[00:00:06]
[1. CALL TO ORDER – September 4, 2020 at 1:00pm]
BILL.CAN YOU UNMUTE YOURSELF AND STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR PRESENT? YEAH.
IF THAT'S JENNIFER, THEN IN FACT, THE CALLING HAS HELPED.
UM, BUT SADLY IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE NOT ACTUALLY NEEDED A COMPUTER.
UM, HONEY MITCHELL SHOW PRESENCE.
UM, VANESSA WITH WILLIAMS, THEN I SAID, THANK YOU, TODD BARTEE.
DO WE HAVE A QUORUM WITHOUT JENNIFER? IF WE HAVE SIX, WE DO, RIGHT? YES WE DO.
LET'S HOPE THAT SHE'S ABLE TO JOIN SO SHE CAN ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE, BUT MAYBE LET'S JUST KEEP GOING BECAUSE I NORMALLY ONLY HAVE AN HOUR AND A HALF.
UM, AND I JUST GOT A NOTE FROM DAVID FOSTER SAYING HE'S BEEN DISCONNECTED.
CAN STAFF PLEASE TRY RECONNECTING HIM AND SOMEONE ON THE LINE CONFIRMED THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THAT? YES.
WE'RE RECONNECTING WITH HIM, RIGHT.
THERE WE'RE RECONNECTING WITH MR. FOSTER RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE JENNIFER CAN HEAR US, BUT SHE'S SAYING VIA TEXT THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO UNMUTE HER AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT MEANS ON THE PHONE THAT SHE NEEDS TO BE UNMUTED.
HI, THIS IS, UH, THE CITY HALL AB TECH.
UM, JUST TO VERIFY JENNIFER WALKER IS CALLING USER FIVE WITH THE FIVE ONE TWO SIX TWO SEVEN NUMBER.
UM, I HAVE TO ONE MOMENT, LET ME MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
IS IT, UH, I SEE HERE THAT SHE'S LOGGED IN, I THINK ON A COMPUTER, BUT ALSO THERE'S A CALL END USER.
SO FIVE ONE, TWO SIX, TWO SEVEN ARE THE FIRST SIX DIGITS OF PER PHONE NUMBER.
UH, JUST TO LET HER KNOW THAT, UH, SHE'S SHOULD BE UN-MUTED SO, UH, SHE SHOULD BE GOOD TO SPEAK.
DO YOU HAVE, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES.
YOU'RE HERE TO HERE, PLEASE STAY HERE.
I THINK WE'VE RESOLVED ALL ISSUES.
UH, HOPEFULLY DAVID FOSTER WILL BE SIGNING ON AGAIN, UH, SOON.
AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I THINK THE FIRST STEP WILL BE, UH, ADOPTION
[2. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES a. Approval of the meeting minutes from the July 17, 2020 Task Force meeting]
OF MINUTES.UH, I WAS NOT PRESENT, UH, BUT LET'S START TAKING A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING MINUTES AS WRITTEN.
I, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ON MUTE, CAN WE TAKE A VOTE BY HANDS? SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO UNMUTE? IS THAT PERMISSIBLE? CAN WE ASK FOR A MOTION? OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MAY I RECEIVE A MOTION TO APPROVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? OKAY.
AND KEEP THEM RAISED IN SUFFICIENT TIME FOR, UH, JENNIFER OR FOR MARISSA TO BE ABLE TO COPY DOWN WHO ALL IS AND WE'RE GOOD.
I WAS STILL NOT SOMEBODY WHO'S NOW UN-MUTED C4, MAYBE NOISE COMING.
WOULD YOU MIND MUTING YOURSELF? I'M SORRY.
[a. Water Forward Implementation Progress and Outlook – City Staff (15 min) i. Task Force Questions and Discussion]
THE UPDATE FROM STAFF ON IMPLEMENTATION.AND JUST A QUICK NOTE THAT ON THE AGENDA PREVIOUSLY, I MADE AN ERROR IN THE TIMING.
UM, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE RECAP WILL HOPEFULLY TAKE ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND WE WANT TO RESERVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR TIME FOR A WATERSHED PROTECTION, UH, PRESENTATION.
[00:05:01]
THANK YOU.SO JUST MOVING ON TO THE WATER FORWARD, IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AND OUTLOOK.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS WHERE WE HAD, UH, CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS SIGNED UP.
I DO, WE HAVE A CITIZENS SPEAKER.
WE HAD AT LEAST ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP FOR THIS AND WE HAVE OUR SPEAKER AVAILABLE.
SHOULD TO SPEAK TO STEPHEN FOSTER.
DAVID, ARE YOU WITH US ONE MOMENT, RIGHT? OKAY.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO, IS IT MY TURN TO SPEAK? I CAN'T REALLY HEAR ANYTHING THAT'S BEING SAID.
SO, UM, SO I'M, I'M HOPING YOU ALL CAN HEAR ME.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY CALLING FROM A PUBLIC LOCATION AND TRYING, I CAN SEE YOUR PICTURE.
I CAN'T HEAR, I CAN'T HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
IF YOU COULD DO A THUMBS UP OR SOMETHING THAT I'LL KNOW THAT YOU CAN HEAR ME, ANYBODY, AS FAR AS I KNOW, NOBODY CAN HEAR ME.
LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU CAN HEAR ME.
IF IT'S MY TURN TO SPEAK, DAVID, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I JUST SENT A TEXT MESSAGE TO DAVID TELLING HIM THIS.
THERE'S ALL THE TECHNICAL GLITCHES.
JUST, JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN IT'S MY TURN TO SPEAK.
CAUSE I, I HONESTLY CANNOT HEAR ANYTHING.
ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE SAYING BEYOND, UM, TEXTING DAVID, IF HE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO YOU OUT, IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH HIM? DO YOU HAVE ANY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN.
THERE WAS SOME BACKGROUND NOISE SO I CAN HEAR YOU.
THERE'S A DELAY ON OUR, SO IS IT, IS IT MY TURN NOW TO SPEAK? YES, SIR.
SO I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY STAFF THAT, UH, THE TASKFORCE MEMBERS CAN HEAR ME.
I CANNOT HEAR YOU VERY WELL, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT I'M GOING TO SPEAK, UH, HELPING TO CONDEMN ME.
UH, ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS DAVID FOSTER.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON, ON BEHALF OF SEAWATER ACTION.
AND I WANT TO SPEAK ON A COUPLE OF POINTS ON THE AGENDA.
ONE IS, UM, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, UM, AND HOW TO GET THE WATERFORD PIECES MOVING FORWARD SEPARATELY FROM THERE, UH, IF NEEDED.
AND THE SECOND IS, I WANT TO SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT TOXIC ALGAL BLOOMS. SO I'M PLEASED TO SEE BOTH SIDES ON THIS, ON, ON THE, ON YOUR AGENDA.
THE FIRST ON THEIR WATERFORD PIECES THAT ARE IN A GRAPH OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN WAS SUPPORTED BY THE AUSTIN MONITOR THAT A RECENT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL WATER COMMITTEE SHOWS THAT THERE IS SUPPORT AMONG AT LEAST SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HOLDING OUT THESE WATER FORWARD TEACHERS AND MOVING THEM FORWARD.
NOW, APART FROM OVERALL APPROVAL OF LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, IF NEEDED.
UM, SO I FELT VERY GOOD ABOUT THAT.
AND THE BACKGROUND I WAS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE ON A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH RICHARD SUTTLE ABOUT TESLA.
AND I POINTED OUT THAT TESLA IS COMING HERE ITSELF INDICATES THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP GOING.
WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND, AND EMPOWER BUILDINGS OF A CERTAIN SIZE TO CAPTURE AND USE WATER ON SITE AND OR CONNECT TO THE CITY'S RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT STEPH HAS TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
I'M SURE THEY HAVE SOME INFORMATION THAT I DON'T.
UM, AND SECONDLY, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE TOXIC ALGEBRA AND ISSUE.
AGAIN, I'M REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE STAFF IS ADDRESSING THE TISSUES GIVEN, GIVEN US THE DRIVERS OF OUR WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES, UH, ARE SIMILAR REALLY TO THE SAME DRIVERS THAT ARE CAUSING ALGEBRA.
AND SO I THINK IT'S ENTIRELY IN THE WHEELHOUSE OF THIS PERMISSION TO TAKE THIS ON BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE AND DROUGHT, UH, ARE GOING TO EXACERBATE CHALLENGES, UM, FOR FUTURE WATER SUPPLY, ESPECIALLY GIVEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON SURFACE WATER, THE RESERVOIRS AND CERTAIN CLIMATE CHANGE BY, BY CUTTING
[00:10:01]
WATER TEMPERATURES IN OUR LAKES SLASH RIVER TO INCREASE OTHER FACILITATING, UH, THE EMERGENCE OF THESE ALGAE BLOOMS, UH, BOTS.WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LOWER FLOWS IN THE WATER.
IN FACT, I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENTATION THAT YOU'VE ALL SEEN AS BACKUP, THAT DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB HIGHLIGHTING THE REASONS WHY THIS IS, THIS IS A BIG DEAL, BUT INCLUDING ZEBRA MUSSELS, THE PRESENCE OF THE FEVERED MUSCLES TENDS TO BE ALTERING WATER CHEMISTRY AND PROMOTING THE EMERGENCE OF THESE ALGEBRA ITSELF.
IT SEEMS VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT THE CITY UNDERSTAND CITY STAFF UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGE.
