[CALL TO ORDER ]
[00:00:03]
AND I AM CALLING TO ORDER THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION.
UH, DO WE, UH, PRESENT TODAY? WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ARDI PENN, UM, BREEZ.
WHO'D I MISS? NAVARRO? UH, MARCEL
AND ONLINE WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE AND COMMISSIONER NAVARRO.
UM, COMMISSIONER AMANDA MAR AND COMMISSIONER REGI ARE NOT PRESENT.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY? NO.
AND THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.COMMISSIONERS, YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW OUR MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING.
IS THERE ANY COMMENTS OR DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE MOVE APPROVAL.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND, AND IT IS UNANIMOUS.
[2. Recommend approval to authorize a contract for construction services for the 2020 Bond Substandard Streets Ross Road North with DeNucci Constructors, LLC, in the amount of S29,650,594.OO plus a $2,965,059.40 contingency for a total contract amount not to exceed $32,615,653.40. Funding in the amount of $29,669,890.33 is available in the Capital Budget of the Transportation and Public Works Department and Funding in the amount of $2,945,763.07 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water.]
ON OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS TWO AND THREE.I AM GONNA GO AHEAD BEFORE I GO AROUND THE ROOM FOR RECUSALS AND PULL ITEM THREE, UM, WE'LL BE, UH, RECEIVING A PRESENTATION ON THAT.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WOULD ANSWER A LOT OF OUR QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION AND THEN HAVE A VOTE ON THAT ITEM.
SO, UH, THE ONLY ITEM THAT WE WANNA SEE IF WE HAVE ANY, UM, RECUSALS ON IS ITEM NUMBER TWO.
SO, COMMISSIONER MORTY, DO YOU RECUSE OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER PENTON? NO QUESTIONS.
NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER SIMONE? NO QUESTIONS.
NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE? NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER NAVARRO? NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER REYES GOT A QUESTION ON NUMBER TWO.
SO QUESTION ON NUMBER TWO AND, UH, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAINES? NO QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, SINCE WE HAVE A QUESTION ON NUMBER TWO, UH, WE WON'T HAVE A CONSENT VOTE.
SO, ITEM NUMBER TWO, RECOMMEND APP APPRO APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR THE 2020 BOND SUBSTANDARD STREETS, ROSS ROAD NORTH, AND UCCI WITH DENUCCI CONTRACTORS LLC IN THE AMOUNT OF $29,650,594 PLUS $2,965,059 AND 40 CENTS CONTINGENCY FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 32,615,500 $653 AND 40 CENTS FUNDING THE AMOUNT OF
GOOD LORD, $2,945,762 AND 7 CENTS IS AVAILABLE AT THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF AUSTIN WATER.
COMMISSIONER REYES, YOU HAD A QUESTION? YES.
A LOT OF WATER, UH, AUSTIN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THAT ESTIMATE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY, THAT APPROXIMATELY 3 MILLION IS FROM THE AUSTIN WATER CAPITAL BUDGET.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE REMAINING WOULD COME OUT OF THE ALMOST 30 MILLION FROM ANOTHER POOL OF MONEY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT'S CORRECT.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE AMOUNT OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S AUSTIN WATER RELATED SEEMS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE 3 MILLION THAT'S IN, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDER, I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT 3 MILLION AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WOULD BE FUNDING THE MAJORITY OF THE LARGE AMOUNT OF AUSTIN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS.
YEAH, SO KEVIN KOHLER, DIVISION MANAGER, AUSTIN WATER, UM, SO IT IS, IT IS 7,500 FEET OF 24 INCH, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER LINES IN THERE.
WE COULD DO A FURTHER EVALUATION OF THE BIDS.
UM, BUT WE, WE BREAK THIS DOWN IN COORDINATION WITH OUR PARTNER AGENCIES WHERE THEY'RE BID ITEMS AND THEN WE GET THE BID ITEMS AND WE LOOK AT THAT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
WE, WE'D HAVE TO PROBABLY DO FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE DETAILED BREAKDOWN ON THE BIDS FOR THAT TO SEE IT.
IT DIDN'T JUMP OUT AS A LARGE NUMBER FOR ME, BUT, UM, I, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS,
[00:05:01]
LET ME, I GUESS MAYBE MAKE A CLARIFYING QUESTION THEN.IT SEEMED LIKE A SMALL NUMBER
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY THAT THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT'S ALLOCATED FROM AUSTIN WATER, WHERE THE REMAINDER IS FUNDED THROUGH ANOTHER.
THE REMAINDER IS FUNDED, FUNDED THROUGH ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, AND WE ACTUALLY DO THESE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY PROJECTS BECAUSE WE GET THE BENEFIT OF COMBINING OUR BIDS WITH THE CONTRACTOR THAT'S WORKING ON SITE.
SO A LOT OF THE SITE WORK, ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS, UM, OTHER FACTORS THAT ARE TYPICALLY DONE ON A PROJECT, THOSE ARE SHARED WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK.
I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE QUESTION I HAD.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS, UM, ITEM? ANY MORE DISCUSSION? DO I HAVE A MOTION MOVE TO APPROVE MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER SEON? DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IT'S UNANIMOUS.
UH, BEFORE WE MOVE TO ITEM THREE,
[4. Staff briefing on proposed ordinance amending City Code Chapter 15-9 (Utility Service Regulations) to authorize an alternative wastewater billing methodology for customers with onsite water reuse systems and customers with evaporative loss from cooling towers.]
UM, SHOULD WE GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO ITEM FOUR, UM, STAFF BRIEFINGS, UM, STAFF BRIEFING ON THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY CODE CHAPTER 15 DASH NINE UTILITY SERVICE REGULATIONS.UM, THE, AND THANKS FOR PUTTING THE SLIDES UP.
AND I'M GONNA TURN IT RIGHT OVER TO CATHERINE GSKI FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AUTOMATICALLY, OR NO? THERE YOU GO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M A SUPERVISING ENGINEER HERE IN THE, UH, RECLAIMED AND REUSE PLAN REVIEW TEAM.
AND MY TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CODE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE PART OF THE NEW GO PURPLE PROGRAM.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROGRAM, I'LL COVER IT IN, UM, ABOUT A MINUTE.
BUT TODAY I AM GONNA GIVE A BRIEFING ON, UH, A PROPOSED ORDINANCE RELATED TO WASTEWATER BILLING FOR ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS, WHICH IS A NEED THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THE NEW GO PURPLE PROGRAM.
I'LL GIVE AN INTRO TO GO PURPLE AND ONSITE WATER REUSE, UH, GO OVER OPTIONS FOR BILLING FOR WASTEWATER FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
UH, TALK ABOUT WHAT A WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR IS FOR BILLING, AND THEN HOW THAT TIES INTO THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
CAN TAKE QUESTIONS AT THE END, BUT I GUESS SOME OF THE SLIDES ARE DENSE, SO IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY THAT YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO ASK THOSE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE INTRO MATERIAL, NEXT SLIDE.
UH, WE'RE COMING UP ON NEAR A YEAR OF IMPLEMENTING, UH, THESE, UH, THE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES CODE CHANGES RELATED TO ONSITE WATER, RE AND RECLAIMED WATER CONNECTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY, UH, NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
THIS IS A STRATEGY IN THE WATER FORWARD PLAN AIMED AT INCREASING, UH, RECLAIMED WATER USE AND, AND WATER REUSE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, TO HELP EXTEND OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES.
THE PROGRAM INCLUDES AFFORDABILITY STRATEGIES AS WELL, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY IN INCENTIVES AND, AND COST PARTICIPATION, UM, MONEY THAT THE UTILITY CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS PROJECTS THAT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND CODE.
AND THEN PROJECTS THAT ARE HELPING EXTEND OUR RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM INTO NEW AREAS OF THE CITY.
AND WE'RE FUNDING, UH, THOSE INCENTIVES THROUGH THIS NEW COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGE, WHICH, UH, UM, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED.
AND IT ADDS 15 CENTS TO EVERY THOUSAND GALLONS OF WATER USED ON EVERY RETAIL CUSTOMER, UM, THEIR BILL TO BE ABLE TO FUND THESE, UM, INCENTIVES AND THEN EXPAND OUR RECLAIM WATER SYSTEM.
BUT NOT CAMP CUSTOMERS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO FOR ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS FOR THESE LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE GREATER THAN 500 FEET FROM OUR RECLAIMED WATER NETWORK, UH, WE HAVE CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR THESE PROJECTS THAT HAVE 250,000 SQUARE FEET OR MORE OF GROSS FLOOR AREA OR A COOLING TOWER.
THESE PROJECTS ARE REQUIRED TO CO COLLECT RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE FROM WITHIN THEIR OWN BUILDINGS AND TREAT THAT WATER FOR REUSE FOR NON-POTABLE USES LIKE TOILET FLUSHING AND IRRIGATION AND COOLING TOWERS.
[00:10:01]
SO SCHEMATICALLY, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS THAT WE'RE, UM, WE'RE KIND OF SHOWING THE PLUMBING SYSTEMS HERE FOR THESE BUILDINGS.UM, THESE BUILDINGS, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE WHAT'S SHOWN IN THE BLUE LINES THERE AS A, A SERVICE CONNECTION TO THE CITY'S, UH, UH, POTABLE WATER MAIN IN THE CITY, AND THEN A METER, AND THEN THAT, THAT PLUMBING IS CONNECTED TO THE POTABLE FIXTURES WITHIN THE BUILDING, LIKE CLOTHES, WASHERS AND, UM, SINKS AND BATHTUBS.
AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE, UH, A NON POTABLE PLUMBING SUPPLY GOING TO THEIR BUILDING.
AND THAT IS, UM, FED BY THIS RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE ONSITE CAPTURE SYSTEM.
AND SO THAT CAN, LIKE I MENTIONED, IT CAN GO TO THE TOILETS IN THE BUILDING AND ALSO GOES TO OUTDOOR USES LIKE IRRIGATION.
UM, WE ALSO, WE REQUIRE, UH, ANOTHER CITY CONNECTION AND METER TO BACK UP THAT SYSTEM.
AND THAT, UH, SERVES MULTIPLE PURPOSES.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IN CASE THE, THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO GO DOWNLINE FOR, UH, OFFLINE FOR MAINTENANCE.
THEY CAN STILL HAVE A WATER SUPPLY TO THEIR TOILETS AND IRRIGATION.
UM, AND THEN IT ALSO SERVES THE PURPOSE OF MAKING THESE PROJECTS WHAT WE CALL RECLAIMED READY.
AND SO IF A, A RECLAIMED MAINE GETS EXTENDED INTO THE STREET, IT'S A VERY EASY CONNECTION JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE, THE CITY SIDE OF THE METER TO CONVERT THAT SERVICE FROM DRINKING WATER OVER TO RECLAIMED WATER.
