULD PRODUCE ONE THAT'S NOT JUST LIKE ON THIS, ON THE SLIDE.
LIKE IF WE GET LIKE A, A NICE HIGH QUALITY MAP THAT WITH WHATEVER ELSE YOU GUYS WANNA PRESENT ABOUT THE ANALYSIS ITSELF, LIKE, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WELCOME.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? LIKE WHERE IS THE ANALYSIS? YEAH, IT, IT DOES MAKE SENSE AND WE CAN WALK THROUGH KINDA HOW THE GIS WORK IS DONE.
SO YOU HAVE DIFFERENT, YOU CAN, WE'LL, WE'LL SHOW ON A SLIDE HOW YOU HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS, THE DIFFERENT LAYERS OF INFORMATION AND THOSE DIFFERENT LAYERS OF INFORMATION ARE ABSTRACTED TO, UH, THESE TINY SQUARES ON THE MAP, THE RA, THOSE RASTER, UH, PIXELS.
AND EACH OF THEM IS ASSIGNED A SCORE.
AND THEN YOU ADD, YOU ADD THE SCORES TOGETHER BASED ON THE RELATIVE WEIGHTING OF THOSE, UH, OF THAT LAYER OF INFORMATION AND, AND HOW IT'S, UM, BEEN KIND OF CATEGORIZED FROM KIND OF LIKE HIGHEST SCORING TO LOW SCORING.
SO WE CAN PROVIDE SOME VISUALS ON HOW ALL OF THAT INFORMATION COMES TOGETHER.
IT REALLY IS LIKE, YOU CAN THINK OF STACKS OF INFORMATION ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AND ADDED TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A FINAL SCORE FOR EACH PIXEL.
THAT THAT IS THE ANALYSIS THAT HAS BEEN PERFORMED SO FAR.
AND I THINK HONESTLY, LIKE I AM, I'M SATISFIED AS FAR AS WATER FORWARD 24 IS CONCERNED AS IN THIS, THIS ANALYSIS ROLE IN THAT AND WHERE IT FITS IN.
BUT I DO THINK JUST AS A BEST PRACTICE, LIKE WE'VE DONE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WATER FORWARD PROCESS, WE'VE BEEN SUPER, UH, STEP BY STEP TRANSPARENT ALONG THE WAY WITH LIKE, SHOWING OUR WORK.
AND, UM, THERE'S NO REASON WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT HERE.
I THINK WE CAN, I ALSO, I FEEL THE EXACT SAME ABOUT THE, THE WATER LOSS REPORT.
UM, LIKE I JUST DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY HARM IN PUBLISHING A DRAFT REPORT.
SO JUST TO COME BACK TO THAT BRIEFLY, LIKE JUST AS FAR AS LIKE SHOWING OUR WORK ALONG THE WAY, BEING TRANSPARENT, UM, WE'VE BEEN MODELING THAT THE WHOLE TIME THROUGHOUT WATER FORWARD.
UM, SO EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO THAT, I THINK THE SAME APPLIES JUST MY 2 CENTS.
AND WE, WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH SOME SLIDES ON THAT IN A PRESENTATION.
UM, AS FAR AS THE ANALYSIS AS WELL, YOU HAVE WELLS ON THERE FOR LIKE, BUT HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED AT JUST LIKE NPDS PERMITS IN GENERAL AND HAVING LIKE OTHER POINT SOURCE POLLUTANTS FACTORING INTO WATER QUALITY? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WASTEWATER
[01:45:01]
TREATMENT PLANTS, PFOS, THINGS LIKE THAT ALL KIND OF GO INTO THAT AS WELL? WE, WE DIDN'T DO THAT LEVEL OF DETAILED ANALYSIS YET, BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, UM, WORKING WITH EL CRA WITH THEIR COLORADO RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL MODEL THAT THEY, THEY'VE USED TO LOOK AT LIKE POINT SOURCE DISCHARGES AND WHAT EFFECT THAT WOULD HAVE ON THE HIGHLAND LAKES.AND WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ABOUT THAT AND WITH MARISSA'S NEW STAFF, UM, WHERE WE, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE REFINED ANALYSIS ON SOME OF THOSE FACTORS.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH ELCI E ABOUT USE OF THAT, UM, UH, MODEL THAT SHERI'S REFERRING TO.
IT'S REALLY MOST APPROPRIATE FOR KIND OF LIKE, UH, EXAMINATION OF LARGE SCALE TRENDS ACROSS THE BASIN.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE PRIORITIZATION OF INDIVIDUAL AREAS, IT'S NOT AS EFFECTIVE AT THAT.
IT IS BETTER AT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, UM, LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THOSE LARGE SCALE TRENDS, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT TOOLS AND METHODOLOGIES THAT WE COULD USE.
AND WE'RE HAVING THOSE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL CRA ABOUT HOW WE CAN EVALUATE, UM, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT LAND CONSERVATION STRATEGIES ON, ESPECIALLY ON PRESERVING AND MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY.
AND ONE OF MY TEAM MEMBERS IS HERE, YOUNG JI, WHO
UM, HE'S GONNA
AND SOME OF THAT WE TO ALSO, WHEN WE GET DOWN TO THE PARCEL LEVEL OR A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC OF, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THIS, WE GO THROUGH LIKE A MATRIX, IF YOU WILL, ON WHY THIS PARCEL WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS OR THE BA CANYON LANDS PRESERVED.
SO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL WOULD ALSO HAPPENED BEFORE WE ACTUALLY, UM, INVESTED IN A PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
SARAH, SORRY, WERE YOU DONE? THANKS.
YEAH, I WAS JUST WONDERING SINCE WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING WITH EL CRA, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ANY SORT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENT WHERE THE CITY OF AUSTIN GETS CREDITED FOR ADDITIONAL WATER SUPPLY TO THE HIGHLAND LAKES OR WATER QUALITY BENEFITS? DID ME, OKAY.