UH, AND IT'S NOT JUST A CHALLENGE FOR PETS.
THIS IS SOMETHING POTENTIALLY TOXIC FOR HUMANS WHO ARE SWIMMING IN THE LAKE, WHO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PADDLEBOARDING AND, AND ENDEARING AND SO FORTH, UM, ON THESE LEGS AND, UH, SPENDING IN LIKE AUSTIN, FOR SURE.
SO THERE IS AT LEAST THE RISK THAT, UH, HUMANS MIGHT INJECT SOME OF THE SAME TOXINS AND IT'S SERIOUS.
NO, UH, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM BY ANY MEANS LIMITED.
THE AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP JUST RELEASED A NEW REPORT THAT DOCUMENTS OVER 500 CASES OF ALGAE BLOOMS IN 23 DIFFERENT STATES, INCLUDING SEVERAL HERE IN TEXAS.
UH, SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO GET OUR HANDS AROUND AND FRANKLY, WHAT I'M NOT SEEING IN THE REPORT YET.
AND IT IS A SOLUTION TO THIS CHALLENGE.
AND I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT I KEEP SAYING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT OTHER LOCALITIES ARE DOING TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.
WE MIGHT EVEN WANT TO HIRE SOME OUTSIDE EXPERTISE TO SERIOUS JUST AS WE BROUGHT IN OUTSIDE EXPERTS AND CIRRUS ON OUR LANGUAGE, WATER SUPPLY PLAN.
AND I DO ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL RISK TO OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY.
THE QUALITY OF OUR DRINKING WATER, THE DAY ONE RIVER HAS BEEN BEING UNSAFE FOR DRINKING DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THESE, THESE TOXIC ALGAE BLOOMS, UH, 10, 10 TIMES THE LEVEL RECOMMENDED BY THE FEDS.
SO ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, I THINK THAT, UM, IT'S, IT'S INCUMBENT ON THIS TASKFORCE.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH IN THE WHEELHOUSE AT THIS CRUDE TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS ISSUE.
AND, AND, UM, BRINGING OUTSIDE EXPERTISE IS NEEDED.
I'LL CERTAINLY DO MY PART AND CONSULT WITH OTHER, UM, PROGRAMS STAFF OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND OTHER STATES, UH, TO SEE WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE IS AND, AND WHAT, WHAT THEY MIGHT OFFER US SOLUTIONS.
SO I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND LEAVE IT AT THAT AGAIN, I'M NOT HAVING, I'M NOT REALLY ABLE TO HEAR YOUR PROCEEDINGS WHERE I'M SITTING, SO I WILL CATCH UP WITH THE RECORDING OVER THE WEEKEND AND, AND I'LL, I'LL BE IN TOUCH.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, LOOK AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK, BOTH TASKFORCE MEMBERS AND STAFF.
SO SORRY YOU HAD THOSE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT, UH, DAVID'S FIRST QUESTION ON THE, UM, TIMING OF ORDINANCES AND THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT IT'S BEING DONE WITHIN LDC PROCESS OR PULLED OUT CAN BE PART OF STAFF'S, UH, PRESENTATION TO US ON THE WATERFORD IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, AND THEN COMMENTS ON, UM, ALGAE, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE A ROBUST CONVERSATION AND PRESENTATION ON THAT LATER.
IS THAT THE ONLY CITIZEN SPEAKER? YES, THAT IS, YES.
THANK YOU, DAVID SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND APOLOGIES ABOUT THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
UM, SO JUST TO GO AHEAD AND DIVE IN ARE IN TERMS OF CURRENT WATER SUPPLIES, THIS IS KIND OF A STANDARD PRESENTATION AS SOME PRESENTATION INFORMATION THAT WE GIVE AT EVERY MEETING.
UM, THIS GRAPH IS UPDATED THROUGH AUGUST 31ST AND SHOWS MONTHLY INFLOWS TO LAKES AND B CANON AND TRAVIS 2020 IS SHOWN IN THE ORANGE BARS.
UH, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, WITHIN THE PAST RECENT MONTHS, WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING LOWER THAN NORMAL INFLOWS TO LIKE SPOKANE.
AND THEN TRAVIS, I THINK, UM, ARE HOPEFULLY AWARE OF THE, UH, DRY AND HIGH TEMPERATURES, UH, DRY CONDITIONS AND HIGH TEMPERATURES.
UH, WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING, WE ARE VERY THANKFUL, UH, TODAY AND FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS FOR THE RAIN AND WE HOPE THAT, UH, WE GET TO SEE MORE RAIN IN THE FUTURE, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE WATCHING, ESPECIALLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, INTO THE LATER FALL AND WINTER TO SEE KIND OF, UH, HOW, UH, LEMMING AND CONDITIONS MAY, UH, FORM JUST FOR A PICTURE OF OVERALL COMBINED STORAGE AS LIKE THE CANON AND TRAVIS.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS UPDATED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2020.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE LOWERED COMBINED STORAGE AND THE LAKE.
UM, SOME OF THAT DROP OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HIGH TEMPERATURES, UM, AND WITH YOU A FAIRLY, UM, FULL LAKE, WE DO HAVE A, A LARGE AMOUNT OF SURFACE AREA FOR, UM, EVAPORATION.
SO SOME OF THAT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO
[00:15:01]
SOME OF THAT HIGH TEMPERATURES WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING, AND THEN WE'VE INSERTED AN ADDITIONAL SLIDE HERE, UM, AND HOPE TO BRING THIS BACK AT EACH OF OUR TASK FORCE MEETINGS.UH, THIS IS A LAKE LEVEL FORECAST THAT'S PUT TOGETHER BY THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY.
SOME OF YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THIS CHART, UM, BUT THE LCRA PUTS TOGETHER A STOCHASTIC, UM, A FORECAST BASED ON PREVIOUS, UH, HISTORICAL HYDROLOGY.
SO THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY, UM, KIND OF A PROJECTION OF, OF FEATURES WEATHER TRENDS, UM, SO MUCH AS IT'S A STOCHASTIC, UM, UH, KIND OF RE SAMPLING OF HISTORICAL HYDROLOGY, UM, AND SEEING HOW, UH, COMBINED STORAGE, UH, COULD PROCEED IN THE FUTURE.
IF, UM, WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT PERCENTILES, UM, WITHIN THAT, UH, TO CAST IF THE JANUARY DATE FORECAST, UM, IT'S FAIRLY LIKELY THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME DRY CONDITIONS MOVING FORWARD, BUT WE'LL BE, UH, WATCHING THAT.
AND WE ARE AGAIN, THANKFUL FOR THE REPRIEVE WITH SOME OF THIS RAIN, SO I'LL KEEP HAULING THROUGH IT CAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE LEAVE A LOT OF TIME FOR OUR MAIN PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE, UM, GRAPHIC SHOWING HOW WE ORGANIZE OUR WATERFORD'S STRATEGIES OR WATERFORD PLAN INCLUDES FIVE KEY COMPONENTS, REDUCING DEMAND, MOVING GRIEVES FORWARD, PROTECTING OUR CORE COLORADO RIVER SUPPLIES, BUILDING DROUGHT RESILIENCY, AS WELL AS A FOUNDATION OF CONTINUED.
THEY CALL DURING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERING TO, UM, AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL, A QUARTERLY REPORT.
AND THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT THAT QUARTERLY REPORT LOOKS LIKE.
IT'LL BE IN YOUR PACKET SO THAT YOU CAN READ THROUGH ALL OF THE LANGUAGE AND NOT GOING TO READ THROUGH ALL OF IT HERE TODAY, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE THAT THAT QUARTERLY REPORT IS BEING PROVIDED, UM, TO THAT COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL.
UM, AND THEY HAVE SOME VISIBILITY AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL FOR SOME HIGH LEVEL.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME UNLESS YOU HAVE A SEPARATE SLIDE ON THAT TOPIC TO DIVE IN SPECIFICALLY IN RESPONSE TO DAVID FOSTER'S QUESTION ON THE TIMING RIGHT NOW, THAT'S BEING COMMUNICATED TO THAT COUNCIL COMMITTEE PLEASE ON THE PHONE.
UM, I'LL JUST MENTION, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE DO DIVE INTO THAT, I JUST WANT TO, UH, MAYBE COULD WE GET THROUGH JUST A COUPLE MORE SLIDES, I'LL GIVE AN UPDATE ON ASR AND THEN WE HAVE A SLIDE TO TALK ABOUT A STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR ONSITE REUSE, UM, UM, THE ONSITE RAISED REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
AND WE COULD DIVE IN A LITTLE BIT THERE.
I JUST SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE THIS IS GOING BY VERY QUICKLY, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT'S BEING PROVIDED TO COUNCIL ON THE ORDINANCES.
JUST SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S BEING COMMUNICATED TO COUNCIL.
AND SINCE THIS SLIDE ENCOMPASSES SOME SPECIFIC TIMETABLES AND LANGUAGE, IF YOU COULD JUST POINT US TO WHAT, AS IT RELATES TO THE ORDINANCES DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT WAS PROVIDED.
THIS IS THE OVERVIEW THAT WAS PROVIDED TO COUNCIL.
UM, SO THEY'VE RECEIVED THE UPDATE THAT STAFF HAS BEEN DEVELOPING A DRAFT ONSITE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
UM, THEY SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TOLD THAT STAFF IS PLANNING TO PRESENT THAT ONSITE REESE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND INCENTIVES FOR COMMUNITY AND PUT IN FALL 2020.