AND THEN NOTHING WITHIN THE PROPERTY HAS TO CHANGE.
IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE CALL RECLAIMED READY AND READY TO, TO USE OUR RECLAIMED WATER, UM, TO EITHER BACK UP THAT REUSE SYSTEM IF THEY WANNA KEEP IT OR JUST DIRECTLY TIE INTO THE PLUMBING.
AND SO THAT'S HOW, WHAT OUR CODES ARE REQUIRING FOR THESE NEW PROJECTS.
AND WE'RE REVIEWING PLANS THAT ARE SETTING UP THESE PROJECTS THIS WAY.
UM, HOWEVER, IT POSES A CHALLENGE, UM, WHEN WE ARE THINKING ABOUT BILLING THESE CUSTOMERS FOR WASTEWATER.
UM, YOU CAN SEE IN THE DIAGRAM, UH, I GUESS I WOULD CAN'T GO ON WITHOUT MENTIONING THAT.
UM, WE SHOULDN'T TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT MAYBE NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WE DON'T ACTUALLY METER WASTEWATER THAT COMES INTO THE COLLECTION SYSTEM.
WE JUST, UM, SOMEONE I KNOW SAYS THAT IF ANYONE COULD, UM, INVENT, UH, AN ACCURATE WASTEWATER METER, THAT WOULD BE A VERY RICH PERSON.
UM, SO WE METER THE WATER, THE CLEAN WATER SOURCES GOING INTO THE BUILDING.
AND SO IN THE DIAGRAM THERE'S A DOMESTIC METER THAT D THAT'S WHAT THAT STANDS FOR.
THAT'S GOING INTO THE POTABLE FIXTURES IN THE BUILDING.
AND THEN THAT WASTEWATER IS CONVEYED INTO THE COLLECTION SYSTEM.
BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, WASTEWATER COMING IN FROM THE TOILETS AND GOING INTO THE COLLECTION SYSTEM, BUT THAT WATER IS FED FROM THE ONSITE REUSE SYSTEM.
AND SO TYPICALLY OUR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, WE BILL WASTEWATER ON A GALLON PER GALLON BASIS.
SO, UM, FROM THAT DOMESTIC METER, YOU CAN SEE IF YOU'RE JUST BILLING GALLON PER GALLON, YOU'RE NOT CAPTURING THE WASTEWATER COMING IN FROM THE TOILETS.
AND SO WE DO HAVE THAT OTHER NON POTABLE BACKUP METER THAT WE'RE CALLING THE, THAT LABELED NP OVER THERE.
IF WE WERE TO BUILD THAT GALLON FOR GALLON, WE, WE WOULD BE OVERCHARGING THE CUSTOMER BECAUSE OF THE, UM, WATER THAT'S GOING TO THE IRRIGATION THAT DOESN'T END UP IN THE COLLECTION SYSTEM.
IF WE BUILD IT WATER ONLY, WE WOULD BE UNDERCHARGING THE CUSTOMER BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ACCOUNTING FOR THE TOILET, UM, WASTE, THE WA WASTEWATER COMING IN FROM THE TOILETS.
SO WE HAD TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO ADDRESS, UM, THIS CHALLENGE.
WE HAVE, UM, UH, AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE HAVE, UH, DONE THIS ALREADY FROM ONE OF OUR EARLY ADOPTERS OF ONSITE REUSE.
IT'S THE AUSTIN CENTRAL LIBRARY.
THAT BUILDING HAS BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE ABOUT 2015.
UM, AND SO THEY HAVE, THEY'RE USING ESSENTIALLY PRIVATE METERS TO MEASURE THE WASTEWATER CONTRIBUTION FROM THEIR ONSITE REUSE SYSTEM.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THEY HAVE A COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR THE RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE.
THEY TREAT THE WATER AND STORE IT IN A DAY USE TANK.
THEY HAVE A CITY METER BACKING UP THAT DAY USE TANK, AND THEN THEY HAVE TWO PRIVATE METERS MEASURING THE, THE WATER BEING GOING INTO THE TOILETS, UH, IN THE LIBRARY, AND THEN ALSO TO THE IRRIGATION.
AND THEN EVERY MONTH THEY ARE READING THE PRIVATE METER THAT IS GOING TO THE TOILETS AND THEN REPORTING THAT, UM, UM, USAGE TO AUSTIN WATER.
AND THEN OUR BILLING TEAM MANUALLY GOES INTO THE BILLING SYSTEM AND ADDS THAT ONTO THEIR, UM, INTO THEIR BILL.
AND SO IT'S A VERY MANUAL PROCESS, UM, THAT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL METERING.
SO THIS IS SORT OF REDUNDANT, BUT BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE THESE PRIVATE METERS FOR THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS, IT ADDS TO THE COST
[00:15:01]
OF, OF THE SYSTEM TO HAVE THIS ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE.THE LOCATION OF THEM ISN'T AN ISSUE BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE LOCATED, YOU KNOW, IN THE PARKING GARAGE OR WITHIN THE BUILDING THEMSELVES.
SO THEY HAVE TO BE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE BUILDING OWNERS.
UM, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO SELF-REPORT THE READINGS FROM THE METERS TO AUSTIN WATER.
SO ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE FROM CALIBRATING, UM, AND MAKING SURE THE METERS ARE WORKING.
AND THEN THERE'S THE, THE MANUAL BILLING PORTION THAT I SAID THAT, UH, REQUIRES ADDITIONAL STAFF, UH, STAFFING NEEDS AND TIME ON, ON THE PART OF AUSTIN WATER.
SO AS WE WERE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, I THINK WE PERMITTED ABOUT A DOZEN OF THESE ONSITE REUSE SYSTEMS IN THE PAST YEAR.
AND SO OVER TIME, WE'RE EXPECTING HUNDREDS OF THESE SYSTEMS TO BE BUILT AND OPERATED THROUGHOUT, UH, THE CITY.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MODEL, UM, TO REPLICATE THAT WOULDN'T, WOULD BE LESS MANUAL AND LESS COSTLY FOR THE, THE PEOPLE INSTALLING THESE SYSTEMS. NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE FIRST LOOKED AT WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN OUR EXISTING CODE FOR BILLING WASTEWATER FOR CUSTOMERS TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN ANALOG THERE THAT WE COULD USE.
AND WE'LL JUST QUICKLY TOUCH ON THOSE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WITHIN CITY CODE CHAPTER 15 NINE, THAT'S WHERE OUR UTILITY REGULATIONS ARE RELATED TO HOW WE CAN BILL OUR CUSTOMERS FOR WASTEWATER SERVICE.
CURRENTLY, THERE'S FOUR METHODS IN THAT SECTION OF CODE.
WE HAVE WASTEWATER AVERAGING, GALLON FOR GALLON WASTEWATER, BILLING ADJUSTMENTS FOR RAPID COOLING TOWERS, AND THEN METERED WASTEWATER BILLING.
AND WE'LL JUST GO OVER THEM ALL BRIEFLY.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CUSTOMERS, UM, ARE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT, UH, THEY HAVE ONE METER THAT IS MEASURING ALL THE CONSUMPTION AND, UH, WATER CONSUMPTION IN THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, AND THEY ARE BILLED FOR WASTEWATER USING WASTEWATER AVERAGING METHOD.
AND SO DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, UM, WHEN IT'S EXPECTED THAT, UH, MINIMAL IRRIGATION IS HAPPENING, THAT'S WHEN WE, UM, AVERAGE THEIR WATER CONSUMPTION TO CALCULATE THEIR WASTEWATER CONTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THE NEXT CATEGORY ARE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
ABOUT 5% OF OUR COM CUSTOMERS THAT ARE OFFICES AND, AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS, THEY HAVE TWO METERS.
UM, AND THEY HAVE A, A DOMESTIC METER GOING TO THEIR BUILDING, AND THAT IS BILLED GALLON FOR GALLON FOR WASTEWATER.
ALL OF THE WATER GOING IN ENDS UP BACK IN THE COLLECTION SYSTEM.
AND THEN THEY HAVE A SEPARATE IRRIGATION METER THAT'S JUST, UH, BILLED FOR WATER ONLY 'CAUSE THAT IS JUST EVAPORATED.
ABOUT 120 CUSTOMERS, UM, ARE, HAVE APPLIED TO BE IN OUR EVAPORATIVE LOSS ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM FOR COOLING TOWERS.
SO FOR ONE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A COOLING TOWER TO BE IN THIS, IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND THEY ARE, UM, USING PRIVATE METERS TO MEASURE, UM, WATER IN AND OUT OF THEIR COOLING TOWER BECAUSE OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT WATER EVAPORATES.
AND SO THEY WANNA CREDIT TO THEIR WASTEWATER CHARGE FROM THAT WATER THAT ISN'T ENDING UP IN THE COLLECTION SYSTEM.
UH, THESE CUSTOMERS REAPPLY EVERY FIVE YEARS.
THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OWNERSHIP AND MAINTENANCE OF THOSE PRIVATE METERS.
THEY SELF RES REPORT THEIR READS THROUGH AN ONLINE PORTAL, AND THE READINGS HAVE TO OCCUR ON THE SAME DAY THAT THE CITY'S METER IS READ.
UM, AND THEN AUSTIN WATER IS DOING, AGAIN, THE MANUAL BILLING.
AND THIS IS KIND OF THE MODEL THAT WAS USED FOR THE, THE CENTRAL LIBRARY SYSTEM, UM, USING THE PRIVATE METERS AND THE MANUAL BILLING.
FINALLY, WE DO HAVE A FEW CUSTOMERS THAT DO HAVE WASTEWATER FLOW METERS.
UM, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS AROUND USING THAT TYPE OF METER AND BILLING.
UM, THESE ARE LARGE INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MINIMUM FLOW FOR THESE METERS TO ACCURATELY READ YOUR, YOUR WASTEWATER.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO KIND OF EXPENSIVE.
YOU HAVE TO INSTALL THIS, UM, REMOTE TERMINAL UNIT TO COLLECT AND TRANSMIT THE DATA.
UM, THE PROPERTY OWNER'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OWNER OWNERSHIP OF THEM.
AND THEN THEY, UM, AGAIN, IT'S STILL A MANUAL BILLING PROCESS.
UM, AND THERE'S ALSO PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS LIKE NEEDING A, A STRAIGHT RUN OF PIPES BASED SO THAT YOU CAN GET THE, AN ACCURATE FLOW, UH, READING.