UH, WE HAVE NOT, UM, SPOKEN SPECIFICALLY WITH LCRA ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THAT KIND OF GOES TO SOME OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO IDENTIFY, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, ACTUAL BENEFITS FROM THE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE CONSERVATION EFFORTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT COULD BE SOMETHING WE'D TALK WITH THEM ABOUT IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND, UH, AND IT, IT COULD BE KIND OF TRICKY OR COMPLICATED WITH THE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, NATURE OF WATER RIGHTS IN TEXAS AND, AND THE WAY THE, UH, THE WATER RIGHTS SYSTEM WORKS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'D BE SOMETHING WE'D BE INTERESTED IN POTENTIALLY PURSUING, TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT THAT MORE.
UH, I'LL JUST ADD TO WHAT THERESA HAS SAID THAT WE HA HAVE AS, SO WE HAVE A WATER PARTNERSHIP WITH LCRA BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND LCRA AND AS A PART OF THAT PARTNERSHIP, WE HAVE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND WE HAVE BROUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, MADE CLEAR TO THEM THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN, UM, HAVING SOME PRESERVATION OF THE BENEFIT THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE REGION THROUGH OUR EFFORTS, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING REFLECTED IN HOW THE HIGHLAND LAKES AND LAKES JEFFERSON BUCHANAN ARE MANAGED AND HOW LCRA PLANS FOR PROVISION OF, UM, FUTURE WATER SUPPLIES TO, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, AND THOSE WITHIN THE UPPER BASIN.
SO THAT'S A PART OF ONGOING CONVERSATIONS, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVEN'T HAD LIKE, SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE, UM, UPDATE TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN AND, AND PRESERVATION OF THAT BENEFIT AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE YIELDS FROM THESE UPDATED STRATEGIES.
I JUST HAVE A COMMENT AND THEN ONE OTHER QUESTION.
I THINK KIND OF TO THE FIRST POINT JENNIFER MADE, THAT'S, IT DOES FEEL MORE ATTENUATED GIVEN THAT WE DON'T CONTROL WATER SUPPLY IN THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
UM, AND SO BEING ABLE TO TIE THAT MORE SPECIFICALLY TO RETURN ON INVESTMENT WOULDN'T, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, LIKEWISE, I MEAN, SOME OF THE, I I MEAN, IT FEELS LIKE THE BCCP, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PART OF AN INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT THAT THE CITY HOLDS.
IT'S ENDANGERED SPECIES PROTECTION AND THERE'S REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND BENEFITS THAT WE GET FOR PURCHASING THOSE LANDS.
UM, AND WITH THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS IN THE BARTON SPRING ZONE, THERE'S ALSO LIKE VERY TANGIBLE SPECIFIC BENEFITS WE CAN POINT TO
[01:50:01]
IN ADDITION TO ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.AND, UM, SO JUST THINKING THROUGH THAT AS PART OF THIS ANALYSIS, I THINK IS VERY HELPFUL.
AND THEN I WANTED TO ASK JUST AS A, UM, PROCEDURAL POINT.
WE GOT THIS AMENDMENT TODAY AND YOU'RE GONNA DO A RED LINE OF THAT, BUT IS THERE GONNA BE ANY OTHER CHANGES TO THIS REPORT COMING FROM THE UTILITY? E WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS REALLY, UM, BUILDING OUT AND COMPLETING THE APPENDICES THAT ACCOMPANY THE REPORT.
SO, UM, WE'RE ALSO, WE GOT A, A REC A RECOMMENDATION FROM TANIA TO INCLUDE REFERENCES THROUGHOUT THE REPORT, UH, TO THOSE APPENDICES.
JUST THE LAND ANALYSIS, OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, YES, I THINK WE WILL WANT TO DO, UH, AGAIN, THE RED LINE, UM, CHANGES IN TERMS OF THE LANGUAGE.
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED HERE TODAY THAT WILL WANNA REFLECT IN THE UPDATED, UM, SECTIONS OF THE REPORT CORRESPONDING TO THIS.
I WANNA BE ABLE, WE GOT, YOU KNOW, SOME VERY SPECIFIC STAKE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK ON THE REPORT, AND I WANNA BE ABLE TO COMPARE WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO WHAT THE STAKEHOLDERS WANT AND JUST TO UNDERSTAND IT.
SO I NEED TO KNOW LIKE WHEN Y'ALL ARE DONE SO THAT I CAN REALLY EVALUATE THAT.
'CAUSE NOT GOING BACK AND SO I DON'T HAVE TO KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH, RIGHT.
WE CAN DO THE RED LINE AS MARISSA INDICATED.
AND LET, LET US, UM, I NEED TO GO BACK AND COME UP WITH A REVISED SCHEDULE FOR THE COMING WEEKS, GIVEN THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON ALSO PRODUCING THE WATER LOSS REPORT FOR Y'ALL'S REVIEW.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY NEED TO SHIFT SOME STAFF EFFORTS TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
SO GIMME A DAY OR TWO TO COME UP WITH A REVISED SCHEDULE AND THEN WE'LL, UH, SEND THAT OUT TO Y'ALL, UM, VIA EMAIL.
WOULD THAT BE OKAY? SO THAT WE CAN GET IT OUT TO YOU SOON? UM, YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
AND I'M JUST RIGHT NOW TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE LAND ANALYSIS.
SO WE CAN SAY THIS IS WHAT THE UTILITY'S PROPOSING, WHAT DOES EVERYBODY THINK? AND THEN MOVE FORWARDS INTO, IS THAT OKAY? OR HERE'S A REVISION FROM THE TASK FORCE AND THE STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, WE'RE GETTING RIGHT UP TO TWO O'CLOCK, WHICH IS WHEN THIS MEETING WAS PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED TO END.