UM, BUT WE ARE ANTICIPATING COUNCIL ADOPTION OF ONSITE REUSE OF THAT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND INCENTIVES.
AND THEN WE JUST PROVIDED THE INFORMATION THAT BY 2023, THAT'S WHEN WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT MANDATE IN EFFECT FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS TO, UM, DO ONSITE REUSE IF THEY ARE GREATER THAN 250,000 SQUARE FEET.
UM, I MIGHT ASK IF WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND AT THIS MOMENT, DIVE INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHERE WE STAND WITH, UH, THE WATER FORWARD, UH, CODE CHANGES BETTER IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
UM, MAYBE WE CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND HOW THOSE ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONSITE REUSE REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY MOVING FORWARD.
THE ONSITE, UM, REUSE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEING PROPOSED FOR CHAPTER 15.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT AND ARE PUSHING THAT THROUGH SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UM, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT HERE IN THE FALL, UM, THAT, UH, PART OF THAT VOLUNTARY PROGRAM WHERE ANY NEW ONSITE REVIEW SYSTEM WILL HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT REGULATORY FROM OF GRANDKIDS, PAINTING THAT GOING BEFORE COUNCIL IN DECEMBER, UM, OR IN, UH, JANUARY, 2021, UM, SOMETIME AROUND THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, POSSIBLY DEPENDING ON WHEN WE CAN GET IT ON A COUNCIL AGENDA.
SO JUST TO SET ASIDE THAT IS WORK, THAT IS HAPPENING, UM, AND THAT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD.
THE LGC COMPONENTS, THE LINE DEVELOPMENT CODE COMPONENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN
[00:20:01]
DISCUSSING ARE WHAT SOME FOLKS HAVE REFERRED TO AS ENABLING LANGUAGE.IT'S MORE OF THE HIGH LEVEL REQUIREMENTS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S JUST A REQUIREMENT AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT THERE WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT THAT A NEW DEVELOPMENT SUBMITTING A SITE PLAN ALSO SUBMIT A BENCHMARKING APPLICATION, UH, HIGH LEVEL, UH, UH, UH, CODES, THINGS THAT AUSTIN WATER WILL PUT FORWARD AND ADAPT, UH, PUT FORWARD FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL AND ONSITE.
WE USE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, UM, AND THAT WE WILL HAVE A MANDATE FOR ONSITE REUSE BY 2023, IN ADDITION TO RECLAIM WATER CONNECTION REQUIREMENTS, UM, AND BEING ENHANCED TO INCLUDE CONNECTIONS, UH, FOR, UH, BUILDINGS GREATER THAN 250,000 SQUARE FEET, IF THEY ARE WITHIN 250 FEET OF A RECLAIM WATER MAIN.
SO THOSE ARE COMPONENTS IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT ARE SEPARATE FROM THE ONSITE REUSE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
AND THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE THOSE PIECES IN THE LDC.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE ABOUT KIND OF THE BUCKETS OF CODE ITEMS? YEAH, I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT, OR JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE OCC COMPONENTS AND WHAT THE PLAN IS MAYBE FOR THE SPEND QUITE A BIT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
KEVIN, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THAT? YEAH.
UM, SO MAYBE MORE GERMANE AND ONE OF OUR SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES LATER, BUT I'LL JUST TELL THEM TO SAY THAT, UM, WHAT WE SHARED WITH THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE IS JUST SORT OF THE, UM, BROADER OUTLOOK OF KIND OF THE QUESTIONS AND PLANS MOVING THE OVERALL LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE FORWARD.
UM, WE HAVE ENGAGED WITH, UM, THE LDC CODE REWRITE TEAM.
WE HAVE BEEN SEALED, THEY DO SOME OUTREACH FROM COUNCIL OFFICES, UM, AND ACTUALLY ENGAGED WITH THE CITY'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
UM, AT THIS POINT, UH, STAFF, WE CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER AND LOOK AT POTENTIAL OPTIONS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, UM, BRING DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF CODE THAT HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR SPECIFICALLY CHAPTER 25, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, AND TRY TO MOVE THOSE INTO OTHER BODY OF CODE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT THOSE OPTIONS AND COMMUNICATE THAT, UM, BACK TO, UM, CITY EXECUTIVE STAFF.
UM, AT THIS TIME WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED EXPLICIT DIRECTION OR, UM, PREFERENCE ON OPTIONS TO MOVE INDEPENDENTLY, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND AT LEAST THE IMPACTS OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS RELATED TO MOVING, UM, THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF WATER FORWARD CODE, UH, AHEAD AND SEPARATE FROM THE PLANNED LDC PROCESS.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S STILL IN A SOMEWHAT NEBULOUS SPACE AS TO WHEN AND HOW A DECISION WOULD BE MADE ON WHETHER OR NOT PIECES WOULD BE MOVED FORWARD OUTSIDE OF THE LDC.
ARE THERE ANY TIMETABLES DRIVING THAT DECISION, ANY INFLECTION POINTS THAT DISSIPATES? UM, I THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING AS IT RELATES TO THE OVERALL HEALTHY, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY OF THE JUDGE'S RECENT RULING, RURAL ZONING COMPONENTS OF LVC TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG THAT WILL BE, UH, CONTINUING TO BE KIND OF ROUGH.
UM, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AWARENESS OF, UM, THE IDEA OF THE LONGER THIS DELAY FROM THE OVERALL LDC ADVANCEMENT, BUT THAT STARTS TO HAVE, UM, IMPLICATIONS TO OTHER BODY OF CODE THAT MAY BE ALLOWANCE OR BE, UM, ADVANCED DESPITE THE JUDGE'S RULING.
UM, SO I MEAN, YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD AGREE THAT THERE STILL A CERTAIN LEVEL OF CLARITY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DRIVER WOULD BE WITH NECESSITATE
[00:25:01]
MOVING ANY SINGLE PIECE OF CODE PREVIOUSLY ANTICIPATED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT.UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO TRY TO, UM, HAVE THAT DIALOGUE AND, AND TRY TO FIND A INAPPROPRIATE PATH POLE AND A PRESENTATION RECENTLY MADE TO THE, UH, COMMISSION, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I THINK IT WAS.
UM, CAN YOU JUST SUMMARIZE FOR THE FOLKS WHO ARE TUNING IN? WHAT, WHAT, IF ANY RESPONSE THEY PROVIDED AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS SHOULD BE DONE AS PART OF LDC OR EXTERNAL TO JUST SO THAT THIS TASK FORCE UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT SEPARATE BODY PERSPECTIVE IS? SO I THINK THE REFERENCE MAY BE TO A RECENT AUSTIN WAR OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE PRESENTATION.
I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING.
I, I THINK I WAS REFERENCING A COMMISSION THAT INCLUDED A COUPLE OF PEOPLE.
THIS WAS REPORTED ON BY THE MONITOR, THE AUSTIN MONITOR, AND MAYBE ONE OF MY FELLOW TASK FORCE MEMBERS REMEMBERS WHICH COMMISSION THIS WAS MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.
SO I HAVE WATCHED THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, UM, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, I, THEY, THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY COMMENTING IN CONTEXT TO PROPOSED CHANGES TO CONSERVATION CODE RELATED TO, UM, COOLING TOWERS AND SOME OTHER WATER USE EFFICIENCY, WHICH AGAIN IS ON TRACK, IS ON PACE IS PLANNED TO MOVE FORWARD AND IS NOT HELD UP BY THE LAND DEVELOPMENT.
UM, PERHAPS THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE BROADER, UM, ISSUE THAT RELATES TO SPECIFICALLY LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND, AND, UM, WATER FORWARD PROVISIONS THERE.
BUT I WOULD JUST SIMPLY SAY THAT THERE WAS CLEARLY, UM, TWO MEMBERS ON THAT COMMISSION THAT DID EXPRESS THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS OR DESIRES TO SEE, YOU KNOW, OR CONSIDER A PATH FORWARD FOR, UM, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, CHANGES IT TO A WATERFALL, UH, ORDINANCES.
WAS SOMEBODY ELSE JUMPING IN AND WITH RESPECT TO THE, UH, THE COUNCIL, UH, COMMITTEE, UM, WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, UH, CAN YOU ALSO REMIND US OF WHAT THEIR PARTICULAR, ANY DISCUSSION THAT HAS BEEN HAD WITHIN THAT CONTEXT AROUND, UH, TAKING WATER CODES OR ORDINANCES THAT WERE BOUND UP IN LDC AND MOVING THEM INTO A SEPARATE TRACK? HAS THERE BEEN ANY PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF THAT WITH THEM AGAIN, THAT PARTICULAR ITEM WAS NOT SLATED AS A BIG DISCUSSION OVER LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE? I THINK IT WAS RESIDUAL CONVERSATION AROUND, UH, I BELIEVE THE SPEAKER EARLIER REFERENCED, UM, UM, I DISCUSSION ON THE TESLA, UM, SITE DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE, AND I DO BELIEVE SARAH TO REPORT THAT, THAT, UM, AT LEAST COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, I THINK VERY CLEARLY EXPRESSED A SUPPORT FOR, UM, TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MOVE WATER FORWARD RELATED ITEMS FORWARD.
I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR THIS TASKFORCE TO KNOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE.