SO NOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR BILLING, WHICH IS ANOTHER METHOD NOT USED IN AUSTIN YET, BUT IS USED BY PURE UTILITIES.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT IT, IT KIND OF ALLOWS THE OPTION OF, UM,
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GETTING RID OF PRIVATE METERS AND STREAMLINING THE BILLING PROCESS TO NOT REQUIRE ALL THOSE MANUAL STEPS.AND THESE WASTEWATER FLOW FACTORS, THEY USE ENGINEERING CALCULATIONS FOR TO CALCULATE THE WASTEWATER FLOW.
OUR ONSITE WATER REUSE PROJECTS THEY ALREADY REQUIRE AS PART OF THEIR PERMIT SUBMITTAL A DETAILED WATER BALANCE FOR THE PROJECTS TO ASSESS HOW WATER IS USED AND HOW MUCH WASTEWATER IS GENERATED FOR ALL OF THESE PROJECTS.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO USE THAT CALCULATOR THAT'S ALREADY BEING SUBMITTED FOR THESE PROJECTS TO CALCULATE A WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR.
SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM HAS A SIMILAR PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS FOR ENGINEERED CALCULATIONS FOR, UH, COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS WITH CONSUMPTIVE USES.
AND THAT SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES, IF YOU DON'T KNOW SAN FRANCISCO'S THE ONLY OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS AN ONSITE WATER REUSE PROGRAM AND A REQUIREMENT LIKE AUSTIN.
UM, THEY WERE GOING TO USE THIS METHOD FOR THEIR PROGRAM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEIR BILLING SYSTEM COULDN'T ACCOMMODATE IT.
AND SO FOR THE TIME BEING, THEY'RE USING PRIVATE METERS AND MANUAL BILLING.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW A WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR IS CALCULATED.
UM, SO THAT'S OUR SAME BUILDING THAT WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT IN, IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
UM, AND YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THE, THE POTABLE FIXTURES ARE ACCOUNTING FOR A QUARTER OF THE INDOOR WATER USE IN THIS BUILDING.
AND THE NON POTABLE FIXTURES ARE ACCOUNTING FOR THREE QUARTERS OF THE INDOOR WATER USE.
AND THAT'S PRETTY TY TYPICAL FOR A COMMERCIAL BUILDING THAT YOU'RE, THE MAJORITY OF THE WATER IS GOING TOWARDS TOILET FLUSHING, UH, AND LESS TOWARDS WASHING YOUR HANDS AND YOU KNOW, THE OTHER POTABLE USES.
AND SO THE WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR IS CALCULATED BY TAKING, UM, THAT TOTAL OF THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT'S ENDING UP IN THE COLLECTION SYSTEM A QUARTER FROM THE POTABLE FIXTURES, PLUS THE THREE QUARTER FROM THE NON-POTABLE, AND THEN DIVIDING BY, UM, WHAT IS BEING READ BY THAT DOMESTIC METER, WHICH IS THE POTABLE FIXTURES.
AND SO YOU GET A FLOW FACTOR THERE OF FOUR.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY FOR EVERY GALLON OF WATER THAT IS READ THROUGH YOUR METER, FOUR TIMES AS MANY GALLONS IS WHAT'S ENDING UP IN THE COLLECTION SYSTEM.
AND, UH, THE WAY, THIS IS WHY THIS IS GREAT AND THE WAY IT WORKS IS BECAUSE, UM, YOU CAN SEE IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE COMING IN THROUGH THE TOILETS OR THE CITY'S WATER THAT YOU KNOW, IS BACKING UP THAT SYSTEM AND, AND DOWN TIMES YOU'RE ALWAYS ACCOUNTING FOR THE WASTEWATER USING THIS, THIS FLOW FACTOR.
UM, AND SO WHEN, IF, YOU KNOW WHEN THE CUSTOMER WILL GET THEIR BILL, THEY'LL SEE THEIR WATER CONSUMPTION IS, IT'S THE, UH, DOMESTIC METER READ PLUS THE NON-POTABLE METER READED, AND THEN THE WASTEWATER IS THE FOUR TIMES THE DOMESTIC METER READ.
I IS IT ALWAYS FOUR TIMES? NO, EVERY BUILDING IS DIFFERENT.
YOU'RE GONNA COUNT, DO A FIXTURE COUNT AND, AND USE THAT TO DRIVE THE MULTIPLIER.
EVERY YEAH, EVERY PROJECT HAS THEIR OWN WATER BALANCE THAT, UH, IS USED TO CALCULATE THE FLOW FACTOR.
SO YOU'RE GONNA USE NOT A FIXTURE COUNT, YOU'RE GONNA USE THE WATER BALANCE THAT IS SUBMITTED WITH PLANS RIGHT.
AND CALL THAT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO YOU HAVE TO KIND OF TRUST THAT ENGINEER THAT'S DOING THE WATER BALANCE, BUT YOU'RE CHECKING IT.
AND WE, WE DO REVIEW IT AND ALS THE CALCULA, THE CALCULATOR WAS BUILT AND IS MAINTAINED BY US AND HAS BEEN VALIDATED WITH OUR, UM, DESEGREGATED DEMAND MODELING AND OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, TESTING AGAINST ACTUAL METERING DATA SO WE HAVE A HIGH CONFIDENCE IN IT.
UM, SO AS WE WERE INTERNALLY VETTING THIS METHOD WITHIN AUSTIN WATER, UM, SOME SMART PERSON POINTED OUT THAT, UM, THE SAME WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR METHOD COULD ALSO BE USED FOR THE, UH, EVAPORATIVE LOSS CUSTOMERS.
'CAUSE THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY DOING THE SAME THING USING PRIVATE METERS TO, TO CALCULATE THE CONTRIBUTION.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE PROPOSING THAT, UM, EVAPORATIVE LOSS CUSTOMERS ALSO BE GIVEN THE OPTION TO APPLY FOR, UM, UH, WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR WHEN THEY, UM, COME UP THROUGH FOR THEIR FIVE YEAR RENEWAL.
CAN USE THAT FIVE YEARS OF, UH, PRIVATE METER DATA THAT THEY'VE BEEN COLLECTING AND SUBMITTING US TO, TO CALCULATE THE WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR INSTEAD OF DOING THE WATER BALANCE.
[00:25:04]
UH, BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO IS AMEND CITY CODE CHAPTER 15 NINE TO ADD THAT FIFTH METHOD FOR WASTEWATER BILLING CALLED WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR BILLING FOR ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS AND ADD THE PROVISION FOR THE EVAPORATIVE LOSS CUSTOMERS TO SIGN ON IF THEY CHOOSE.THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY THAT, UH, THIS ORDINANCE WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE MORE EFFICIENT WASTEWATER BILLING FOR BUILDINGS WITH ONSITE REUSE AND EVAPORATIVE COOLING TOWERS.
HOPEFULLY WILL REDUCE THE COST NUMBER OF METERS FOR PROJECTS AND ALL THE MANUAL TRACKING AND SUBMISSION OF METER READS ON BOTH THE CUSTOMER'S PART AND AUSTIN WATERS PART, THERE'S NO IMPACT TO OUR BUDGET OR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
WE ALREADY GOT A NEUTRAL AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT.
AND THEN I MENTIONED THAT THIS BILLING METHOD IS USED BY OUR PEER UTILITY OF SAWS.
I THINK THAT'S THE LAST SLIDE.
COMMISSIONERS ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER METI, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE BUT TO DO THIS, RIGHT? FOR THE ONSITE WATER REUSE CUSTOMERS, IT'S GONNA BE NOT OPTIONAL, BUT FOR THE EVAPORATIVE LOSS CUSTOMERS, 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A METER TO FOOL WITH MM-HMM
BUT OF COURSE YOU'RE GONNA GIVE THEM AN OUT POSSIBLY WHERE THEY COULD SAY, WE GET RID OF THAT METER WE PROBABLY DON'T LIKE PLAYING WITH ANYWAYS.
AND, AND DO THE MANUAL CALCULATION.
I GUESS THE ONLY CONCERN WOULD BE, IS THERE SOME WAY PEOPLE COULD CHEAT ON THIS SO, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR CHEAT ON IT.
UM, I GUESS IF THEY SUBMITTED FALSE DATA OR, UM, MAYBE OKAY.
YOU'D BE SMART ENOUGH TO SEE IT, CHECK IT, RIGHT? YOU WOULD KNOW ENOUGH TO, TO NOT YEAH.
WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA REVIEW ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE MATH WORKS OUT AND, AND GO THROUGH THAT, UM, PROCESS.
AND I THINK ALSO, YOU KNOW, WITH THOSE EVAPORATIVE LOSS CUSTOMERS, IF THEY'RE GOING UP THROUGH THEIR FIVE YEAR NEW YEAR RENEWAL AND WE SEE THAT THEIR, THEIR WATER USE HAS GONE UP ON THEIR METER SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THAT COULD BE ALSO JUST A EASY CHECK TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY'VE CHANGED PROCESS WISE ON THEIR PROPERTY.
SO I GUESS I, TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF COMMISSIONER MORTY'S THOUGHTS, UM, SO WHEN THE, WHEN SOMEONE SWITCHES LIKE FACILITY MANAGER MM-HMM
WHICH IS, UH, SINCE I WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY YEAH.
A LOT OF THESE SYSTEMS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, RELIABILITY AND, AND ALL THAT.
AND SO THEN THE SWITCHOVER, RATHER THAN USING THE AUTOFILL SCENARIO MM-HMM
SO THE SWITCHOVER, SO I GUESS I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS REALLY ON THEM BECAUSE IF THEY SWITCH OVER AND THEY'RE USING CITY WATER DIRECTLY INTO THE WASTEWATER, THEN IT'S ON THEM, THEY'RE GONNA BE GETTING CHARGED MORE.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY A DETRIMENT TO AUSTIN WATER.
UM, IT, IT WOULD BE UP TO, YOU KNOW, THAT BUILDING OWNER, FACILITY MANAGER AND, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE, THERE WOULD BE A A, A PROTOCOL WHERE, AGAIN, ONE OF THESE SYSTEMS GOES DOWN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THEY WOULD SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO SWITCH OVER TO BE ABLE TO FLUSH OUR TOILETS.
CAN WE STOP THE FACTOR BILLING DURING THIS TIME PERIOD IF IT'S AN EXTENDED TIME PERIOD? RIGHT.
I I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE AS I, I COULD SEE THEM AS GOING, HEY, WE'RE BEING A QUADRUPLE BUILD OR WHATEVER RIGHT.
DURING THESE TIME PERIODS WHEN THOSE SYSTEMS ARE UM, YEAH.
I THINK IN THE CASE OF, YOU KNOW, THE ONSITE REUSE SYSTEMS, THERE'S STILL, AGAIN, NO MATTER WHAT THE SOURCE OF IS, IF IT'S RAINWATER OR OUR CITY WATER, WE STILL HAVE TO CHARGE FOR WASTEWATER THAT'S ENDING UP IN OUR COLLECTION SYSTEM.