WE DIDN'T CLEAR IT WITH EVERYBODY TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE ABLE TO STAY AN ADDITIONAL HALF HOUR.
WE'RE JUST ANTICIPATING ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION NEEDED.
UM, THAT WAS A GOOD PREDICTION CONSIDERING WE'RE STILL ON THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM.
BUT, UM, ARE FOLKS ABLE TO STAY, UM, BEYOND TWO O'CLOCK OR WILL WE LOSE A QUORUM? I MEAN, I CAN STAY, I'M HERE.
AND THEN BILL, CAN YOU STAY? OKAY.
WE'RE GOOD ON, AND THEN DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.
UM, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY FOR THE, THE LAND ANALYSIS WHEN IT COMES TO TIMING AND STUFF, DO YOU GUYS HAVE LIKE TANGIBLE, LIKE, I'M GONNA SET AND HAVE THESE FUNDING OPTIONS ACHIEVED BY THIS DATE OR GOALS FOR CERTAIN AMOUNTS OF LAND ACQUISITION IN THE FUTURE? 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THINGS KEEP MOVING AND DEVELOPMENT ISN'T STOPPING.
SO YEAH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S HARD AT THIS POINT TO SET SOME OF THOSE TANGIBLE GOALS UNTIL WE CONTINUE TO REFINE, JUST, YOU KNOW, SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME OVER THE NEXT YEAR TO SAY, HERE'S THE TARGET AREA.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT WHAT A REALISTIC PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE, WE WOULD LOOK TO OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS AND, AND AGAIN, 48,000 ACRES OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.
WE WERE LUCKY IN BOTH OF THOSE PROGRAMS TO ACQUIRE A LARGE AMOUNT OF LAND RIGHT AT THE OUTSET.
UH, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AND WE CAN LOOK TO JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, 2018 BOND AND, AND THE PACING OF ACQUISITIONS THERE.
UH, I THINK ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS WILL BE, YOU KNOW, EACH OF THESE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES REQUIRES NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, FUNDING TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY, BUT THE PROGRAMMATIC, UH, FUNDING AS WELL.
THE, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES PEOPLE GOING OUT THERE AND MAKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LANDOWNERS TO ACQUIRE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE ACQUIRE LAND FEE SIMPLE, THERE'S A, AGAIN, AN OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT COMPONENT OF IT.
SO TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF USE OUR PAST HISTORY TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT MIGHT BE REALISTIC IN TERMS OF TARGETS IN 10 YEARS AND 20 YEARS AND 30 YEARS.
UH, BUT AGAIN, DOING THAT IN A WAY AS, AS MAURICE
[01:55:01]
HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, TO EVALUATE QUALITY AND, UM, BEING ABLE TO MODEL THAT SO THAT WE KNOW THAT AN INVESTMENT IS ACTUALLY MOVING THE NEEDLE AS IT COMES TO PROTECTING OUR, UM, OUR WATER.AND THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME WITH THIS ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDER.
UM, SO LET'S, OUR NEXT SLIDE IS THE TIMELINE, WHICH IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT NOW.
UM, YEAH, SO WELL, LIKE I SAID, UH, GIMME A DAY OR TWO AND I'LL SEND OUT AN UPDATED SCHEDULE TO Y'ALL.
UM, HANEY HAS HIS HAND UP, BUT I DID WANNA, IF, IF WE COULD TRY TO MOVE INTO THE NEXT ITEM, UH, SO THAT WE CAN GIVE KEVIN AND RANDY AND JENNY A CHANCE TO PRESENT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SO LEMME JUST QUICKLY SAY THAT, UH, I REALLY WANT TO COMMEND BOSTON, OUR STAFF FOR THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT REALLY THAT'S INVOLVED IN, IN UPDATING THE REPORT.
THAT'S A GREAT JOB AND JUST, UM, AMAZING WORK.
UM, I AGREE THIS IS A LOT AND EVERYBODY IS, THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT YOU ALL ARE PRODUCING ALL OF THIS AND CREATING ALL OF IT, AND I KNOW YOU'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON IT, SO YES.
WELL, WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL HANGING IN THERE WITH US.
I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR TIME AND YOUR EFFORT THAT YOU'RE TAKING, UM, TO BE ACTIVE MEMBERS IN THIS PROCESS.
SO LET'S GO INTO OUR SECOND AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION ON
[3. Presentation on water conservation program investment and marketing activities]
THE WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM, INVESTMENT AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES.THIS IS GIVING ME FLASHBACKS OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BE WAITING FOR HOURS AND HOURS TO DO THEIR PRESENTATION.
I WASN'T IN CHARGE THEN THOUGH.
KEVIN KLUGE, WATER CONSERVATION MANAGER AGAIN, UH, PRESENTATION, TALKING ABOUT, UH, INVESTMENT OF THAT THAT AWESOME WATER IS MAKING IN WATER CONSERVATION.
AND THEN, UH, INFORMATION REGARDING OUR MARKETING ACTIVITIES.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, A WEEK AGO, I THINK IT WAS JUST A WEEK AGO, THERE IS A SUGGESTION FROM THE TASK FORCE THAT AUSTIN WATER PROVIDE A BIT MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT THAT THE UTILITY IS MAKING IN WATER CONSERVATION EFFORTS.
AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT WE COULD PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
WE COULD PROVIDE IT BY DESCRIBING THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE DOING, LIKE WHAT WE'VE DESCRIBED IN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, UH, THROUGH THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL DEVOTED TO THE ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN FINALLY THROUGH MONETARY BUDGETS AND EXPENDITURES.
NOW, WE ONLY HAD A WEEK TO PUT THIS TOGETHER, SO UNFORTUNATELY WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET ALL OF THE, THE MONETARY, UM, VALUES TOGETHER.
PARTICULARLY, IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PIPELINES AND PROJECTS AND SO FORTH.