YEAH, I WILL SAY JUST TO, IN FAIRNESS, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS DID ALSO EXPRESS, YOU KNOW, A NEED TO KNOW AT LEAST SAY ALIGNED FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF ADVANCING DEVELOPMENT CODE.
SO NOT THAT I JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU BOTH SIDES, THAT TAPE IS AVAILABLE TO REVIEW CERTAIN REBRAND, ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LOOK AT IT ON THEIR OWN.
UM, BUT, UM, THAT'S KIND OF ELECTIVE ON THAT DIALOGUE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT BEFORE WE LET STAFF MOVE ON? OKAY, THANK YOU.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK OF STAFF, IT ORIGINALLY RECOMMENDED THAT WE PROCEED OUTSIDE OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
I THINK THAT WE'RE PREPARED FOR, UM, ANY, UH, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE, UM, PATHWAY THAT WE MIGHT GO DOWN.
SO JIM, MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE, SLIDE ON
[00:30:01]
APPLE FOR STORAGE AND RECOVERY ON AUGUST 27.IF WE REACHED AN EXCITING MILESTONE SINCE COUNCIL AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATIONS AND EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT WITH HDR ENGINEERING TO PROVIDE ASR PILOT AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
UM, SO NOW STAFF IS IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING THAT CONTRACT AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT, UM, HOPEFULLY THAT CONTRACT WILL BE EXECUTED IN OCTOBER, 2020.
AND AT THAT TIME THE TEAM WILL BEGIN DESKTOP MODELING AND FIELD TESTING TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL SITES FOR A PILOT PROJECT.
UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THAT PROJECT AND WE'LL BE WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTANT TEAM, OUR PA, UH, OUR PIO AS BULLETS WITH OTHERS IN THE TASKFORCE AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS, UM, IN A REALLY ROBUST WAY.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THAT PROJECT PLAN INCLUDES DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING A PILOT PROJECT BY 2027, TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE TIMELINE THERE.
AND ALSO, UM, WE ARE PLANNING TO HOLD AN ONSITE WATER REUSE AND CONSERVATION CODE CHANGE FOR CHAP ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, FROM 10:00 AM TO NOON.
UM, I'LL BE SENDING OUT THE LINK TO THAT, UM, WORKSHOPS SO THAT IT'S ON YOUR CALENDARS AND OUT AN OUTLOOK INVITATION, SO THAT IT'S ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL CALENDAR.
UM, AT THAT WORKSHOP, AUSTIN WATER WILL BE SEEKING FEEDBACK ON, UM, AN ORDINANCE IN CHAPTER 15 CITY CODE, THE UTILITY REGULATIONS AND FOR OUR ONSITE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, THAT INCLUDES VOLUNTARY DESIGN, UH, TREATMENT PERMITTING AND ONGOING MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALTERNATIVE WATER SEWER SYSTEMS, UM, THAT ARE USED FOR NON-POTABLE APPLICATIONS.
WE'RE USING THE TERM, THEIR ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM.
UH, SO THESE CODES ARE BEING PUT IN PLACE TO ACHIEVE THE VISION OF THE WATERFORD PLAN, UM, AND TO INCREASE CAPTURE, AND WE, THE ONSITE ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLIES AND NEW DEVELOPMENT.
SO AT THAT WORKSHOP, WE'LL PROVIDE BACKGROUND AND TRAINING ON THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, UM, DISPENSE INCENTIVES, UH, TO, UH, ENCOURAGE REUSE OF WATER ONSITE.
WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME UPDATES TO, UH, CII OR CONSERVATION ORDINANCES.
UM, SOME OF THOSE ORDINANCES THAT WERE DISCUSSED IN THE RESEARCH MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MEETING, UM, THAT ALSO ALIGNED WITH THE WATERFORD PLAN, THIS WORKSHOP WILL BE FAIRLY TECHNICAL.
UM, IT'S TARGETED TOWARDS INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS, AND SPECIFICALLY THEIR MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING SYSTEMS. UH, THAT'LL BE A VIRTUAL WORKSHOP JUST IN CASE IT WASN'T CLEAR.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY LOTS OF FOLKS CAN ATTEND THAT LOSS.
I HAVE A SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE.
SO AFTER THE WORKSHOP, FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO VIEW THE RECORDING AND PROVIDE INPUT ONLINE.
AND ALSO AS AN UPDATE ON OUR INTERNAL CLIMATE PLANNING WORK, UM, WE HAVE BEEN DOING SOME, UH, COMPLAINING AND STRATEGIZING AROUND THIS AND, UM, WANTING TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT AUSTIN WATER STAFF IS PLANNING TO CONVENE A CLIMATE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP MADE UP OF CLIMATE EXPERTS, ACADEMICS, AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM OTHER TEXAS UTILITIES CAN PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENHANCE AUSTIN WATERS, 2018, UH, WATERFORD CLIMATE AND HYDROLOGY ANALYSES.
UM, THE WORK WASN'T NECESSARILY PERFORMED IN 2018, BUT IT WAS A PART OF OUR 2018 WATERFORD PLAN.
AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FROM THIS, UH, CLIMATE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP WILL HELP TO INFORM THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR A TECHNICAL CLIMATE OR RESILIENCE WORK THAT'S GOING TO BE REQUIRED FOR THE WATERFORD 2023 PLAN UPDATE PROCESS.
I, IT FEELS LIKE WE GET THAT DONE CREATING THE WATERPARK PLAN, BUT WE'RE ALREADY GOING TO NEED TO START THE PROCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE KIND OF PRELIMINARY WORK TO KIND OF LAY THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE 2023 PLAN UPDATE.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, WE'LL BE WORKING OVER THE COMING WEEKS, UH, TO, UM, PULL THAT TOGETHER AND WE'LL BE SHARING UPDATES, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, RITA, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, I AM ANTICIPATING, SO THE CLIMATE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP, THIS IS GOING TO BE KIND OF ANALOGOUS LIKE THE AQUIFER STORAGE, UM, TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP THAT YOU HAVE THE ASR ONE, UM, WHICH HAS A COUPLE TASK FORCE MEMBERS ON IT.
I BELIEVE ROBERT AND BILL SERVE ON THAT ASR TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME MAKEUP FOR THIS, AND IF SO, I WOULD LIKE TO THROW MY HAT IN THE RING FOR THAT.
CAUSE I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THIS.
YES, WE ANTICIPATED, UM, THAT ONE OR TWO TASK FORCE MEMBERS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
SO I'LL WRITE YOUR NAME DOWN, UM, AS SOMEONE THROWING YOUR HAT IN THE RING.
IS THERE ANOTHER TASK FORCE MEMBER THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT AND WE CAN ALWAYS FOLLOW UP AFTERWARDS AND
[00:35:01]
FOLKS CAN SEND ME ANY I'M SORRY, I CAN'T SEE SHARING MY SCREEN.ROBERT, MAYBE I'LL JUST CALL ROBERT.
SOMEBODY'S TALKING TO YOU ABOUT TASKFORCE.
I HAD A COMMENT THAT I WANTED TO ADD TO NOW HEAR ME.
JUST REAL QUICK, ROBERT, YOUR MICROPHONE, WASN'T WORKING VERY WELL WITH YOU KIND OF HEAR YOU, BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO THERE YOU GO.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT GOT FLAGGED LUCHEA HI, EVERYBODY.
LUCHEA EVANS, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD FOR YOUR AWARENESS THAT OUR NEW DRAFT OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN OR FIVE-YEAR UPDATE OF AUSTIN'S CLIMATE PLAN WAS JUST RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT YESTERDAY.
WE JUST POSTED THE PLAN AND IN THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SECTION, THERE ARE MULTIPLE SUBSECTIONS, BUT IN THE SECTION ON SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, THAT WAS A REINFORCEMENT GOAL TO WATER FORWARD THAT SAYS, I'M JUST READING IT OFF THE DRAFT TO EQUITABLY, ACHIEVE A COMMUNITY WIDE WATER DEMAND OF 152,000 ACRE FEET PER YEAR.
UM, AND THERE'S SOME KIND OF SUB LANGUAGE AS WELL.
UM, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUT TO EVERYBODY HERE, THE, UM, THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GO TO REVIEW THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND THE FULL PLAN AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR A MONTH, AND IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE GOING OUT, UH, VIA, UH, SPEAK UP BOSTON FOR THAT LUCHEA YES, AUSTIN WATER STAFF PARTICIPATED IN DEVELOPING THOSE STRATEGIES AND GOALS RELATED TO WATERFORD.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT AND TO STRENGTHEN OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF WATER WATERFORD.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE STAFF SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PLAN AND IT DOES HAVE THIS PLAN DOES HAVE A HUGE FOCUS ON EQUITY, SO THAT LANGUAGE TO EQUITABLY ACHIEVE, IF ANYTHING, THAT MIGHT BE THE PART THERE TO, TO DRILL IN, IN FUTURES, KIND OF WHAT, WHAT THAT REALLY LOOKS LIKE, THE EQUITY PIECE OF ALL THIS.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION THAT I THINK BOTH JENNIFER AND MARTY HAVE BROUGHT UP ON THEIR OWN, UM, WHICH IS AROUND AFFORDABILITY AND EQUITY AND HOW THAT'S, UM, BEING INCORPORATED INTO OUR PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESSES.
AND I THINK AT LEAST ONE PERSON HAS RAISED THE QUESTION OF, SHOULD THERE BE KIND OF AN ADVISORY GROUP OR SOME SORT OF, UM, BODY THAT MAY INCLUDE SOME OF US ON THE TASK FORCE, BUT MAY INCLUDE OTHERS, UM, TO HELP INFORM THAT.