AND SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT SHOULDN'T CHANGE WHETHER OR NOT THE ONSITE REUSE SYSTEM IS WORKING OR NOT.
WELL, BECAUSE THE METER THOUGH ON THE AUTOFILL GOES TO THE POT, UH, NON-POTABLE METER TYPICALLY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND SO THEN THE FACTOR WOULD BE APPLIED TO THE DOMESTIC.
AND SO IF THEY SWITCH OVER TO FEED THE DOMESTIC FOR THE BACKUP, RIGHT.
NOT GOING THROUGH THE AUTOFILL SETUP, OH, SAY, SAY THE, THE RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM PUMP SYSTEM GOES DOWN AND IT'S GONNA TAKE MONTHS FOR IT TO GET FIXED OR WHATEVER, AND THEY SWITCH DIRECTLY OVER UHHUH AND THERE'S THAT LONG TIME PERIOD WHERE WATER'S GOING THROUGH THE DOMESTIC METER AND
[00:30:01]
THEY'RE GETTING CHARGED FOR THAT.I MEAN THEY TECHNICALLY CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT A, A PLUMBING PERMIT AND BUILDING PLAN REVIEW.
AND WE ARE, WE, UM, HAVE A, WITHIN OUR SYSTEM, WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK THESE WHENEVER THEY COME IN FOR NEW PERMITS TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
SO, UM, I GUESS I WAS TALKING ABOUT JUST ON TEMPORARY, LIKE AGAIN, RELIABILITY OF THESE, UH, UH, AND THEY NEED TO SWITCH DIRECTLY OVER, I WOULD THINK WE WOULD, WE WOULD WANNA WORK WITH THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS IF THEY'RE DEALING WITH PROBLEMS WITH THEIR SYSTEM SITE, WE ALSO WANT TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO REPAIR THOSE PROBLEMS QUICKLY AND GET BACK INTO, YOU KNOW, COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS.
I GUESS I'M JUST THINKING OF SCENARIOS.
BECAUSE I'M GONNA BRING UP ANOTHER SCENARIO NOW THAT I WANT Y'ALL TO CONSIDER.
SO, UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THIS IS FOR RAINWATER, AC CONDENSATE, THAT'S WATER THAT'S GENERATED ON SITE THAT YOU'RE NOT BRINGING TO THE SITE.
SO THEREFORE WASTEWATER FACTOR BUILDING IS GREAT.
UM, BUT UH, THE GROWTH OF GRAYWATER REUSE SYSTEMS, RIGHT? SO, UM, WHICH IS WATER THAT HAS ALREADY SPUN A DOMESTIC METER AND THEN SAY IT'S TREATED IN THE GRAYWATER SYSTEM AND THEY USE THAT FOR THE TOILET FLUSHING.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST SINCE YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE OF WASTEWATER, UH, FACTOR BILLING, CAN WE THINK ABOUT THOSE SCENARIOS? BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT MAY NOT BE A, A BIG THING NOW, BUT TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING A LOT OF GRAY WATER, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, TECHNOLOGY IS REALLY RAMPING UP.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AS AN EXAMPLE WHERE THIS, BECAUSE THE WATER'S NOT GENERATED ON SITE, IT'S COMING FROM THE AUSTIN WATER METER, I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD COME OUT IN THE WATER BALANCE.
SO THE WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR WORKS FOR GRAY WATER SYSTEMS AS WELL.
WE, WHEN WE WERE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS, WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT OUR REQUIRED SOURCES WERE GONNA BE.
AND SO WE CAME UP WITH A METHOD THAT WORKS FOR ANY TYPE OF ONSITE SYSTEM SO IT CAN, UM, YES, WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR WORKS IF, IF GRAY WATER YOU GET, BECAUSE THERE'LL BE A DIFFERENT FACTOR IF YES, THE GRAY WATER IS SUPPLYING THE MM-HMM
RATHER THAN RAINWATER SUPPLYING YEAH.
SO LIKE IN THIS CASE THOUGH, YOU KNOW, WITH RAINWATER YOU'RE, THE WASTEWATER FLOW FACTOR IS ABOVE ONE.
WITH GRAY WATER WOULD BE LESS THAN ONE.
YEAH, I JUST, 'CAUSE WHEN I WAS REVIEWING THIS YEAH, IT JUST HIT ME BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE COME ACROSS, UH, IN DISCUSSIONS A LOT MM-HMM
UM, AND THEN I GUESS WHILE WE'RE ON IT, UM, I KNOW THIS IS APPLYING TO COMMERCIAL AND ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS, UH, BUT I WANTED TO ASK, TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ABOUT A WASTEWATER CHARGE REDUCTION FACTOR FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WHO EMPLOY, UH, GRAY WATER FOR, UH, IRRIGATION USE.
UM, AND I SPEAK TO THIS OF A PERSONAL, UH, 'CAUSE FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS I'VE BEEN USING GRAY WATER FROM MY WASHING MACHINE AND I HAVE BEEN PAYING THE SUBSEQUENT, YOU KNOW, WASTEWATER CHARGE THROUGH MY DOMESTIC METER SINCE THERE'S NO OTHER WAY.
AND, UM, AND SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS FROM A INCENTIVE STANDPOINT, THAT IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A LARGE FACTOR WHEN I'M NOT SAYING LIKE, YOU KNOW, HALF, HALF THEIR WASTEWATER CHARGE, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETHING, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS WATER THAT IS SPINNING THE WATER METER AND THEN NOW IT'S BEING USED FOR IRRIGATION USE AND IT'S NOT GOING BACK TO BE TREATED, YOU KNOW, IN THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
SO, UH, BUT THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER IS ESSENTIALLY PAYING THEIR PER GALLON WASTEWATER CHARGE BECAUSE OF THE WASTEWATER, UH, WATER GOING THROUGH THE METER.
SO AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE OF THE OPPORTUNITY, I JUST WANTED TO THROW IT OUT THERE 'CAUSE I COULD SEE THIS AS A, A, A NEED INCENTIVE.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROVIDES, UH, $150 REBATE FOR GRAYWATER LAUNDRY LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT INCENTIVE.
UM, BUT IT SOMETIMES DOESN'T MOVE THE NEEDLE, YOU KNOW, AND SO IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY SUCH AS THE, LIKE THE STORMWATER DIS DISCOUNT PROGRAM THAT PEOPLE CAN APPLY FOR AND, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE DOLLARS OFF EACH MONTH FROM THERE, IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT, IF THEY PROVED THAT THEY HAVE A GRAY WATER SYSTEM THAT THEY'RE USING, AGAIN, JUST AN IDEA, I'M THROWING IT OUT WHILE YOU'RE GOING THROUGH ALL THESE ITERATIONS OF FACTOR BILLING AND, AND ALL THAT, THAT IT COULD BE A WAY, IT IS A NON-REVENUE WAY, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY IT'S LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT MONEY OUT FOR INCENTIVE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN PUSH PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, UH, INCORPORATE THESE, UH, GRAYWATER REUSE SYSTEMS IN THEIR HOME PROPERTIES.
SO ANYWAYS, JUST WANTED TO YEAH.
AND IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL WHEN THERE'S ALREADY LIKE AN, UH, A SIMILAR PROGRAM LIKE YOU MENTIONED WITH THE, THE DRAINAGE
[00:35:01]
FEE CREDIT FOR HAVING RAINWATER HARVESTINGANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
WE GOT A OH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
I, I, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
I WAS WONDERING IF, UM, THE COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS EXTEND TO MANUFACTURING OF, OF THE REUSE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF REPORTING ABOUT A NUMBER OF COMPANIES IN OUR AREA USING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER A YEAR.
I'M WONDERING IF THAT COULD BE OFFSET BY THIS.
UH, SO EXCUSE WAS THE QUESTION IF, UH, MANUFACTURING FACILITIES ARE REQUIRED TO ALSO DO, OR, OR, OR COULD USE THIS OR, YEAH.
OR IF THIS PROGRAM WOULD, WOULD INCLUDE THAT.
YEAH, SO I THINK THOSE TYPES OF FACILITIES THAT ARE USING THAT MUCH WATER AND THEN ALSO CONSUMING, THEY PROBABLY WOULD, UH, BE BETTER SUITED FOR THE WASTEWATER BILLING METER, UM, APPLICATION.
AND THAT WOULD JUST BE THEIR, THEIR PROBABLY MORE APPROPRIATE METHOD FOR ASSESSING THEIR WASTEWATER CHARGE.
UM, AND IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALREADY, IT WOULD BE ACCOUNTING FOR THE WATER THAT IS, UM, EITHER ENTERING OR LEAVING THE, THE SITE NOT THROUGH THE POTABLE METER.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER, YEAH, ANOTHER METHOD.
WE'VE GOT A QUESTION THAT'S ALSO PIG BACKING ON THE CALCULATIONS THAT COMMISSIONER MORIARTY HAD MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED IN THE CODE THAT'S BEING PRESENTED TO US AS ONE OF THE LINES REFERS TO LINE 120, UH, REFERS TO THE CALCULATIONS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE SUBMITTED BY AN ENGINEER IN TEXAS.
UH, TYPICALLY A CODE DOES NOT HAVE ANY CRITERIA REQUIREMENTS OR ANY PRACTICES.
WOULD THERE BE ANY GUIDANCE DOCUMENT OR TECHNICAL TECHNICAL CRITERIA ASSOCIATED WITH THAT THAT MAY BE REVIEWED SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND GENERAL ACCEPTED GUIDANCE THAT AUSTIN WATER CAN PROVIDE, JUST TO MAKE SURE TO, TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS ABOUT CALCULATIONS THAT MAY OR MAY BE SUBMITTED BY BY OTHERS? YEAH, SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, UH, ONSITE WATER REUSE CUSTOMERS, IT'S ALREADY PART OF THE, THE WATER BALANCE CALCULATOR THAT'S SUBMITTED FOR EACH PROJECT.
AND SO THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE FUNCTIONALITY OF IT AND, AND HOW IT, HOW IT WORKS FOR THE EVAPORATIVE LOSS, UM, PROGRAM.
THAT MATERIAL CURRENTLY IS ALL SLATED OR DIRECTED TOWARDS LIKE YOU SUBMITTING YOUR PRIVATE METER DATA.
AND SO WE WILL, WE HAVE TO REVISE THAT, THOSE APPLICATION MATERIALS ESSENTIALLY TO, UM, LAY OUT THE CRITERIA THAT WE'LL BE EVALUATING THOSE PROJECTS ON TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE THEM FOR, UM, A FLOW FACTOR.
UM, JUST FOR THE RECORD, I WANTED TO STATE THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER MARULA HAS NOW JOINED US VIRTUALLY.