BUT WE ARE BRINGING BACK TO YOU TODAY A SNAPSHOT OF THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE.
WATER HAS REALLY THREE BUCKETS OF PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN WATER CONSERVATION.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION THAT I'M INVOLVED IN, KIND OF THE TRADITIONAL, UH, ACTIVITIES OF INCENTIVES AND ENFORCEMENT, UM, OVER MORE THAN 20 STAFF.
THE SECOND BUCKET REALLY DEALS WITH THE WATER REUSE AND THE ONSITE WATER REUSE PROGRAM THAT JUST HAS REALLY GONE INTO ANOTHER GEAR THIS LAST SPRING.
AND THEN FINALLY, WATER LOSS MITIGATION THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BEFORE.
UH, THAT, THAT IS A CHALLENGE TO DETERMINE EXACTLY HOW MANY FOLKS WORK IN WATER LOSS MITIGATION.
WE HAVE A GOOD NUMBER THAT WORK WITH LEAK DETECTION, UM, AND THEN, UH, THE ENGINEERING PART OF IT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE EVEN MORE STAFF WHO DEAL WITH PIPELINE REPAIR AND, AND PIPELINE REPLACEMENT.
IS THIS 20 STAFF INCLUSIVE OF THE RECLAIMED WATER? AND SO IT'S, IT'S ADDITIVE.
SO 20 ON CONSERVATION, 10 ON ON REUSE, AND THEN THERE'S SOME UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF HUMANS WORKING ON WATER LOSS.
AND THIS SLIDE REALLY GIVES YOU A BETTER IDEA, ALRIGHT, OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
YES, THE 22 PERMANENT STAFF POSITIONS IN THE WATER CONSERVATION DIVISIONS WITH, UH, SIX TEMPORARY BROUGHT ON FOR DROUGHT AND IRRIGATION SEASON.
UH, AS YOU SEE IN THAT TABLE, ALMOST HALF OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS, EVEN MORE THAN HALF WHEN YOU INCLUDE THE TEMPORARY POSITIONS DEAL WITH,
[02:00:01]
UH, ENFORCEMENT OF, OF WATERING SCHEDULES, UH, RECLAIMED AND REUSE HAS TEN FIVE OF 'EM IN THE ONSITE WATER REUSE TEAM.UH, SEVERAL FOLKS WHO WORK IN THE ENGINEERING OF THE RECLAIM SYSTEM AND, AND THREE IN SYSTEMS PLANNING.
AND THAT 10 REALLY DOESN'T REPRESENT EVERYONE WHO WORKS IN RECLAIMED AND REUSE, UH, CONSIDERING THE SIZE OF THE RECLAIMED SYSTEM AND WHAT IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN THAT AND EXPAND IT.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE FOLKS.
AND THEN WATER LOSS, SEVEN AND A HALF, THESE ARE REALLY FOLKS WHO DEAL WITH DATA ANALYSIS OR LEAK DETECTION OR MANAGE A CONTRACT OF AN EXTERNAL FIRM THAT DOES LEAK DETECTION.
UH, SO SEVEN AND A HALF DEAL WITH LEAK DETECTION, UH, DAY IN, DAY OUT, UH, WHILE EVEN MORE DEAL WITH STAFF OR EVEN MORE DEAL WITH LEAK REPAIR.
AND ALSO, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE WHAT MY SPEAKERS BEHIND ME ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT ALL THE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND PUBLIC INFORMATION WORK THAT GOES ON.
I'LL ALSO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF STAFF IN OUR OPERATIONS AREA THAT MAINTAIN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
AND SO A BIG PART OF OUR WATER LOSS MITIGATION IS FIXING LEAKS FAST.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE, UM, DOING THAT WORK EVERY DAY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, ON THE ENGINEERING SIDE, WE HAVE SUPPORT FROM CONSULTANTS, WE HAVE CONTRACTORS, WE HAVE PROJECT MANAGERS.
THEY'RE IN THE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF, UM, OF SCAFFOLDING AROUND THESE TEAM MEMBERS WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT CONSERVATION RECLAIMED WATER AND WATER LOSS 40 HOURS, 50 HOURS A WEEK.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE IN SUPPORT OF THAT, WHICH I THINK KEVIN ALLUDED TO, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TO TO PUT AN EMPHASIS ON THAT.
AND INEVITABLY, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE QUESTION ALWAYS IS, WELL, HOW DOES AUSTIN WATER COMPARED TO OTHER LARGE WATER UTILITIES ACROSS THE STATE? LAST WEEK I REACHED OUT TO A NUMBER OF WATER CONSERVATION MANAGERS FOR THE LARGE CITIES ACROSS THE STATE TO ASK THEM SPECIFICALLY, UM, HOW MANY FOLKS THEY HAVE IN THEIR WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION.
AND AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, APPLES TO APPLES BETWEEN UTILITIES CAN BE CHALLENGING.
SO I DID ASK THEM TO SAY HOW MANY WORK WITH INCENTIVES AND IRRIGATION ENGAGEMENT.
AND THEN YOU SEE UP THERE ON THE SLIDE THERE THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS THE SECOND LARGEST NUMBER OF, OF PERMANENT STAFF DEALING WITH WATER CONSERVATION BEHIND SAN ANTONIO AND THEN DALLAS, EL PASO AND FORT WORTH.
UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE NUMBER OF SINGLE FAMILY CONNECTIONS FOR EACH WATER UTILITY, UM, YOU SEE THAT WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE AFTER SAN ANTONIO AND AUSTIN.
IT REALLY DROPS OFF IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF STAFF THAT, UH, THESE LARGE WATER UTILITIES EMPLOY.
AND THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF THE SNAPSHOT OF OUR INVESTMENT.
IN TERMS OF, YOU CAN GO TO NEXT SLIDE, EMILY, UH, OF STAFF INVOLVED IN WATER CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES.
ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
DO YOU HAVE PER CAPITA DAILY USE NUMBERS FOR THOSE OTHER MAJOR CITIES? DO WE HAVE SOME IDEA OF THOSE NUMBERS? UH, THE NUMBERS ACTUALLY WERE IN THE SLIDESHOW THAT JENNIFER REFERRED TO EARLIER.
THE, OH, I'M SORRY, I MISSED IT.
THE QUESTION ABOUT WATER LOSS PER GPCD.
SO THAT WAS THE SLIDE EIGHT FROM AUGUST.
I DON'T WANNA YEAH, SLOW IT DOWN.
THANKS FOR THE QUESTION, PERRY.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
UM, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU ALONGSIDE JENNY GUERRERO.
MY NAME IS RANDY JENKINS, I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AT AUSTIN WATER, AND JENNY IS OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING MANAGER AT AUSTIN WATER.
SO WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE A COMMUNICATIONS OVERVIEW AND UPDATE ON ALL OF OUR WATER CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH THAT WE, WE PROVIDE,
[02:05:01]
UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.BUT WE ARE GONNA FOCUS OUR PRESENTATION TODAY ON APRIL THROUGH JUNE, UM, WHILE WE PROVIDE CONSERVATION AND MARKETING AND OUTREACH YEAR ROUND.
UM, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF OUR, OUR PROGRAMMING AT AUSTIN WATER.
BUT WE ARE GONNA FOCUS IN ON THAT KEY TIMELINE.
IT'S, IT'S RECENT AND IT'S ALSO, UH, PART OF OUR PEAK SEASON FOR CONSERVATION AND, UM, MARKETING.
AND SO BEFORE I DIVE IN, UM, AND TURN IT OVER TO JENNY TO WALK US THROUGH SOME OF THE SPECIFICS, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, OUR TEAM, UH, AND, AND REALLY EVEN TO JUST BACK UP A A SECOND IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, I WANNA APPRECIATE THE TASK FORCE, UM, AND YOUR COMMENTS THAT HAVE COME OUT IN THIS PROCESS ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS AND JUST, UM, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND DISCUSS THIS IN GREATER DETAIL.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND, AND MAKE THIS A REOCCURRING REPORT OUT SO THAT YOU, UM, STAY IN INFORMED AND, AND INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH EFFORTS AT AUSTIN WATER.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, UM, I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR TEAM.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE 19, THIS WASN'T INCLUDED IN IN KEVIN KLUGE NUMBERS A MOMENT AGO, BUT OUR TEAM IS COMPRISED, COMPRISED OF 19 POSITIONS OF, YOU KNOW, DEDICATED AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION STAFF MEMBERS.
THAT INCLUDES A SPAN OF, OF PROFESSIONALS FROM DIGITAL AND GRAPHIC DESIGN, CONTENT STRATEGISTS FOR WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT, ADVERTISING AND MARKETING, VIDEOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHY AND MEDIA SPECIALISTS.
UM, JUST TO NAME A FEW KEY AREAS IN ADDITION TO THE POSITIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THE ANNUAL FOCUS ON WATER CONSERVATION IN OUR TEAM.
UH, THIS TEAM ALSO PROVIDES RESPONSE TO UNPLANNED, UM, EMERGENCIES AND SERVICE IMPACT EVENTS.
UM, MEETING OUR REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AS A UTILITY FOR, UM, ITEMS SUCH AS OUR WATER QUALITY REPORT AND UPDATES TO RATES.
UM, THEY ALSO MANAGE COMMUNICATIONS FOR OUR CIP CAPITAL DELIVERY COMMUNICATIONS, WHICH AT ANY GIVEN TIME IS UP TO 40 PROJECTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING COMPREHENSIVE OUTREACH TO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MAY BE IMPACTED BY OUR CONSTRUCTION WORK.
AND ADDITIONALLY, UM, NEIGHBORS THAT LIVE NEAR AND AROUND OUR TREATMENT FACILITIES, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE STAYING INFORMED OF ANYTHING THAT WE MAY BE DOING.
AND THEN, UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, CONDUCTING RESEARCH ABOUT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND SURVEYS AND FOCUS GROUPS.
AND SO IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE ALL THE NEEDS OF A LARGE AND ROBUST UTILITY, UM, WE'VE INCREASED OUR STAFF.
SO THE 19 TEAM MEMBERS THAT I MENTIONED IS, UH, A NEW NUMBER FOR AUSTIN WATER.
UM, JUST A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE, UM, DOUBLED OUR STAFF SINCE 2022.
AND SO I THINK EVEN IN 2023, WE HAD RAMPED UP TO 12 MEMBERS, AND NOW WE ARE AT 19.
SO, UM, HALF OF OUR TEAM, UM, ARE NEW TO AUSTIN WATER, UM, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS ALLOWING US TO REALLY LEVERAGE THEIR SKILL SETS THAT THEY BRING TO US.
AND, UM, AND SO WHILE A LOT OF OUR MOST RECENT COMMUNICATIONS HAS REVOLVED AROUND WINTER PREPAREDNESS AND, UM, UH, EMERGENCY, UH, PREPAREDNESS FOR THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR ABOVE ALL, UM, EFFORT IS ALWAYS CENTERED ON CONSERVATION.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL UM, TURN IT OVER TO JENNY TO TAKE US, TAKE US THROUGH THE NEXT SLIDES.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE SOME OF YOU AGAIN.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE AND IT'S ALSO GOOD TO, TO MEET THE NEW FOLKS HERE, UM, THAT I HAVE NOT MET BEFORE.
I ECHO EVERYONE'S STATEMENTS AND, AND MY APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
I'M, I'M ONE OF OUR NOW, UM, MIGHTY TEAM MEMBERS, UM, ON OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.