AND I WONDERED IF AUSTIN WATER, UM, IF YOU ALL COULD OFFER ANY COMMENTS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH HAVING AN ADVISORY GROUP SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU HAVE FOR ASR OR FOR CLIMATE THAT'S SPECIFICALLY DRILLING INTO THOSE ISSUES, BUT LOOKING ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND I BROUGHT THAT IDEA TO THE ORDINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE AT OUR LAST ORDINANCE OF COMMITTEE IDEA.
UM, SO I ASKED IF THE TASKFORCE MEMBERS, UM, COULD PROVIDE INPUT INTO THE IDEA OF A CLIMATE AND NOT A CLIMATE, BUT A COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP.
UM, THAT WOULD BE REPRESENTATIVE OF, UH, UM, DIFFERENT, UM, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN TRADITIONAL WATER PLANNING PROCESSES.
UM, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY, IF WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEGATIVE ITEM, WE CAN CHERISH YOUR SHARE.
SO JUST, I'M SORRY, DEALING WITH TWO LAPTOPS BEFORE WE MOVE ON REAL QUICK.
UM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION.
UM, IT'S PRETTY EASY TO FIND THE REPORT AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT AND STUFF THAT YOU LISTED, OR CAN YOU SEND THIS, UM, A LOCATION TO FIND IT, EXCUSE ME, I'M GOING TO SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH MARTY ABOUT HOW TO REVIEW THE PLAN ONLINE.
AND THEN WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A SURVEY THAT WE'VE CREATED TO PROVIDE COMMENTS AND YES, WE WILL GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION IN SHORT ORDER.
[b. Technical Advisory Group and Task Force Subcommittees Recap – City Staff (30 min) i. Ordinance Subcommittee ii. Task Force Questions and Discussion]
ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, UH, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP TASK TASKS, OUR SUBCOMMITTEE RECAP, UM, WE ONLY HAD ONE OR SUB COMMITTEE MEETINGS SINCE THE LAST TASK FORCE MEETING ON AUGUST 12TH.WE HAD AN ORDINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE LDC REVISION UPDATE, DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATUS UPDATES IN THE LDC LEADERSHIP TEAM POSSIBLE APPROACHES FOR WATERFORD CODE ELEMENTS IN THE LDC.
WE ALSO DISCUSSED AFFORDABILITY ISSUES.
[00:40:01]
WATER AND, UH, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS WORK TO DATE.WE RECEIVED SOME UPDATES FROM JENNIFER ON WORK THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FROM WORKING ON, UH, RELATED TO PACE.
AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT SETTING UP FEATURE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, WITH STAFF AND THE TASK FORCE KIND OF WORKING TOGETHER TO HAVE CONTINUED AFFORDABILITY LEARNING AND DISCUSSIONS IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN TO THE POINT THAT YOU WERE BRINGING UP BEFORE CHARLENE AND WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, SOME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT APPROACHES, AND I ASKED, UM, A, YOU KNOW, THE TASKFORCE COULD PROVIDE INPUT ON A POSSIBLE COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP THAT WOULD BE MADE UP OF FOLKS FROM, UH, HISTORICALLY, UM, OR, UH, UH, UNDERREPRESENTED GROUP WITHIN AUSTIN, SPECIFICALLY AS RELATES TO, UH, WATER RESOURCES PLANNING.
UM, I THINK THAT'S AN IDEA THAT WE, UH, THAT I'M VERY INTERESTED IN.
UM, I AM INSPIRED BY THE WORK THAT, UM, OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY WAS DOING, UM, WITH THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
WE LEARNED A LOT IN PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROCESS.
WE LEARNED A LOT IN THE FIRST WATER FOREST PLAN, UPDATE PROCESS, AND THEN WE LEARNED A LOT IN PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROCESS AND THAT'S BEEN A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP, UM, WORKING WITH, UM, LUCHEA AND BACK BOMBER AND, UM, AND BEBE ROMERO AND CELINE RENDON WHO HAS BEEN AWESOME IN, UH, LEADING THEIR GROUP OF CLIMATE AMBASSADORS.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH HOW THAT PROCESS HAS BEEN GOING, BUT THAT'S BEEN A REALLY AWESOME PROCESS.
UM, SO I THINK THERE'S SOME GOOD BEST PRACTICES WE COULD BRING BACK TO OUR PROCESS.
UM, AND ALSO SOME CONVERSATIONS AND WORK THAT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE DONE AND CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD WITH, UM, FOLKS IN OUR EQUITY OFFICE TO HELP US IN HOW WE WOULD BEST KIND OF GUIDE AND FORMULATE THIS APPROACH TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UH, EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION IN OUR PLANNING PROCESSES THAT CAN HELP TO, UM, ENSURE THAT OUR PLAN IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS IS ALSO AS EQUITABLE AS WE CAN MAKE IT.
UM, THEN JUST AS A, UM, TO WRAP IT UP, OUR NEXT MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 29TH WILL INCLUDE DETAILED DISCUSSION OF, UM, SOME OF THE WATERFORD CODE ELEMENTS IN THE LBC.
THAT'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD NOT A GOOD DECISION HERE.
UM, AND SO WE MAY JUST WANT TO BUILD OFF OF SOME OF THAT DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD AT TODAY'S MEETING.
UM, THAT WAS THE ONE FLAG, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH OF A BRENT TIME FOR HIS PRESENTATION, BUT WE'D LOVE TO HAVE QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION ON THAT TOPIC.
I CAN CIRCLE BACK WITH THIS WITH YOU ON THIS, BUT, UM, THIS IS, I'VE HAD A NOTE FROM THAT MEETING THAT WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO SCHEDULE THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING, UM, OFTEN WATER TASKS FOR LIKE MEETINGS.
THIS IS PART OF THIS ORDINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE, BUT WE THOUGHT WE MAY NEED THEM MEET A LITTLE MORE OFTEN, UM, TO GET SOME DISCUSSIONS GOING.
SO WE SHOULD TRY TO GO AHEAD AND GET THAT SET UP.
I'LL CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU ABOUT IT, MARTY.
I APPRECIATE YOU, UM, DRIVING FORWARD THE CONCEPT OF HAVING AN ADVISORY GROUP THAT WOULD HELP US KIND OF BETTER ENSURE THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTATION, UM, THAT, UH, REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY AS IT ACTUALLY IS CONSTITUTED.
AND NOT JUST THOSE OF US WHO ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, UM, IN THE PROCESS THUS FAR, UM, I GUESS SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU IN TERMS OF HOW, UH, WHAT YOU MIGHT NEED OR WANT FROM US TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOME MORE MEAT ON THAT SKELETON.
SO I GUESS ONE, UM, ARE YOU LOOKING SIMPLY FOR NAMES? IS, IS THERE, UM, ANYTHING THAT'S MORE KIND OF LIKE ELEMENTAL THAT YOU MIGHT NEED AROUND THAT ENTITY IS MEANT TO DO? UM, AND IN THAT REGARD, I THINK, UM, JUST SOMETHING I MIGHT OFFER IS, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US TO HAVE SOME FOLKS SIMILAR TO LIKE THE ASR TECHNICAL COMMITTEE OR THE CLIMATE COMMITTEE.
THERE MIGHT BE PEOPLE FROM HERE IN AUSTIN WHO HAVE THOSE COMPETENCIES WHO CAN PARTICIPATE, BUT YOU'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO TAP INTO A, KIND OF A DEEPER BENCH OF EXPERTISE FROM AROUND THE UNITED STATES ON THOSE TOPICS.
AND SIMILARLY, IF THAT COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP SPECIFICALLY MEANT TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT YOU FEEL ARE KIND OF UNMET IN OUR CURRENT CONSTITUENCY AROUND EQUITY AFFORDABILITY, THINGS LIKE THAT, I THINK IT MIGHT BE WORTH LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT THAT COULD INCORPORATE A FEW, UM, EXPERTS IN THAT REALM FROM THE BROADER UNITED STATES, PEOPLE WHO REALLY HAVE DONE A DEEP DIVE INTO HOW YOU EQUITABLE EQUITABLY A PORTION, UM, CAPITAL FOR RESILIENCE WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH ALL THE ISSUES WE'RE DEALING WITH.
[00:45:01]
UM, AND SO I I'D BE INTERESTED IN YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.IS THAT A FORUM THROUGH WHICH YOU WANT TECHNICAL EXPERTISE OR DO YOU WANT IT PRIMARILY TO BE ABOUT ENHANCED REPRESENTATION? I THINK, UM, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A VERY CLEAR SCOPE FOR WHAT THEY DID BECAUSE HONESTLY I FEEL LIKE THIS IS ME ASKING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CO-CREATION, UM, WITH THE TASK FORCE AND THEN IT'S PROBABLY FOLKS IN OUR EQUITY OFFICE AND THEN ALSO POTENTIALLY WITH SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, I THINK THE FOCUS OF THIS WOULD BE TO HOPEFULLY HAVE, UM, REPRESENTATION, DIRECT REPRESENTATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY TO DO THAT.
UM, THIS IS JUST REAL HIGH LEVEL CONCEPTUAL FIRST IDEA.