UM, ALSO, I HAD A QUICK QUE NOT QUESTION BUT COMMENT.
UM, I'VE BEEN PERFORMING AS A CITY ENGINEER IN A SMALL CITY THAT DISCHARGES INTO YOUR SYSTEM.
AND SO WE RESPECTFULLY TRY TO FOLLOW ALL OF YOUR, YOUR, BECAUSE WE'RE PART OF YOUR SYSTEM, FOLLOW YOUR, YOUR GUIDANCE.
AND WE HAD ONE OF THESE SITUATIONS AND, AND THEY DID TRY TO MESS WITH THE NUMBERS ON THE, THAT SHEET, SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT IT'S SEALED SO THAT SOMEBODY'S LICENSES WITH THE NUMBERS.
WAS IT A DESIGN ENGINEER? YES, YES.
THAT YOU SUBMITTED PLANS TO YOU.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE CHECKING IT AND IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS, AND I'M SURE YOU GUYS WOULD SEE THE SAME THING, BUT IF SOMEONE HAS TO SEAL IT, IT MIGHT MAKE 'EM A LITTLE MORE HONEST, BUT YEAH.
BUT ANYWAYS, ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, WELL,
[3. Recommend approval of an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 15-9 (Utility Service Regulations) to authorize wastewater billing methodology for customers with onsite water reuse systems and customers with evaporative loss from cooling towers. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.]
LET'S MOVE BACK TO ITEM NUMBER THREE ON OUR AGENDA FOR POSSIBLE ACTION.RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY CODE CHAPTER 15 DASH NINE UTILITY SERVICE REGULATIONS TO AUTHORIZE WASTEWATER BILLING METHODOLOGY FOR CUSTOMERS WITH ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS AND CUSTOMERS WITH EVAPORATED LOSS FROM COOLING TOWERS FUNDING.
THIS ITEM HAS NO PHYSICAL IMPACT.
I MOVE TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAIN MOVES TO APPROVE I SECOND.
AND COMMISSIONER ALREADY SECONDS.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IT'S UNANIMOUS.
[5. Staff briefing on My ATX Water program implementation update.]
FORWARD TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE FROM STAFF BRIEFINGS, UH, ON MY A TX WATER PROGRAM.[00:40:07]
THANK YOU.THIS IS OUR, UM, SEMI-REGULAR UPDATE ON THE, ON OUR, MY A TX WATER PROGRAM.
AND I'LL, I WILL TURN IT RIGHT OVER TO RANDY JENKINS.
RANDY JENKINS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AT AUSTIN WATER, AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE THIS EVENING TO PRESENT TO YOU THE LATEST UPDATE AND, UM, QUITE, UH, ACHIEVING MILESTONE THAT WE'VE REACHED, UH, WITH OUR A MI PROJECT.
AND SO, UM, IN THE COURSE OF THE PRESENTATION, I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH AN OVERVIEW, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT SOME OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE NEW TO THE COMMISSION SINCE I LAST GAVE THIS UPDATE.
AND I KIND OF WANNA BACK UP A LITTLE BIT, PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR A MI SYSTEM AND PROGRAM, AND THEN MOVE INTO OUR CITYWIDE IMPLEMENTATION, UM, WHERE WE ARE WITH COMPLETION AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, UM, AN OVERVIEW OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS, CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS AND BENEFITS, UH, A COUPLE TESTIMONIALS, AND THEN, UH, LAND WITH NEXT STEPS.
SO, JUST TO ORIENT EVERYONE ON THE MY A TX WATER SYSTEM, THIS IS THE SYSTEM FOR OUR ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.
AND SO, UM, IT STARTS WITH, UH, THE METER IN THE GROUND.
SO WE HAVE EXCHANGED OVER 250,000 METERS THROUGHOUT THE AUSTIN AREA, UM, AND IT IS A DIGITAL, UM, METER THAT IS PART OF A REGULAR METER BODY THAT WE HAVE EMPLOYED IN, IN AUSTIN WATERS HISTORY FOR MANY YEARS.
SO, UM, IT JUST, THE DIFFERENCE, IT'S STILL A, UM, MECHANICAL METER THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD, BUT IT HAS A DIGITAL, UM, DIAL, AND THEN IT IS CONNECTED TO A METER TRANSMISSION UNIT, AND THAT SENDS A SIGNAL UP TO A DATA COLLECTION UNIT, AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN THERE.
AND THEN THAT, UH, THOSE METER READS ARE TRANSMITTED OVER SECURE WIRELESS NETWORK, UM, TO THE BACKEND INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THAT THEN ENDS UP, UH, SUPPLYING READS TO OUR BILLING SYSTEM, UM, ALSO DATA ANALYTICS INTERNAL TO AUSTIN WATER, AND THEN FINALLY LANDING IN OUR CUSTOMER'S HANDS THROUGH THE MYX WATER CUSTOMER PORTAL.
AND SO, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AND HISTORY ON CITYWIDE IMPLEMENTATION.
SO LONG BEFORE WE INSTALLED OUR FIRST METER, WHICH WAS SEPTEMBER OF 2020, UM, WE HAD QUITE THE JOURNEY IN GETTING THERE.
WE EVALUATED AND PILOTED, UM, MANY DIFFERENT, UH, METER TYPES AND SYSTEMS TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WOULD WANT OUT OF A SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A ROADMAP FOR HOW TO GET THERE.
AND SO, UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT, UH, WE DID ENTER INTO A CONTRACT, WHICH YOU ALL HELPED US TO APPROVE THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY COUNSEL IN MARCH OF 2020, WITH OUR FIRST INSTALL OCCURRING THAT SEPTEMBER, UM, WE SET UP AN INITIAL PILOT WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL SYSTEMS WERE FUNCTIONING AS DESIRED AND AS EXPECTED.
SO WE STOPPED THEM AT, AT 5,000 METERS AND SAID, OKAY, ARE WE STILL LOOKING GOOD? UM, AND WE WERE.
AND SO WE GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO CONTINUE TO PROCEED.
SO, UM, TO DATE WE HAVE EXCHANGED, UM, WELL, I'LL GET TO THAT IN, I DON'T WANNA SPOIL, I DON'T WANNA SPOIL IT YET.
I, SO, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE METER EXCHANGES, UM, WE KNEW THAT, UH, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THIS PROJECT HAD TO BE PUTTING THE DATA IN OUR CUSTOMER'S HANDS.
AND SO WE, UM, HAD A SECONDARY AND ACCOMPANYING CONTRACT, UH, WITH, UH, A CUSTOMER PORTAL COMPANY, UM, TO A, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND SO REALLY, THAT, THAT ALONE AND KIND OF THE OUTREACH THAT WE DID ALONGSIDE THIS PROJECT IS REALLY WHAT SET US APART.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT UTILITIES ACROSS THE NATION ARE, ARE MOVING INTO AND ALREADY HAVE, UM, INSTITUTED, UM, ADVANCED METERING IN THEIR SYSTEMS. BUT I DO, UH, STRONGLY FEEL THAT WHAT SET US APART WAS OUR OUTREACH TO CUSTOMERS, OUR INTERACTIVE MAPS, UM, AND REALLY OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE AND METER TO BUILD PROCESSES.
SO, I'LL, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN THE SLIDES AHEAD.
SO, REACHING CUSTOMERS, AND AGAIN, THIS MAY BE FAMILIAR TO SOME OF YOU, UH, SOME OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN WITH US AND ON THIS JOURNEY, YOU HAVE A MI BUT REACHING OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW WE NEEDED MULTIPLE TOUCH POINTS, UH, ALONG THE WAY.
AND SO PRIOR TO, UH, METER EXCHANGE, A CUSTOMER WOULD RECEIVE A TRADITIONAL MAIL, A PIECE OF MAIL, AND A LETTER FROM AUSTIN WATER, UH, INDICATING THAT WE WERE COMING TO, TO THEIR AREA SOON.
AND THEN APPROXIMATELY A WEEK BEFORE THE INSTALL, WE WOULD SEND AN EMAIL TO THEM.
WE WOULD ALSO, AS WE WERE WORKING IN, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS, WE WOULD PLACE NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SIGNS LIKE YOU MIGHT SEE FOR A GARAGE SALE, UM, THROUGHOUT, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, AS I MENTIONED, 2020,
[00:45:01]
WHERE DO OUR MINDS GO? UH, THE COVID PANDEMIC.SO WHILE WE WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THAT VEIN, WE, UH, TRANSITIONED MOST OF OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO ONLINE AND VIRTUAL.
SO WE HELD THOSE ON A MONTHLY CADENCE SO THAT PEOPLE COULD, YOU KNOW, SIGN UP, LOG IN, ASK THEIR QUESTIONS IF THEY HAD ANY.
WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH HOA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO, UM, ATTEND THEIR MEETINGS AND OR, UH, PARTNER WITH THEM TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT.
UH, WE CLEARLY USE SOCIAL MEDIA THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.
AND THEN AFTER THE METER WAS EXCHANGED, UM, THE INSTALLER WOULD, UH, LEAVE A DOOR HANGER IF THE, IF THE HOMEOWNER WAS NOT HOME.
UM, AND IF THEY WERE, THEY WOULD TALK TO THEM, LET THEM KNOW ABOUT SOME FLUSHING PROTOCOLS THAT THEY SHOULD PROCEED WITH INSIDE, INSIDE THEIR HOME.
WE ALSO FLUSHED ON THE OUTSIDE HOSE BIB IF ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO US.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD LEAVE THE SITE.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, UH, WITHIN THAT WEEK, WE WOULD SEND A POST INSTALL WELCOME AND WELCOME THEM TO THE MYX WATER FAMILY.
AND, UM, WE ALSO HAD, UH, AN AVAILABLE CALL CENTER THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS AUSTIN WATER HAS ITS OWN CUSTOMER SERVICE CALL CENTER, UM, AS WELL AS OUR, OUR, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES CONTACT CENTER, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, OUR BILLING ARM OF, OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUT WE KNEW THAT THIS PROJECT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT WANT THE CUSTOMER TO HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED, YOU KNOW, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN TO GET TO THE RIGHT PERSON THAT MIGHT BE MANAGING THIS PROJECT.
SO AS PART OF THE CONTRACT, WE SET UP A CALL CENTER, SO THAT WAY IF A CUSTOMER HAD A RECENT IN INSTALL AND EXCHANGE AND HAD QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD, UH, A CALL CENTER AND A, AND A REPRESENTATIVE THAT COULD HELP THEM AND DIRECT THEM APPROPRIATELY.
AND SO THAT REALLY BRINGS US INTO, UM, OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE AND METER TO BILL PROCESS.