AND, UM, WE ARE ALSO EXCITED ON OUR TEAM, UH, ABOUT THE GROWTH AND ABOUT OUR CAPABILITIES MOVING FORWARD, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UH, INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, TODAY WE WANNA HIGHLIGHT OUR EFFORTS, UH, FOR YOU AROUND SEVERAL THINGS.
WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COMMUNITY TABLING AND OUR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH.
UM, ALSO TOUCH ON WHAT WE DO FOR ADVERTISING.
UM, YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR NEW TOOL THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR, UM, A MI PROJECT IS A CUSTOMER PORTAL THAT WE ARE USING FOR COMMUNICATIONS AS WELL, UM, AND HIGHLIGHT LEAK NOTIFICATIONS THERE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE GROWN OUR, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM THERE AS, AND AS RANDY, UM, MENTIONED.
WE ALSO HAVE FOLKS, UH, TAKING CARE OF OUR WEBSITE AND TRAFFIC.
AND WE HAVE THE KIND OF NEW ADDITION OF,
[02:10:01]
UH, TEAM DEDICATED TO MEDIA RELATIONS.SO WE'RE GONNA HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THAT FOR YOU.
I'LL START, UM, WITH, AS I MENTIONED, THE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND EDUCATION OUTREACH.
UM, IT'S NOT ONLY DONE BY OUR TEAM ALONE, BUT I, I DO WANNA, UM, MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW WE, WE COORDINATE AND ENGAGE CERTAINLY WITH OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ACROSS THE UTILITY.
UH, FOLKS LIKE OUR WATER FORWARD TEAM AND STAFF, AND OF COURSE OUR WATER CONSERVATION, UH, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, THEY, THEY JOIN US IN ALL OF OUR OUTREACH AS WELL, UH, FOR THE TIME, UH, SPECIFIED EARLIER APRIL THROUGH JUNE, WE HAD MANY EVENTS THAT RANGED, UM, ANYWHERE FROM, UH, RECOGNIZING FIX THE LEAK WEEK BACK IN MARCH.
AND OUR, UH, WE DID LOTS OF ENGAGEMENT AT OUR UTILITY BILLING CENTERS PARTNERING WITH, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY AND RESOURCE RECOVERY.
WE, UH, TRIED THAT DURING OUR WINTER PREPAREDNESS, UM, ENGAGEMENT, AND IT CONTINUED AS WE WENT INTO THE SPRING AND SUMMER.
AND WE DID THOSE EVENTS AT THE UTILITY BILL CENTERS TO, UH, CENTER AROUND WATER CONSERVATION.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD SEVERAL SESSIONS THAT ARE TIED SPECIFICALLY TO THE WORK YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING IN UPDATING THE WATER FORWARD 2024 PLAN.
AND WE'VE ALSO HAD, UM, VARIOUS OTHER COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UM, I WANNA NOT FORGET THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, A SUPERSTAR EDUCATOR ON OUR STAFF, AND IT'S BEEN AROUND, UH, AUSTIN'S WATER SAVER, DOWSER, DAN.
UM, HE IS GETTING BACK UP TO PRE PANDEMIC IN SCHOOL A PARENTS LEVELS AND DID, UM, APPROXIMATELY 40 DOWER DAN SHOWS THAT PROVIDE NOT ONLY WATER CONSERVATION, UM, EDUCATION, EDUCATION ABOUT OUR WATER SOURCE AND WATER QUALITY.
UM, IT'S GEARED TOWARDS, UH, PRE-K THROUGH THIRD GRADE STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE HIT ALL OF THE, UM, LOCAL SCHOOL, UH, DISTRICTS, A ISD, UH, DELL VALLEY, PFLUGERVILLE EES, ALL OF THE DISTRICTS.
UM, BY THE END OF THE YEAR WE WILL HAVE, UM, TOTALED AROUND 29, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, ACTIVITIES.
AND WE'RE REACHING, UM, A LITTLE OVER 9,000 FOLKS JUST ON THOSE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, WE DO SOME OTHER, UH, USE SOME OTHER WAYS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, UM, USING OUR, UH, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN CONSERVATION AND ON OUR WATER FORWARD TEAM.
WE'VE DONE LUNCH AND LEARNS ON SEVERAL TOPICS THAT, THAT HAVE INCLUDED WATERWISE LANDSCAPING, IRRIGATION.
UM, TODAY THERE WAS A LUNCH AND LEARN ON RAINWATER HARVESTING.
AND, UM, ALSO WE'VE, UH, TALKED MORE ABOUT WATER FORWARD AS WELL.
UM, WE SUPPORT OUR WATER CONSERVATION, UM, TEAM AS WELL AS THEY DO OUTREACH FOR, UM, IT'S KIND OF INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMER FOCUS OUTREACH.
SO THEY DO, UM, LUNCH AND LEARNS ON TOPICS, UH, SUCH AS COOLING TOWERS, HITTING THOSE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND ALSO, UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH OUR ONSITE REUSE TEAM TO DO SOME OF THAT.
AND WE WILL BE SUPPORTING COMING UP A WATERWISE IRRIGATION PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR, UM, WITH OUR CONSERVATION TEAM.
A FEW, UM, I DON'T WANNA FORGET TO MENTION THIS AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO THE WORK WE ACTIVELY DO AS A STAFF AT AUSTIN WATER.
UM, AUSTIN WATER ALSO HAS BEEN, UM, LONG TIME SUPPORTERS OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE PROVIDING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO, UM, NOT JUST SCHOOL AGE STUDENTS, BUT ALSO, UM, ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A LONG TIME PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COLORADO RIVER ALLIANCE AND THEIR MOBILE, UM, COLORADO MOBILE RIVER LEARNING EXHIBIT.