UM, I DO AGREE THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS WHO HAVE THE, UM, WHO ARE MORE EXPERT IN THIS AREA, UH, CAN BE ABLE TO MEET THAT OUTCOME AS I'M, I'M NOT THE EXPERT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S PROBABLY SOME WISDOM THAT WE CAN GLEAN EVEN JUST INITIALLY FROM OUR EQUITY OFFICE AND THEN FROM PROBABLY OTHER, UM, FOLKS WITHIN THE CITY THAT CAN HELP US TO START OFF ON A, ON A GOOD PATH HERE.
UM, KIND OF THINKING OF LIKE THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT, UM, FOLKS HAD THERE.
SO I THINK, UM, THIS IS JUST A KIND OF THE FIRST, UM, KIND OF THE FIRST BEGINNINGS OF AN IDEA, UM, TO HOPEFULLY HAVE BETTER REPRESENTATION.
AND THEN I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO FOLLOW UP.
AND IF, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ISN'T OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO KIND OF WORK TOGETHER AND MAYBE REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO OUR EQUITY OFFICE TO GET SOME INSIGHT THERE.
I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD NET ASSET.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S, I SEE KEVIN WANTS TO JUMP IN, I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION IS, DO YOU FEEL LIKE WORKSHOPPING THESE IDEAS KIND OF CO-CREATING DIFFERENT IS SOMETHING THAT IS BETTER DONE IN A, IN AN EXISTING COMMITTEE, LIKE THE CODES AND ORDINANCES COMMITTEE, WHICH IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE BIT KIND OF FORCED INTO THAT EXISTING STRUCTURE, OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT REALLY SHOULD BE USING THESE MEETINGS TO HELP ADVANCE THE CONCEPT? SO I'LL, I'LL JUST LAY IN HERE IN A COUPLE OF POINTS IN THERE.
ONE, I THINK WE WERE SIMPLY USING THE CODES IN ORDINANCE AS A SPRINGBOARD TO KIND OF HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AND MORE REGULARLY AND MORE BROADLY KIND OF DISCUSSED THAT TOPIC.
SO, UM, I MEAN, I THINK GIVEN, GIVEN THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY, I THINK WE'RE WANTING TO FIGURE OUT A BETTER FORUM TO KIND OF EXTEND AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION SO THAT WE CAN ALL GET A BETTER IDEA ABOUT WHAT KIND OF VALUE WE CAN BRING WITH REGARD TO, UM, YOU KNOW, EQUITY EFFORTS.
UM, SO YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE WE JUST NEED TO HAVE SOME MORE CONVERSATION.
UH, I WOULD SUGGEST SINCE WE HAVE A MEETING SET UP FOR THE 29TH, BUT DEALS WITH THE ORDINANCES, WE CAN MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT LONGER BROADER CONVERSATION AND GIVE US TIME OR MORE SLOWLY KIND OF INVEST TO THIS TOPIC.
UM, I WOULD JUST ALSO JUST A QUICK PLUG SINCE LIKE A FOUR, UM, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN HAS RECENTLY BEEN INVITED TO JOIN THE U S WATERLINE, UH, EQUITY NETWORK.
AND SO WE WERE SELECTED TO BE A PART OF THAT.
AND SO, UM, WE EXPECT THAT THAT WILL DEFINITELY INCREASE OUR EXPOSURE, UM, ACCESS TO OTHER UTILITIES AND OTHER EXPERTS, UH, DEALING WITH THE SPECIFIC TOPIC OF EQUITY IN THE WATER SPACE.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S JUST ANOTHER ELEMENT THAT WE'D WANT TO BRING TO THE TABLE.
I MEAN, IB, THAT OUR FOCUS REALLY NEEDS TO BE ON VERY SPECIFICALLY INCREASING VOICES LOCALLY OR THE BROADER COMMUNITY AND HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN WATER PLANNING IN WATER ISSUES.
AND THAT MAY FRANKLY BE THE BIGGEST VALUE PIECE THAT WE CAN GET.
UM, BUT AGAIN, CERTAINLY I'M OPEN TO KIND OF CONTINUING THAT DIALOGUE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED, CAN'T TELL IF OTHER TASKFORCE MEMBERS WANT TO JUMP IN.
I THINK IT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT PLAN THAT ON THE 29TH, WE TACKLE THIS AGAIN AND, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS MOVING IT FORWARD.
AND I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THE U S WATER ALLIANCES, UM, THAT
[00:50:01]
YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE PART OF THAT EQUITY GROUP.UM, SO I'LL JUST SAY, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT ON THAT MEETING, LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE AMPLE TIME TO COVER ALL OF OUR STUFF.
CAUSE THE HOUR GOES BY REALLY FAST.
AND IF WE NEED TO ADD 30 MINUTES, LET'S DO IT.
AND MAYBE IF WE CAN JUST HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE US WATER ALLIANCE EQUITY WORK MEANS.
I KNOW THEY'RE ALSO DOING THAT WITH HOUSTON.
I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THREE CITIES IN TEXAS, BUT JUST LIKE A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THAT IS TO BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT IT MORE IN A MORE COMPLETE MANNER.
I APPRECIATE Y'ALL, UM, Y'ALL SUPPORT ON THAT.
I THINK WE CAN USE THE AUGUST 29TH MEETING AS A LAUNCHING POINT TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHERE WE, WHERE WE GO FROM THERE.
I'M SORRY TO OUR SEPTEMBER 29TH MEETING AS A LAUNCHING POINT, FIGURE OUT WHERE WE GO FROM THERE.
UM, AND YEAH, IT'S WANT TO REITERATE, LIKE, WE'RE TRYING TO APPROACH THIS WITH A LENS OF HUMILITY AND KNOWING THAT WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS THERE.
SO, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO FIGURING IT OUT TOGETHER.
UM, IF IT'S OKAY TO MOVE ON TO
[Items 3C & 5]
THE NEXT ITEM.UM, I THINK THAT MIKE KELLY WILL BE, UM, UH, UH, MAKING AN INTRODUCTION HERE ON OUR PRESENTATION ON HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS AND LADY BIRD LAKE.
UM, MIKE, ARE YOU, UH, READY TO TAKE THE FLOOR? I AM READY TO IT.
FIRST, THANKS A LOT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ON THE LADY BIRD LAKE HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS. AND THIS SUMMER, WE HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN INTEREST FROM THE COMMUNITY, THIS BEING THE SECOND YEAR THAT THIS HAS BEEN, UM, ON THE HEADLINES.
AND, UH, THIS HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION WITH BETWEEN CITY STAFF MEMBERS, BETWEEN WATERSHED AUSTIN, WATER PARKS AND RECREATION, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
IT'S ALSO BEEN ON TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AT A, AT A FAIRLY HIGH LEVEL WITH THE LCRA.
AND SO THEY ARE ALSO INTERESTED AND ENGAGED.
AND FINALLY, UH, BRENT'S BEEN MAKING THE CIRCUIT ON COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS WHO ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC.
SO IT'S CLEARLY A PRIORITY TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU SOME SCIENCE AND TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS, WHAT WE HAVE DONE, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW AND WHAT WE'LL DO IN THE FUTURE.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BRENT WHO WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE CAN OPEN THE FLOOR FOR Q AND A IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
UH, WHILE BARISTA IS PULLING UP MY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO KIND OF ECHO WHAT WE HEARD FROM DAVID, THE CITIZEN, UH, CALLER, UH, EARLIER, UM, WHAT MIKE SAID, UH, I JUST, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THIS TASKFORCE, UM, THAT YOU GUYS ARE TAKING A KIND OF HOLISTIC ECOSYSTEM APPROACH, UH, TO THE WATER SUPPLY, NOT JUST LOOKING AT THIS AS ACRE FEET OF WATER, UH, BUT ARE LOOKING FORWARD AND, UH, TRYING TO, UH, MEANINGFULLY PLAN FOR WHAT IT MEANS FOR, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT STRATEGIES IN THE FUTURE TO PROTECT OUR WATER SUPPLY, TO ENSURE AUSTINITES, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY TURN ON THE TAP, THEY GOT WATER THERE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE APPRECIATE THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS REGION.
UH, THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE THREE GROUPS THAT WORK REALLY WELL TOGETHER, UH, TRYING TO MANAGE THESE RESOURCES.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BRING SOME OF THE SCIENCE, UH, TO HELP WITH THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU GUYS ARE HAVING AND TO KEEP OUR RELATIONSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS MOVING FORWARD.
SOME RAISA WHEN YOU'RE READY WITH THE POWERPOINT RIGHT NOW, THE TRICKY PART, WHAT I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
UH, I WILL SPECIFICALLY REFERENCE, UH, THE EVENT THAT WE HAD IN LADY BIRD LAKE, UH, LAST YEAR WHAT'S OCCURRING THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT I WILL ALSO KIND OF GO AND SPEAK MORE BROADLY, MORE GENERALLY ABOUT THE DRIVERS OF CYANOBACTERIA BLOOMS. UM, AND I WILL TRY TO MAKE THE, UH, CONTRAST AND COMPARISONS BETWEEN THIS TYPE OF BLOOM, WHAT TYPES OF BLOOMS OCCUR OTHER PLACES, BUT KEEP IN MIND AGAIN, THAT THE DRIVERS TEND TO BE SIMILAR.
UM, BUT WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY WITNESSING, UH, IN THE WATER ON THE GROUND IS, IS DIFFERENT.
SO LAST YEAR, UM, UNFORTUNATELY AT THE BEGINNING OF, AT THE END OF JULY, BEGINNING OF AUGUST, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION, THREE, ONE, ONE RECEIVED SOME CALLS THAT SOME DOGS HAD PASSED AWAY AFTER SWIMMING AROUND RED BUD AISLE.