SO AS EACH METER, UM, WAS EXCHANGED AND EVEN PRIOR TO THE METER EXCHANGE ITSELF, YOU KNOW, WE REQUIRED, UM, THAT THE METER BE ACCURACY TESTED BEFORE IT RECEIVED, BEFORE IT WAS RECEIVED BY AUSTIN WATER.
AND SO WE RECEIVED THOSE REPORTS ALONG WITH THE PALLETS OF METERS, UM, THAT WERE BROUGHT INTO OUR STORE ROOM.
AND THEN WE WOULD CONDUCT A SAMPLE, UH, OF THOSE METERS FROM EACH PALLET.
EVERY SHIPMENT THAT WE RECEIVED, WE, WE PULLED A SAMPLE TO MAKE SURE AND VALIDATE THE REGISTERED READINGS THAT THE VENDOR TOLD US, UM, WE WOULD SEE.
AND SO IF, IF THIS, IF THOSE DID NOT MEET, UM, SPECS, WE SENT THEM BACK.
NOW THAT ONLY HAPPENED ONE TIME.
WE ONLY SENT ONE PALLET BACK, BUT WE DID HAVE TO DO THAT ONCE.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO, YOU KNOW, PROVING OUT THAT WHAT WE WERE RECEIVING WAS GONNA MEET, UM, THE NEEDS OF NOT ONLY AUSTIN WATER, BUT OF OUR CUSTOMER.
AND SO, UM, ONCE THE METER IS OUT IN THE FIELD AND IT IS EXCHANGED, IT UNDERGOES A 10 STEP CERTIFICATION PROCESS AFTER INSTALLATION.
UM, WHICH MAINLY MEANS THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, KEEPING EYES ON IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS, UM, IN LINE WITH PRIOR HISTORICAL READINGS AT THAT ADDRESS, UM, THAT THE MTU, THE METER TRANSMISSION UNIT IS SENDING READS, THAT WE ARE GETTING CLEAR READS.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE COINCIDING ALL OF THOSE, UH, THE METER DATA POINTS ALONGSIDE THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL METER READS.
SO WE REQUIRE TWO MANUAL METER READS TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH ELECTRONIC READS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE MATCHED UP AND THAT WE WERE COMFORTABLE PHYSICALLY FLIPPING THAT METER TO AN A MI READ FOR THE BILL.
UM, SO THAT PROVED OUT TO BE, UM, A GREAT PROJECT AND A REALLY A, A AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROJECT AND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE COULD TRUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS HAPPENING BEFORE THE CUSTOMER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING THAT ON THEIR BILL.
UM, SO THAT WAS CERTAINLY, UM, OVER AND ABOVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR VENDORS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PROJECT, UH, CONTRACTORS ALONGSIDE OF US SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER, YOU KNOW, DONE ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE, BUT WE PO THE ENVELOPE THERE.
BUT I THINK IT WAS, UM, WELL WORTH IT.
SO MOVING INTO SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, NEXT SLIDE.
SO WHERE, WHAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.
SO, UM, I'VE MENTIONED THIS FIRST, UM, BULLET POINT BEFORE, OR WATER DROP BEFORE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF DATA COLLECTION UNITS ARE INSTALLED AND OPERATING.
UM, SO WE'VE HAD, UH, EXCEPTIONAL, UM, SUCCESS THERE.
UM, WE HAVE JUST UNDER 70 DATA COLLECTION UNITS ALL ACROSS OUR SERVICE AREA.
AND AS A PART OF THAT, WE MAKE SURE THAT EACH METER HAS AT LEAST THREE, UH, TRANSMISSION UNITS THAT IT CAN, THAT IT CAN POINT TO.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IF ONE WERE TO FAIL AND GO DOWN THE PRIMARY ONE THAT A METER IS SENDING A READ TO, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TWO OTHER TRANSMISSION UNITS TO PICK UP THAT READ AND STILL GET IT SUBMITTED TO OUR BILLING SYSTEM.
[00:50:01]
SO IT, IT CREATES THAT RESILIENCY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE A MI SYSTEM.AND SO, UM, ACROSS THIS PROJECT, AS WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE INSTALLED ALL OF THE METERS, UM, WE ARE AVERAGING, UH, 99.96% BILLABLE READS, MEANING THOSE READS ARE COMING ACROSS TO OUR BILLING SYSTEM, UM, WHEN THEY'RE NOT.
AND IN ADVANCE OF THAT READ, IF FOR ANY REASON WE ARE, UM, SEEING A METER THAT'S NOT TRANSMITTING, UM, THERE IS AN AUTOMATIC SWITCH WHERE IT SENDS OUT A SERVICE REQUEST SO THAT A TECHNICIAN GOES ON SITE AND INVESTIGATES WHY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE, YOU KNOW, AN MTU THAT MAYBE HAS FAILED, WE REPLACE THAT AND THEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE SIGNAL IS RESTORED OR A, UM, A TRUCK IS PARKED OVER THE METER BOX AND THE SIGNAL IS NOT PERMEATING THROUGH.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE A, A PROCESS FOR GETTING OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE.
AND THEN, UM, SO, UH, OF THE 258,957 METERS, UM, THAT ARE IN OUR SERVICE AREA, UM, WE ARE 98.86% COMPLETE.
SO WE'VE JUST GOT, UM, A LITTLE OVER A THOUSAND LEFT TO GO.
UM, AND SO WHAT'S LEFT AND IN FRONT OF US, WE HAVE JUST OVER 600 LARGE METERS TO BE CONVERTED BY OUR CONTRACTOR.
UM, A LITTLE OVER 400, ONE INCH, INCH AND A HALF AND TWO INCH METERS.
UM, THOSE ARE ON BACK ORDER WITH OUR METER PROVIDER.
UM, WE ARE WAITING TO GET THEM AND AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, GET THOSE INSTALLED, UM, BY LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.
AND THEN THERE ARE A LITTLE OVER 500 SMALL METERS THAT REQUIRE SOME TYPE OF MAINTENANCE TASK.
AND SO THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT, AS YOU KNOW, UM, WE GOT TO A SITE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD NOT EXCHANGE A METER FOR ONE REASON OR OR ANOTHER, UM, WHICH COULD BE, YOU KNOW, A SERVICE LINE ADJUSTMENT, UH, A CITY, UH, CUTOFF, UH, VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, WE HAVE WORK ORDERS IN PLACE TO GET THOSE DONE.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE A, A LARGE AMOUNT OF THOSE, BUT THOSE ARE WHAT REMAIN TO DO THE MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES THERE.
AND THEN THERE'S, UM, A LITTLE LESS THAN A HUNDRED FIRE DEMAND METERS, UM, WHERE WE WILL BE HIRING, UM, AN ENGINEERING FIRM AND CONTRACTOR TO REVIEW AND SURVEY ALL THOSE SITES, UM, AND ULTIMATELY BID A CONTRACT BECAUSE THOSE ARE, IN ESSENCE, SMALL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WHERE THEY WILL HAVE TO GO INTO THE VAULT, REPLACE THE VAULT, POTENTIALLY REDESIGN THE VAULT, UM, AND, UM, EXCHANGE THOSE METERS.
THOSE METERS ARE OBSOLETE METERS.
AND SO THEY WILL REQUIRE, UM, SOME TWEAKS ALONG THE WAY.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS BEFORE US.
SO THIS IS A SHOT FROM OUR HALFWAY MARK.
WE, UM, WE CELEBRATED THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND METER INSTALL, UM, AT A CITYWIDE EVENT.
UM, AND THAT IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES WHO JOINED US AND WAS OUR GUEST SPEAKER, UM, WHILE WE CELEBRATED THIS.
AND SO I'LL, UM, MOVE INTO COMMUNICATIONS, CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS AND BENEFITS.
WELL, EVERYONE KNOWS YOU THERE, OF COURSE.
UM, SO COMMUNICATIONS, AND I'VE SHARED THIS, UM, MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT WE HAVE SENT OVER 5 MILLION PORTAL COMMUNICATION SINCE THE DEPLOYMENT OF THIS PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S RANGED IN, IN TOPICS FROM DROUGHT AND WATER CONSERVATION EDUCATION, WATER QUALITY REPORTS, THAT'S AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENT NOW, FUTURE BIANNUAL REQUIREMENT, UM, FROM THE STATE EMERGENCY, CERTAINLY IN PLANNED EVENTS, CUSTOMER SURVEYS AND, AND MANY MORE TOPICS ALONG THE WAY.
UM, OUR WEEKLY INSTALL AND PORTAL RECRUITMENT THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT WHEN WE ONBOARD A NEW CUSTOMER TO THE A MI PROGRAM, UM, THAT INSTALL EMAIL AND PORTAL RECRUITMENT IS, UM, OPENED AT A 70% RATE, WHICH IS FAR ABOVE AND EXCEEDING ANY KIND OF INDUSTRY AVERAGE.
UM, SO WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE'S ATTENTION, THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT, THEY'RE JOINING ALONG, UM, WITH US, AND THAT, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UH, WE CERTAINLY WILL CONTINUE TO USE THE SYSTEM.
UH, CONTINUED COMMUNICATIONS ON THE HORIZON ARE, AGAIN, THE WATER QUALITY REPORT, CERTAINLY WATER CONSERVATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT, UM, TO CUSTOMERS TO, UM, CUSTOMIZE THEIR WATER PROFILE.
IF ANY OF YOU HAVE OUR SYSTEM, YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN SET UP A PROFILE WHERE YOU TELL, YOU TELL, UM, THE SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR HOME AND YOUR SETUP, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE THERE, HOW MANY FIXTURES DO YOU HAVE, UM, SO THAT IT CAN SEEK EFFICIENCIES AND LOOK FOR, UM, OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT ARE LIKE YOU, AND ALSO GIVE YOU TIPS, UM, ALONG THE WAY ABOUT HOW YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR WATER USAGE IN YOUR HOME.
AND SO, CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS.
UM, THIS IS, AGAIN, A LITTLE PHOTO OF OUR EVENT FROM THAT DAY, BUT, UH, CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, ARE OVERJOYED WITH THE ABILITY TO REACH OUR CUSTOMERS IN A NEW WAY.
AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES BILLING FUNCTIONALITY.
[00:55:01]
AND SO WHILE THAT SERVES A LOT OF EFFICIENCIES IN OUR CITY, IT IS DIFFICULT WHEN WE'RE MORE THAN ARMLESS LENGTHS AWAY FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.SO WHEN THEY HAVE BILLING QUESTIONS, THEY'RE NOT COMING DIRECTLY TO AUSTIN WATER.
SO THIS TOOL GIVES US DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM.
AND SO ONE OF THE PROMINENT FEATURES OF THE PORTAL IS LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE A LEAK OR EVEN A POTENTIAL, UM, UH, HIGH BILL ON THE WAY.