AND WE ALSO SUPPORT OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY, SUCH AS THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY'S, BRIGHT GREEN FUTURE VAN, UM, GRANTS AND THE REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ADVERTISING.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A SEGMENT OF OUR TEAM THAT, UH, TAKES CARE OF OUR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.
UM, WE LIKE TO, WE HAVE OUR, UM, KINDA SINCE WE TALK IN PORTFOLIOS WITH THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, I'LL EXPLAIN THAT WE, UM, FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A DIVERSE, UM, ADVERTISING PORTFOLIO, UM, TO GET OUT INFORMATION.
AND MOST OF THAT IS GEARED AROUND CONSERVATION OR CONSERVATION RELATED.
UM, YOU'LL SEE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE PRINT, UH, AND DIGITAL ADS THAT
[02:15:01]
WE DID DURING THE, THE APRIL JUNE TIMEFRAME.UH, THEY CENTERED ANYWHERE FROM AROUND, YOU KNOW, WATERWISE LANDSCAPES, OUR DROUGHT STAGES AND AWARENESS THERE OF OUR WATERING SCHEDULES.
UH, WE ALSO FOCUS ON, UH, CONSERVATION REBATES, IRRIGATION, AND OUTDOOR WATERING SCHEDULES.
AND ALSO TRIED TO PROMOTE SIGNING UP FOR OUR, MY A TX WATER, UM, CUSTOMER PORTAL AS A WAY TO BETTER MANAGE YOUR WATER USE.
UM, WE DO BOTH, UH, PRINT, WE'RE IN COMMUNITY IMPACT, UM, ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
WE'RE GETTING INTO OVER 350,000 MAILBOXES, UM, WITH THAT, UM, VENDOR JUST ALONE.
UM, WE ALSO ARE TRYING TO HAVE A VARIETY OF, OF, UH, PLACES WE ADVERTISE.
'CAUSE WE REALIZE THAT FOLKS ARE NOW CONSUMING THEIR INFORMATION IN MEDIA IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO WE HAVE, UH, SOME ADVERTISING THAT WE DO ON COM, WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER A COMMERCIAL RADIO, UM, STATIONS THAT COVER BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
AND THEN ALSO THE LISTENERS SUPPORTED A VARIETY SUCH AS KUT OR SUN RADIO, AND THEY'RE ALSO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UM, KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR WHERE WE PUT OUR ADVERTISING, UM, ARE THE VALUE THAT WE GET OUR REACH, OF COURSE, UM, THE WAY WE CONTRACT OUR ADVERTISING.
WE ALSO GET, UM, PRIME, UH, SPOTS, IF YOU WILL.
UM, I TALKED ABOUT WE ALL, WE GET ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND THEN OUR DIGITAL ADVERTISING HAS BEEN REALLY, UM, HELPFUL IN HELPING US TO SEND FOLKS RIGHT EXACTLY TO THE INFORMATION THAT WE WANT THEM TO CONSUME.
WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LEFT.
PLEASE MENTION THE MY TEXT WATER PORTAL.
UM, WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT HAVING THIS AS A TOOL.
I'LL TRY TO GO QUICKLY THROUGH THIS.
UH, WE SEND WEEKLY INSTALL, UM, MESSAGES OUT OF THE PORTAL IN ADDITION TO OTHER, UH, COMMUNICATIONS.
WE'RE GETTING OVER A 70% OPEN RATE ON THOSE EMAILS.
AND SO IF ANY OF YOU HAVE TRIED TO, UM, THINK ABOUT THAT, UM, OPEN RATE FOR GOVERN GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 27 AND 40%.
SO WE'RE EXTREMELY HAPPY THAT FOLKS ARE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN OPENING THAT UP.
WE HAVE OVER 50,000 PEOPLE ON THERE, AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP TRYING TO GET MORE AS WE COME TO THE COM.
UM, ALL THE INSTALL COMPLETIONS THERE, WE'VE ALSO SENT AROUND 92,000 LEAK ALERTS, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED POSITIVELY AS WELL.
UM, I WON'T READ ALL OF MY DATA, BUT WE'RE ALSO DATA GEEKS IN THE COMMUNICATION TEAM.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE FORGET THAT WE LIKE DATA TOO.
BUT, UM, SOME OF THESE POSTS WE, UH, THE TEAM REALLY KIND OF GOT INVOLVED IN A CULTURAL MOMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT LADY BRIDGER TALKING ABOUT OUR WATER SUPPLY.
UM, THE BRIDGETON THEME POST ALONE, UH, REACHED OVER 13,000 PEOPLE.
THE LAKE LEVELS QUIZ, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER 6,000 PEOPLE ON THAT ONE.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER FUN THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING AND BEEN GROWING OUR FOLLOWERS THERE AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, WE JUST WANTED TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THAT TEAM AND THE GREAT WORK THEY'RE DOING.
UH, NEXT SLIDE IS ALSO SOCIAL MEDIA AND IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF A LITTLE CAMPAIGN WE'VE DONE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THE DROUGHT.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T FOLLOWED US ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, AND X, PLEASE DO DO SO.
UM, WEB TRAFFIC, THIS IS, UH, REALLY EXCITING DATA FOR US AS WELL.
UM, YOU CAN DIVE INTO THIS LITTLE ON YOUR OWN, BUT, UM, AGAIN, WE MENTIONED WE HAD OUR DIGITAL ADS SENDING FOLKS EXACTLY WHERE WE WANTED THEM TO GO, AND WE WERE SENDING THEM TO OUR REBATES PAGE.
UM, WE ENHANCED THE NAVIGATIONS AND THE GRAPHICS THERE.
AND, UM, ALSO WATER CONSERVATION IMPROVED THE ONLINE REBATE APPLICATION PROCESS BY MAKING THAT ONLINE.
AND SO WE FEEL LIKE THAT WAS A BARRIER THAT THAT WAS REMOVED.