UH, AFTER THAT INITIAL REPORT, SUBSEQUENT CALLS CAME IN THAT ADDITIONAL DOGS,
[00:55:01]
UM, HAD ALSO PASSED AWAY A WATERSHED PROTECTION STAFF RESPONDED VERY QUICKLY TO GET OUT THERE, TO TAKE SOME OF THESE PICTURES, TO SEE THIS SCUM, UH, THAT WAS ON THE SURFACE AROUND RED, BUT ISLE AROUND AUDITORIUM SHORES, UH, SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED, WERE ANALYZED, AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS A VERY POTENT NEUROTOXIN PRESENT IN THESE MATS.WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT AGAIN, THESE ARE, UH, COHESIVE CYANOBACTERIA MATS THAT ARE ACCUMULATING NEARSHORE FLOATING OUT ON THE WATER.
THESE ACTUALLY START, UH, ON THE BOTTOM AND THEN END UP FLOATING UP WHERE THEY, UM, ARE, IT'S MORE LIKELY FOR INTERACTION WITH, UH, WATER USERS.
SO THIS IS A BENTHIC SURFACE HAB EVENT.
NEXT SLIDE, OH, THIS IS IN CONTRAST, THE MORE COMMON TYPE OF HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM THAT PEOPLE SEE THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT, UH, IS THE PLANK TONIC BLOOMS. SO THE TOP TWO PICTURES, UH, THAT'S WHAT THAT TYPE OF BLOOM LOOKS LIKE.
THOSE ARE INDIVIDUAL CELLS FLOATING THROUGHOUT THE WATER COLUMN.
UH, THESE ARE BLOOMS THAT CAN IMPACT TENS TO HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT TOP RIGHT PICTURE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR REFERENCE, THESE ARE THE TYPES OF BLOOMS THAT ARE SHUTTING DOWN, CITY'S WATER SUPPLIES, THEY'RE DRINKING WATER, THEIR DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES.
UH, IF YOU THINK, UH, ON THE SHORES OF LAKE ERIE, YOU THINK, UM, DES MOINES, IOWA, IT IS THESE PLANKTONIC BLOOMS THAT ARE OCCURRING, UH, PRODUCING A SPECIFIC TYPE OF TOXIN AGAIN, FOR CONTRAST WHAT WE HAD IN LADY BIRD LAKE, THESE COHESIVE MATS.
SO THIS IS A LOT OF FILAMENTOUS ALGAE GROWING TOGETHER IN A MATRIX.
THEY SECRETE, UH, EXTRACELLULAR SLIME.
SO THEY ALL STICK TOGETHER INSTEAD OF BEING OFF ON THEIR OWN TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK.
UH, AND WHEN THEY'RE IN THOSE MATS, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, BIOCHEMISTRY GOING ON DIFFERENT WAYS OF IMPACTING THE WATER.
UH, BUT THE EFFECTS OF THE, UH, COHESIVE MAT BLOOMS TENDS TO BE A LOT MORE LOCALIZED.
AGAIN, IT'S, THEY'RE KIND OF MOVING WITH THE WIND ACCUMULATING AND BACKWATER AREAS.
SO NOT YET, UH, WHEREAS THE, UH, THE, THE PLANK TONIC BLOOMS, AGAIN, THEY'RE IMPACTING THE ENTIRE WATER COLUMN, UH, TOP TO BOTTOM, UM, AND A MUCH LARGER AREA ALL AT ONCE.
THAT WILL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO AGAIN, I MENTIONED, UH, AT THE START THERE'S A VERY COMMON DRIVER IS REGARDLESS OF IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PLANK TONIC OR THE BENTHIC BLOOMS FOR CYANOBACTERIA, UH, THE DATA THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE, THIS IS ACTUALLY PROVIDED BY AUSTIN WATER.
UH, THEY DO A LOT OF ALGAE CELL COUNTS, UH, AT THEIR DRINKING WATER INTAKES ON LAKE AUSTIN.
UH, SOME OF THAT DATA TO LOOK AT, UH, DIFFERENT PATTERNS, UH, IN ALGAE BIOMASS, UH, AT THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTING OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY.
THE TOP IS DIATOMS, UH, BENIGN SPECIES.
SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN THE FOOD WEB, UH, FOR, UH, THE X AXIS IS JULIAN DAY ZERO BE IN JANUARY 1ST, THREE 65, DECEMBER 31ST DIATOMS TEND TO BLOOM EARLIER IN THE YEAR COOLER WATERS AND ABUNDANCE OF SILICA AFTER YOU GET TURNOVER OF YOUR LAKES, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THEIR SWEET SPOT.
UH, AS THE SEASON PROGRESSES, AS YOU GET WARMER WATER TEMPERATURES, YOU GET CHANGES IN HYDROLOGY.
YOU GET CHANGES IN YOUR NUTRIENTS, CYCLING DYNAMICS, CYANOBACTERIA, UH, THOSE CELL COUNTS ON THE BOTTOM.
UH, THEY TEND TO DOMINATE THE ALGAL COMMUNITY.
SO YOU GET THESE VERY, UH, KIND OF PREDICTABLE SHIFTS, UH, IN THE ALLERGY, IN THE PLANKTON, OR EVEN IN, UM, IN THE, IN THE PARASITE AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT, AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UH, THIS DATA, THESE CYANOBACTERIA BLOOMS THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN RECORDED IN LAKE AUSTIN.
WE'RE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY TOXIN PRODUCTION, UH, AUSTIN WATER, AS WELL AS WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UH, WE TOOK SAMPLES INDEPENDENTLY SCREENED FOR TOXINS BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF SIGN OF BACTERIA WE WERE SEEING.
UH, BUT NO TOXINS WERE DETECTED.
SO JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BLOOM DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NECESSARILY HARMFUL OR TOXIC X, AGAIN, THIS KIND OF JUST REITERATE THIS MAIN DRIVERS OF A BLOOM.
THE FLOW, UH, DISCHARGE IS RATES TURBULENCE MIXING IN THE EPILIM, NIA ON HOT TEMPERATURES, HOT PERSISTENTLY, HOT WATER, TEMPERATURES, AND CYANOBACTERIA, REALLY LIKE AN ABUNDANCE OF NUTRIENTS, NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS X, AGAIN, AS I SAID, LAKE AUSTIN, DIDN'T GO TOXIC.
THEN WHEN WE HAD THESE SIGNIFICANT BLOOMS DURING THE LAST DROUGHT.
[01:00:01]
SO WHAT WAS IT ABOUT LADY BIRD LAKE LAST YEAR, UH, THAT PA THAT MADE IT GO TOXIC? OR WHY IS IT HAPPENING AGAIN THIS YEAR NEXT? UH, SO JUST TO KIND OF, FOR CONTEXT, LOOKING AT LADY BIRD LAKE, LOOKING AT EACH OF THESE DRIVERS, JUST TO SEE THAT WE'RE CHECKING ALL THE BOXES, UH, WHAT WE SAW AGAIN, THIS IS JULIAN DAY, UH, FOR REFERENCE ON THE X AXIS.THE Y AXIS IS THE AVERAGE DAILY DISCHARGES FROM THE TOM MILLER DAM.
UH, THESE ARE MOVING AVERAGES THREE DAY AND SEVEN DAY.
AND WHAT THAT HATCHED AREA REPRESENTS OUR PERIODS, WHERE WE HAD HARMFUL ALGAE, UH, MEASURED IN LADY BIRD LAKE, OR WHERE WE HAD DOGS DIED.
UH, SO AROUND JULIAN DAY 200, THIS IS BEGINNING OF JULY.
THERE WAS A LARGE DECLINE IN THE AVERAGE DISCHARGE FROM THE TOM MILLER DAM THROUGH LADY BIRD LAKE.
UH, ACCORDING TO LCRA, THIS WAS, UH, IN RESPONSE TO A DECLINE IN DEMAND FROM THE DOWN RIVER, UH, RICE FARMERS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, THEY JUST DIDN'T NEED AS MUCH WATER, LESS WATER.
IT WAS BEING MOVED THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
UH, AT THAT POINT, UH, WE SAW THE BLOOM, UH, BEGAN, UH, AS DISCHARGES INCREASED IN SEPTEMBER, UH, THE AMOUNT OF ALLERGY PRESENT AND THE PRESENCE OF TOXINS WENT AWAY AS PER OUR SAMPLING.
UH, BUT THEN SURPRISINGLY, UH, LAST FALL WAS QUITE WARM AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER AND BEGINNING OF OCTOBER, WE DID HAVE A SMALL RESURGENCE OF THE ALGAE BIOMASS AND THE PRESENCE OF THE TOXIN.
SO WE KIND OF HAD TWO, UH, PERIODS OF DETECTION LAST YEAR NEXT, UH, FOR A COMPARISON, HOW DID LAST YEAR'S DISCHARGES COMPARE TO, UH, WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY IS THE POST DROUGHT PERIOD.
SO 2016 TO 2018, WHEN WE KIND OF HAD A RETURN TO NORMAL DISCHARGES, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF VARIANTS AROUND THE DATA, UH, BUT IN GENERAL, IN 2019, THOSE OPEN CIRCLES, UH, THAT DAILY DISCHARGES THROUGH JULY WERE MUCH, MUCH LOWER THAN WHAT WE SAW, UH, ON THOSE SAME DAYS, UH, FOR THE PREVIOUS THREE YEAR PERIOD.