SO, UM, IT, IT, UH, ALERTS THE CUSTOMERS IF THEY ARE GOING TO MOVE FROM ONE TIER TO ANOTHER.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FIVE TIERED BILLING SYSTEM THAT IS, UM, LEVERAGING CONSERVATION.
UM, THE MORE YOU USE, THE MORE YOU PAY.
AND SO IT ALERTS THEM THAT IF THEIR USAGE STAYS ON TREND, THAT THEY COULD MOVE INTO THE NEXT TIER.
AND, UM, IT GIVES THEM AN OUTLOOK OF WHAT THAT, WHAT THOSE DOLLARS COULD BE.
UM, AND THEN ON THE FLIP OF THAT, THERE'S ALSO THE LEAK OR CONTINUOUS USAGE ALERT, UM, THAT NOTIFIES THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE AN ACTION TO DO ON THEIR PART.
AND SO ALMOST 500,000 OF THOSE SINCE 2021, UM, JUST IN 2024 ALONE, THERE WAS, UH, 148,000, UH, LEAK NOTIFICATION SENT.
UM, AND JUST A LITTLE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THAT'S LOOKED LIKE INTERNALLY.
WE CAN SEE THAT 65% OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY NOT OPENING THE, THE EMAIL.
SO AGAIN, STAYING IN ALIGNMENT WITH KIND OF THE EMAIL OPEN RATE THAT WE SEE IN THAT, THAT FIRST EMAIL THAT WE SEND, UM, THEY ARE ACTUALLY, WHEN THEY OPEN THE EMAIL, THEY'RE ALSO ACTUALLY CLICKING, UM, THROUGH THAT, THAT ALERT AND KIND OF LOOKING INTO, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO NEXT? UM, HOW CAN YOU KNOW, HOW CAN I FIGURE OUT WHERE THIS LEAK IS? UM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A FUNCTIONALITY IN THE TOOL WHERE THEY CAN DIGITALLY RESOLVE.
SO IF THEY, THEY GET THE LEAK NOTICE AND THEN THEY TAKE ACTION, THEY CAN LET THE PORTAL KNOW THAT THEY CORRECTED IT, UM, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, CLOSE THAT ACTION OUT.
AND SO EIGHT, UH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE OVER 8% HAVE DIGITALLY RESOLVED THAT IT'S NOT REQUIRED FOR THEM TO DO THAT, BUT IT LETS US KNOW THAT THEY, THEY DID TAKE ACTION AND, UM, MOVE MOVED ON.
AND SO, UM, THROUGH THOSE ENGAGEMENTS AND INTERACTIONS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HAVE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP ABOUT A LEAK NOTICE THAT THEY RECEIVED, UM, OR ANY KIND OF NOTICE THAT THEY RECEIVED ARE JUST REALLY, UM, BILLING QUESTIONS.
UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, OVER 26,000 UNIQUE CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS, WHICH CERTAINLY WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO BEFORE.
UM, WE'RE DOWNSTREAM OF THE BILLING PROCESS.
SO THIS JUST GIVES US THAT DIRECT CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE MAIN TOPICS THAT THEY REACH OUT ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING THEIR LEAKS, RESPONSE TO CONTINUOUS USAGE ALERTS AND INTERPRETING THE CONSUMPTION DATA.
YOU KNOW, SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY COMING ALONG WITH US AND LEARNING ABOUT WATER USE, UM, AS, AS THEY, YOU KNOW, COME TO KNOW THEIR, THEIR HOME AND THEIR, WHAT THEY'RE USING THEIR WATER ON.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE HAD, UH, ALMOST 5,000, UH, UNIQUE PORTAL VISITORS JUST IN THE PAST 30 DAYS ALONE.
UM, SO THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THEIR METER A WHILE OR JUST GOT IT, AND THEY'RE CHECKING OUT THE PORTAL, UM, AND THEN OVER 10,000 IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS.
SO, UM, IT'S BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, IT'S CONTINUING TO BE A POPULAR THING, UM, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO EDUCATE CUSTOMERS ALONG THE WAY.
UH, SO THIS WAS ALSO FROM THE EVENT.
WE HAD ONE OF THE AREA HIGH SCHOOLS DRUMLINE COME OUT AND, AND, AND, UH, BEAT A FEW BEATS FOR US.
UM, SO THAT WAS FUN, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE AND FITTING FOR THIS NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE, THE PORTAL ESTIMATES THAT SINCE 2021 THROUGH LEAK NOTIFICATIONS, UM, THAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE AND OUR OWN WATER SUPPLY HAS SAVED 1.199 BILLION GALLONS.
AND SO HOW THAT BREAKS OUT OVER TIME, AND NOW I NEED MY GLASSES, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, AS WE RAMPED UP, THANK YOU.
AS WE RAMPED UP, UM, OUR INSTALLS AND EXCHANGES OVER THE AUSTIN AREA IN 2021, THAT NUMBER WAS AROUND 13 MILLION IN 2022, UM, WE WERE AT 90 MILLION.
AND THEN FROM 2022 TO 2023, AND THAT'S WHERE WE SAW THE BIGGEST INSTALL RATE.
UM, WE INSTALLED OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND METERS IN THAT YEAR.
UM, WE JUMPED UP TO, TO 515 MILLION, AND THEN, UM, BY 2024, UH, AT FIVE 80.
SO, UM, THAT'S HOW THE, THE TOTALS CALCULATE.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S JUST, UM, A BIG SUCCESS AND A WIN TO BE ABLE TO QUANTIFY THAT AND, UM, KNOW THAT WE DID, WE DID SAVE.
AND THE SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, ESTIMATES THESE BY, UM, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THAT IF THE NOTICE DID NOT OCCUR, THAT
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YOU WOULD NOT NOTICE IT.NOW, WE KNOW IN SOME OF THE BURST LEAKS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA NOTICE WATER SPRAYING WHEREVER, BUT IN SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, KINDA UNIDENTIFIABLE LEAKS, YOU KNOW, A TOILET RUNNING FOR YEARS ON END, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE, UM, UNDERGROUND, IF YOU'RE PIPES ARE BURIED, YOU KNOW, DEEP OR YOU'RE IN A ROCKY AREA, THEY MIGHT NOT SURFACE.
UM, SO IT IS, UM, CERTAINLY HELPING OUT AND, AND CONTINUING OUR WATER CONSERVATION ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
AND SO NOW THAT WE'VE HAD OUR DRUM ROLL AND WE CAN EAT OUR ICE CREAM, THIS AGAIN WAS FROM OUR CELEBRATION EVENT.
UM, SOME OF THE CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS, AND WE ENDED UP USING THESE IN A LOT OF OUR MARKETING AND OUTREACH MATERIALS.
AND SO THESE WERE TRUE CUSTOMERS THAT, UM, AND TRUE PHOTOS OF THEM THAT WE, UM, PHOTOGRAPHED AND GOT WITH THEM AS THEY, UM, REACHED OUT TO US WITH THEIR TESTIMONIALS.
SO I WON'T READ 'EM ALL, BUT IN, IN ESSENCE, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY HAVE FOUND IT EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND, UM, WE APPRECIATED THEM PARTNERING WITH US TO HELP SHARE THE, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE PORTAL AND ARE, UM, VERY THANKFUL TO THEM.
AND SO, AGAIN, FROM THE, THE CELEBRATION EVENT, UM, AND SO BRINGING IT ALL DOWN TO THE HOME STRETCH, NEXT SLIDE.
SO WHAT'S NEXT FOR A MI? SO WE'RE ALMOST AT THE END OF OUR DEPLOYMENT.
WE HAVE A FEW METERS LEFT TO GO.
UM, SO A MI, UM, WHAT WE ARE CALLING IN-HOUSE IS A MI 2.0.
YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO LEVERAGE THE NETWORK THAT WE HAVE UNDER, YOU KNOW, OUR EXISTING, UM, SYSTEM TO FURTHER OUR LEAK DETECTION DISTRICT METERING AREAS, WHICH WE DO.
I, I, I SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY ADDED A SLIDE.
WE DO HAVE TWO DISTRICT METER AREAS THAT WE'RE PILOTING RIGHT NOW THROUGH OUR, THROUGH OUR SYSTEM.
AND SO AS THAT PROVES ITSELF OUT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DATA THAT'S KIND OF SUGGESTING THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND ON THAT.
THAT WOULD SHOW, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A AREA OF TOWN WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE UNDERGROUND LEAKS THAT AREN'T SURFACING.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO LEVERAGE THE DATA IN-HOUSE FOR CUSTOMER INSIGHTS.
CERTAINLY, UM, FURTHERING OUR CONSERVATION MESSAGING AND MARKETING AND OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN, IN THAT REGARD.
UM, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK BEHIND US, BUT A LOT MORE IN FRONT OF US.
AND, UM, AND IN TERMS OF HOW YOU WILL CONTINUE TO HEAR ABOUT THOSE ASPECTS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE, UM, KIND OF OUR WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, UM, THAT WILL BE COMING FORTH WITH DIFFERENT REPORTS FOR THE COMMISSION.
UM, SO THAT THIS WILL BE FOLDED IN AS PART OF THAT NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THIS IS ALWAYS THE SHAMELESS PLUG.
IF YOU AREN'T ON OUR PORTAL AND OUR AWESOME WATER CUSTOMER, I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO SIGN UP AND LOG INTO THE PORTAL.
SO THAT IS, UM, IT, IT ONLY TAKES A COUPLE STEPS.
YOU JUST NEED YOUR ZIP CODE AND, AND YOUR, UM, YOUR CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES ACCOUNT NUMBER AND GO TO THAT WEBSITE AND YOU ARE ABLE TO LOG IN FROM THERE.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, WHAT WAS THE AVERAGE COST PER METER FOR THIS JOB? FOR PER METER? I DO NOT HAVE IT PER METER.
I CAN'T GET THAT IN TOTAL COST DIVIDED BY YOUR 258,000 MM-HMM
AND IF YOU CAN'T, DON'T, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE SOMEONE SENT ME AN EMAIL LATER ON.
UM, YOU WERE ABLE TO SAVE A BILLION GALLONS OF WATER BECAUSE OF THIS SYSTEM, AND I'VE BEEN THROUGH A FEW OF THESE PRESENTATIONS AND I REMEMBER CERTAIN ASPECTS OF IT.
AND I THOUGHT, I REMEMBER YOU SAYING ONE TIME THAT ONLY 20% OF THE INSTALLED CUSTOMERS WERE USING THE MY A TX, WHICH IS THE, THE WAY THAT LEAKS GET NOTIFIED TO THE HOMEOWNER.