WE HAVE, UM, YOU'LL SEE OVER 46,000 UNIQUE VISITORS, LOTS OF INTERACTIONS AND THE TOP PAGES WERE FIND YOUR WATER DAY WATER QUALITY REPORT, REBATES AND TOOLS AND PROGRAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[02:20:02]
NEXT SLIDE WILL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THE WATER WISE LANDSCAPE AND RAIN SCAPE REBATE APPLICATIONS.DURING THIS CAMPAIGN, UM, FROM APRIL TO JUNE, UM, WE SAW A BIG INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS THAT OUR WATER CONSERVATION TEAM WERE RECEIVING.
AND WE, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS.
WE, WE THINK SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THAT WE MADE IT EASIER FOR FOLKS.
UM, WE MADE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE WEBPAGE.
WE ALSO USED OUR NEW BIG MEDIA RELATIONS TEAM TO SEND OUT SOME MEDIA RELEASES AND WE GOT A LOT OF COVERAGE AND EARNED MEDIA THAT WAY.
AND, UH, SO WE REALLY JUST EXPANDED ON SOME OF THE TOOLS WE'D ALREADY BEEN USING.
WE SAW GREAT SUCCESS DURING THAT TIME.
SO THAT'S JUST MY REALLY QUICK UPDATE FOR YOU.
UM, I'VE DEFINITELY SEEN, UM, UH, SOME OF THESE THINGS ON, ON INSTAGRAM, UM, AND, AND IN THE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER, OTHER THINGS.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, MADELINE? I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, GREAT JOB ON LIKE STAYING RELEVANT AND KIND OF MAKING IT FUN AND INTERACTIVE.
I WAS WONDERING FOR YOUR EDUCATION COMPONENT, IS IT JUST PEOPLE GOING IN THERE AND SPEAKING OR DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY KIND OF, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT YOU ACTUALLY ENGAGE THE KIDS WITH, LIKE COMPETITION OVER A, A SCHOOL SEMESTER OR SOMETHING WHERE THEY HAVE SHORTER SHOWERS AND THEY'RE RECORDING IT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO IT'S A LITTLE MORE TANGIBLE TO THEIR LIFE? MM-HMM.
AND, AND ANYTIME YOU GUYS HAVE ANY IDEAS, WE, WE LOVE GETTING NEW IDEAS.
WE'VE DONE THINGS LIKE THAT IN THE PAST WITH THE DOWSER DAM PROGRAM, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.
UM, HE DOES A MUSICAL THEATRICAL, UM, ASSEMBLY PROGRAM.
SO IT'S VERY INTERACTIVE WITH THE STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY AT THAT AGE.
SOMETIMES HE DOES PUPPETS AND VENT, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING.
UM, ANYWAY, UH, HE HAS ALL OF THAT AND, AND WE ALSO HAVE MATERIALS AND LEAVE BEHINDS AND RESOURCES FOR THE TEACHERS.
UM, OUR PARTNERSHIPS AGAIN WITH UH, THE MOBILE RIVER LEARNING, UH, CLASSROOM THAT'S VERY HANDS-ON AND GOES OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE KIDS ARE MORE DIGITAL THESE DAYS, SO WE HOPEFULLY PROVIDE A LITTLE VARIETY ON THAT AS WELL.
SOMETHING WE TRIED RECENTLY, WE WORKED WITH SOME, UH, OF OUR ENGINEERS IN THE SYSTEMS PLANNING, UH, DIVISION.
UH, THEY, UH, WENT OUT AND WE DID A SUMMER CAMP THAT WAS BEING HELD AT THE, UM, IT WAS FOR THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER HELD AT THE ASIAN, UM, AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER.
AND WE WENT OUT WITH THEM AND SUPPORTED SOME HANDS-ON, UM, ACTIVITIES IN THE CLASSROOM THAT COMBINED ART AND HANDS-ON.
AND WE HAD A VISIT FROM DOWSER DAN.
SO WITH OUR GROWTH IN OUR TEAM, UH, WE ARE HAPPY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE THINGS LIKE THAT IN THE COMMUNITY.
OKAY, MARISA, I THINK WE'VE GOT OUR MARCHING ORDERS AND WE'LL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH, UM, EMAILS TO SURVEY YOUR AVAILABILITY FOR LATE OCTOBER AND EARLY NOVEMBER MEETINGS, SEE WHICH OPTIONS ARE GONNA WORK, UM, FOR THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
WE'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATED, UM, TIMELINE AND SCHEDULE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CRLA, UM, UH, SECTIONS OF THE REPORT AND, UH, UH, REVISED AND REDLINED VERSION OF THE WATER 4 24 REPORT AS A WHOLE.
AND WE'LL BE WORKING TOWARDS, UM, UH, PROVISION OF THE WATER LOSS REPORT TO TASK FORCE MEMBERS AND PROVIDING GAL WITH A, A TIMEFRAME FOR RECEIPT OF THAT AS WELL.
UM, ANY OTHER REQUESTS, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? WE'RE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
OUR NEXT MEETING IS GONNA BE ON THE OCTOBER 8TH.WE DON'T HAVE ANY SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS OR DO WE HAVE ANY SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS COMING UP? OH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
YOU HAVE ONE? UM, WE MAY, UM, I, AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, ON THE NINTH DATES.
EMILY'S GOT SUCH A GOOD BRAIN.
YEAH, BOTH OF THESE TWO, EMILY, MADELINE ARE ON IT.
UH, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS AND THE STAFF AND THE, UH, FOLKS THAT CAME TO GIVE COMMENTS.
SUSAN AND TANIA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT.
WE APPRECIATE IT, UM, AND EVERYBODY FOR HANGING OUT AND, UM,
[02:25:01]
WE'RE UH, WE HAVE A BIG PUSH THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.I WANNA ECHO YOUR THANKS JENNIFER.
AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
SO THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR REALLY DIGGING IN WITH US.