I, I, IS IT WHAT I JUST SAY IS TRUE? OKAY.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
SO, UM, WE ENCOURAGE OUR CUSTOMERS TO SIGN UP FOR THE PORTAL, BUT LEAK NOTIFICATIONS, UM, AND, UH, TIERED NOTIFICATIONS.
SO THE BILLING ASPECT OF IT STILL ARE PUSHED THROUGH TO THE CUSTOMER, WHETHER THEY'RE SIGNED UP OR NOT.
SO EVERYBODY THAT'S GOT THE SMART METER NOW IS GETTING THAT LEAK REPORT? YES.
ARE YOU GETTING THE LEAK REPORT? YES, WE, WE HAVE ACCESS TO IT, YES.
SO WHAT'S YOUR, UH, IMPRESSION OF HOW MANY OF THOSE LEAK REPORTS GET RESOLVED IN
[01:05:01]
SOME FASHION? 90% OR, I THINK MOST OF THEM.DO YOU KNOW THOSE NUMBERS? MM-HMM
I MEAN, KNOW THOSE? I DON'T KNOW THOSE NUMBERS.
I MEAN, WE DO HAVE STAFF THAT ARE LOOKING INTO THAT AND, AND HANDLING THE CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE, UH, HAVING BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK IN A FEW WATER CONSERVATION DISCUSSIONS AROUND HERE, THIS TO ME IS THE CHEAPEST WATER CONSERVATION YOU COULD HAVE.
YOU'VE GOT THE SYSTEM, IT'S ALL ON THE HOMEOWNER TO FIX THE LEAK IF THEY, EVEN IF THEY, IF THEY ONCE KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND IT WOULD SEEM TO ME, UM, YOU HAVE A QUARTER MILLION CONNECTIONS HERE THAT IF THE HOMEOWNER GOT NOTIFIED OF A LEAK, A A LONG-TERM LEAK, I WOULD SAY THREE FOURTHS OF THEM WOULD GET IT FIXED.
BUT THEN THERE'D BE THE PERSISTENT ONES THAT WOULDN'T.
AND AGAIN, I THINK IF THERE'S A STRATEGY TO GET THOSE LEAKS FIXED IN THE HOMES.
SO ANYWAYS, I I, I'M GLAD THAT EVERY LEAK NOW IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, EVERY HOME, EVERY OFFICE GOT A LEAK.
SOMEBODY AT LEAST KNOWS ABOUT IT ENOUGH TO GO GET IT FIXED.
THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL INFORMATION, RANDY.
UM, THANKS FOR USING THE UNIQUE PORTAL VISITORS.
'CAUSE I KNOW I I'M A LOT, YOU'RE IN THERE EVERY DAY.
SO UNIQUE IS GOOD BECAUSE I'M ON THERE A LOT.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS, I GUESS DIGITALLY, WHENEVER YOU'RE SEEING THIS, WHAT CONSTITUTES LIKE A LEAK SIGNAL? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN DIRECTLY, UH, ANSWER THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST HOW IS THAT SEEN AND THEN HOW IS THAT RECOGNIZED IN THE, IN THE SYSTEM? IN THE SYSTEM, AND I'M PROBABLY GONNA GET THESE NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT OFF, BUT IT IS ANY CONTINUOUS USAGE FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS AT SO MANY GALLONS PER MINUTE.
WE, IT, WE, WE TWEAKED IT, I THINK IT WAS ORIGINALLY THREE GALLONS PER MINUTE, BUT WE TWEAKED IT A LITTLE BIT UP BECAUSE WE WERE, YOU KNOW, ALMOST LIKE BUGGING PEOPLE TO, TO DEATH, UM, WITH THOSE NOTICES.
UM, SO WE TWEAKED THAT SOME BASED ON OTHER INDUSTRIES AND LIKE LESSONS LEARNED FROM OTHER UTILITIES THAT WE REACHED OUT TO ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO I CAN GET YOU THE SPECIFICS 'CAUSE I'M PROBABLY QUOTING IT NOT EXACTLY RIGHT, BUT, OKAY.
WELL THAT'S FALLEN IN LINE MORE WITH, UH, AGAIN, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF PERSONAL THINGS THAT HAPPENED DIRECTLY WITH ME.
SO, UM,
I WAS GONNA LOG IN AND SEE ZERO WATER
SO I GO TO THE HOURLY CONSISTENT, YOU KNOW, LITTLE A GALLON AND A HALF, UH, FOR THOSE TWO WEEKS.
AND SO I'M LIKE, I HAVE A LEAK.
SO PURE BEAM HOME, I GET UNDERNEATH MY HOUSE, NOTHING IS LEAKING UNDERNEATH MY HOUSE.
SO I'M WORKING WITH MY PLUMBER AND, AND OF COURSE I WENT AND TURNED OFF THE VALVE AND OVERNIGHT ZERO WATER USE.
SO THERE'S SOMETHING BETWEEN MY YARD.
SO I'M WORKING WITH MY PLUMBER ON THAT.
BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT I HAD THAT ABOUT A GALLON AND A HALF PER HOUR LEAK, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS SIGNIFIED TO ME THAT I HAD A LEAK.
AND SO I, I CAN, I CAN UNDERSTAND ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT, BUT IF WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, THE BRASS TACKS OF MAKING THIS WATER CONSERVATION, I KNOW YOU MAY BE BUGGING PEOPLE, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE GOTTEN SOME SORT OF THING BECAUSE IT WAS A SIGNATURE.
YOU COULD JUST SEE IT, UH, A GALLON AND A HALF PER HOUR FOR TWO WEEKS, YOU KNOW, GOING ON CONSTANTLY.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST MY FEEDBACK.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL CONFIRM AND WE WILL GET AN EMAIL ROUTED TO Y'ALL ABOUT WHAT THOSE SPECIFICS ARE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS ORIGINALLY THREE GALLONS.
WE RATCHETED UP TO THINK FIVE OR SEVEN GALLONS PER MINUTE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I THINK WE WERE GETTING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WOULD CALL OUT A PLUMBER AND THEN THE PLUMBER WOULD KIND OF CHASE, YOU KNOW, CHASE AROUND AND NOT BE ABLE TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, HONE IN ON WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.
UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OFTEN IT WAS TOILET RELATED, UM, JUST A OLD FLAP OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
BUT, UM, THAT'S GREAT FEEDBACK.
I'LL TAKE THAT BACK TO THE TEAM FOR SURE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? NO, I, I HAVE ONE QUESTION THAT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN REALLY ANSWER AT THIS POINT.
I LIVE IN A CONDO AND I DON'T HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL METER, NOR DO I GET AN INDIVIDUAL BILL.
IS THERE A WAY I COULD LOG IN AND SEE HOW MUCH OUR BUILDING'S USING, OR DO I HAVE TO BE THE PERSON WHO PAYS IT? 'CAUSE THAT'S OUR ASSOCIATION, THAT'S THE ASSOCIATION THAT IT'S TIED TO.
[01:10:01]
IN THAT ESSENCE, I WOULD REACH OUT TO, YOU KNOW, THE PROPERTY OWNER AND, AND SEE ABOUT GETTING, YOU KNOW, A BREAKDOWN AND REPORT OF THAT.UM, BUILDING OFF OF OUR QUESTION, UM, I ALSO LIVE IN A CONDO COMMUNITY THAT HAS A SINGLE METER, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT 25 BUILDINGS.
WE'RE FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT THERE ARE LINKS BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS, BUT WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE IDENTIFYING WHERE THEY'RE, ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO US? THERE ARE COMPANIES, UM, THAT DO PERFORM, YOU KNOW, INTENSIVE LEAK, UH, REVIEWS FOR, ESPECIALLY FOR LIKE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, CONDO REGIMES.
UM, I COULD, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN WATER ISN'T NORMALLY IN A POSITION TO RECOMMEND, BUT, UM, THERE, I DO KNOW THAT THEY EXIST AND WE HAVE HAD OTHER CUSTOMERS REACH OUT TO US WITH SIMILAR CONCERNS AND THEY HAVE PARTNERED WITH, UM, THOSE TYPES OF COMPANIES.
UM, THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS.
UH, WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
[6. Update from the Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force meeting regarding Water Forward Plan implementation — Commissioner William Moriarty]
TO COMMITTEE UPDATES.UH, AN UPDATE FROM THE AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMITTEE TASK FORCE REGARDING THE WATER FORWARD IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION, WATER FORWARD PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, COMMISSIONER MORTY, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE FOR US? I DO.
WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING OF CALENDAR YEAR 2025 ON FEBRUARY 11TH.
AND THE, UH, MAIN THRUST OF THE MEETING WAS TO REVIEW THE PROCESS TO CREATE THE 2024 UPDATE TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, WHICH OF COURSE WAS FINISHED AND THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED IT, AND IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE, I BELIEVE.
SO, UH, AND THE COMMITTEE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT A FEW THINGS TO KIND OF, UH, CONCENTRATE ON LOOKING AT THE LARGE PROJECTS THAT ARE THE PILLARS OF THE WATER FORWARD PLAN AND SEE, UH, HOW THOSE ARE COMING ALONG.
AND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMPLICATED.
AND, UM, SO I THINK THE NEXT UPDATE TO THE PLAN IS DUE IN FIVE YEARS.
SO WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO, UH, LOOK AT THESE OTHER THINGS.
AND, UH, SO THAT WAS PRIMARILY THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD.
SO WE HAVE A THING WITH THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, AN IMPLEMENTATION SUBCOMMITTEE, AND, UH, WE'LL ONLY BE MEETING EVERY TWO MONTHS IN CALENDAR YEAR 2025.
AM I RIGHT ON THAT? I, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL ONLY MEET EVERY TWO MONTHS AND THEN THE IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE WILL MEET IN THAT OFF MONTH TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE PROJECTS AND SEE, UH, HOW THOSE ARE COMING ALONG.
SO, UH, I THINK WE'RE, UH, BACK AT IT AND, UH, SEEMS TO BE GOING WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER MORTY? UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER HER LAST NAME.
[7. Update from the Joint Sustainability Committee meeting regarding conservation and sustainability initiatives — Vice Chair Chris Maxwell-Gaines]
NEXT, UH, ITEM IS OUR LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, AN UPDATE FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEETING REGARDING CONSERVATION SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES.AT THE LAST MEETING, THERE WERE NO PRESENTATIONS PROVIDED.
IT WAS SIMPLY A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE UPCOMING BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE DIFFERENT, UM, UM, HOME COMMISSIONS, UM, FOR THAT WAS IN THE JSC.
SO REALLY NOT A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, EXCITING STUFF.
SO THAT'S REALLY IT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ALL RIGHT.ANY, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO SEE? IT'S REAL QUIET.
UH, AT FIVE 17, I ADJOURN THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION IT,
[01:15:12]
BUT I, I.