UM, YOU CAN SEE KIND OF WHEN THE BLOOM WENT AWAY, UH, THERE WAS A BIT MORE CORRESPONDENCE, UM, IN THE DISCHARGE RATES, EVEN HIGHER DISCHARGES IN 2019 THAN THE PREVIOUS THREE YEAR PERIOD.
SO THERE'S ONE OF OUR PILLARS.
WE HAD A DIFFERENCES IN FLOW LAST YEAR COMPARED TO A PREVIOUS THREE YEAR PERIOD NEXT, UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S, IT'S AUSTIN, IT'S AUGUST, IT'S HOT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO EVER WORRY ABOUT CHECKING OFF THAT BOX.
I BELIEVE, UH, ON THE WEEKEND, UH, THAT MOST OF THE DOGS DIED.
THE WATER TEMPERATURES WERE OVER 30 DEGREES CENTIGRADE.
UM, AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE THIRD ASPECT, WHAT DRIVES A BLOOM, WHAT PUSHES IT TO TOXICITY, AND REALLY IT'S ABOUT AN ABUNDANCE OF NUTRIENTS.
AGAIN, A LOT OF NITROGEN, A LOT OF PHOSPHORUS.
IF YOU LOOK IN THAT TABLE, UH, THE 2019 BLOOM PROJECT, THAT'S AMMONIA, NITRATE, AND TOTAL PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATIONS MEASURED.
AND THAT IS A LOT, ESPECIALLY WITH AMMONIA, ESPECIALLY PHOSPHORUS, UH, BEING PRESENT AT THOSE SITES, UH, LAST YEAR.
AND FOR A BIT OF CONTEXT, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN, WE'VE BEEN MONITORING WATER QUALITY AT THREE FIXED SITES FOR ABOUT TWO DECADES.
AGAIN, I FOCUSED ON KIND OF THE POST DROUGHT PERIOD, 2016 TO 2018, RELATIVE TO 2019, AND THE CONCENTRATION OF AMMONIA AND NITRATE LAST YEAR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.
UH, THIS IS WHAT NONPARAMETRIC TESTING, UH, COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS THREE YEAR PERIOD PHOSPHORUS WAS MARGINALLY NON-SIGNIFICANT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF VARIANTS IN THAT DATA, BUT WHAT WE SAW LAST YEAR AT OUR MONITORING SITES CONFIRMED WHAT WE WERE SEEING, UH, IN OUR SPECIAL MONITORING FOR THE BLOOM SITES WAS THAT THERE WAS AN EXCESS OF NUTRIENTS PRESENT NEXT, BUT WHAT ELSE MAY, 2019, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, WHAT ELSE COULD WE LOOK TO, UM, IN THE SYSTEM? WHY, WHY THIS DECIDED TO HAPPEN LAST YEAR, OR AT LEAST BE DOCUMENTED LAST YEAR, A BIG ONE, A BIG LOTS OF ALL OUT THERE AS THE ZEBRA MUSSELS, UH, THAT PICTURE THAT IS A BOOM THAT I ACCIDENTALLY HOOKED WITH MY ANCHOR AT THE TIP OF RED BUD AISLE THAT I PULLED UP, UH, TWO YEARS AGO.
UH, SO I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ZEBRA MUSSELS DENSITIES ON THE ORDER OF FIVE TO 10,000 PER SQUARE METER.
SO TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF BIOMASS, A ZEBRA MUSSELS ARE A VERY WELL KNOWN ECOSYSTEM ENGINEER, UH, THAT CLEAR OUT THE WATER COLUMN OF DETRITUS OF ALGAE, OF NUTRIENTS, SEQUESTER ALL THAT MATERIAL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM,
[01:05:01]
CHANGE UP THE BIOCHEMISTRY AT THE SEDIMENT WATER INTERFACE.SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NEW AS OF 2017 IS WHEN THEY WERE FIRST OBSERVED AND THEIR BIOMASS HAS JUST INCREASED SINCE THEN X AND IT'S A MORE WELL KNOWN WITH THE ZEBRA MUSCLES IS YOU TEND TO GET THESE BENTHIC PROLIFERATIONS OF CADABRA, A FILAMENTOUS GREEN ALGAE.
IF ANYONE GOES OUT ON A LIMB ONTO LADY BIRD LAKE, WELL, PROBABLY BEFORE THIS RAIN EVENT AND LARGE FLUSHING FLUSHING, UH, BUT IF YOU THREW AN ANCHOR PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE IN THE LAKE, YOU'D PULL UP, YOU KNOW, 20, 30 POUNDS OF THIS FILAMENTS, THIS MAT.
SO THIS IS COATING THE BOTTOM AGAIN, CHANGING UP THESE KIND OF NUTRIENT DYNAMICS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE RESERVOIR NEXT, UH, WE HAD, UH, PRIOR TO LAST SUMMER, UM, I KNOW THOSE FROM LCRA A CRINGE WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT THIS, UH, THAT MASSIVE FLOODING EVENTS IN THE FALL OF 2018, UH, THIS TURNING THE HIGHLAND LAKES INTO CHOCOLATE MILK.
THIS IS THE MOBILIZATION AND THE TRANSPORT OF A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SEDIMENT, UH, AND THOSE ASSOCIATED NUTRIENTS INTO EACH OF THE HIGHLAND LAKES, OF COURSE, LADY BIRD LAKE BEING THE LAST IMPOUNDED RESERVOIR.
UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE DEPOSITION GOING ON IN THE RESERVOIR.
SO THAT'S, UH, THE F A FLUX, IN ADDITION, A LOADING OF A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS THAT THIS SYSTEM HADN'T EXPERIENCED, UH, IN A LONG WHILE THIS WAS SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE.
SO THAT'S A NEW STRESSOR ON THE SYSTEM GOING INTO 2019 X OF COURSE, AS MENTIONED EARLIER BY DAVID KIND OF OVERLAYING ALL THIS IS CLIMATE CHANGE.
UM, EVERY YEAR, THE NUMBER OF HUNDRED DEGREE DAYS SEEMS TO INCREASE.
UH, WE HAVE THESE DRAMATIC SHIFTS IN RAINFALL PATTERNS, UH, GOING FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SMALLER SPREAD OUT EVENTS TO THESE ISOLATED LARGE RAINFALL EVENTS.
AND THEN YOU GET DROUGHTS IN BETWEEN, UH, WHICH HELPS THEN EXACERBATE YOUR FLOODING, YOUR SEDIMENT, TRANSPORT MOBILIZATION, UM, AS MENTIONED WARMER, TEMPERATURES PROMOTES, UH, SIGN CYANOBACTERIA GROWTH.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING LARGE SCALE REGIONALLY CLIMATICALLY THAT'S GOING ON.
AUSTIN IS VERY MUCH, UH, BEING IMPACTED BY NEXT OF COURSE, WE WERE MEASURING, STUDYING THE REPORTS CAME IN FROM DOG SITES, UH, OFF-LEASH DOG AREAS.
UH, THE AMOUNT OF WASTE THAT DOGS PRODUCE, UH, CANNOT BE DISCOUNTED AS A POTENTIAL DRIVER.
UH, WE KNOW THAT CITIZENS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE BEST AT CLEANING UP AFTER THEIR DOGS.
UM, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS A QUESTION IS AN OBVIOUS SOURCE ALSO, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN AROUND AT THESE SITES FOR AWHILE NEXT.
AND OF COURSE, I MENTIONED ONE OF THE PILLARS, DISCHARGE RATES, HOW MUCH WATER IS MOVING THROUGH LADY BIRD LAKE 2019 WAS LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS THREE YEAR PERIOD.
BUT IF WE GO BACK TO THAT DROUGHT OF RECORD, THE 2012 TO 2015 DISCHARGE IS WHAT WE SAW IN 2019.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING THIS YEAR, UH, IT WAS LOWER THAN, UM, SO DISCHARGE VELOCITY, LOW DISCHARGES, NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING NEW TO LADY BIRD LAKE, BUT NOW IT'S COUPLED WITH THESE CHANGES IN NUTRIENTS, UH, CYCLING BECAUSE OF THE ZEBRA MUSCLES, BECAUSE OF THE LARGE INFLUX OF, OF SEDIMENT AND ORGANIC MATTER FROM FLOODING THE CLIMATE CHANGE.
THE FACT THAT THINGS ARE WARMER NOW THAN THEY WERE IN 2012.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF NEW, UH, INTERACTIONS POTENTIALLY GOING ON HERE NEXT.
SO TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UH, WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, THE FIRST BIG THING IS YOU GOTTA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE.
YOU GOT TO KNOW WHEN A BLOOM IS OCCURRING, UM, THAT A BLOOM IS OCCURRING.
NOT JUST THAT THERE'S ALGAE PRESENT.
AGAIN, WE SAW LARGE SIGN OF BACTERIA GROWTH IN LAKE AUSTIN, NO TOXINS PRESENT.
SO YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT TOXINS ARE PRESENT WHEN THIS IS OCCURRING, THE LIFESPAN OF THE BLOOM.
AND THEN WHAT ARE THESE DRIVERS? IS THERE ANYTHING GOING ON AT THE MICRO SCALE THAT WE CAN START TO TEASE OUT FROM THESE SITES? JUST SMALL CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE IN NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY, UH, THAT IS HELPING FLIP THAT SWITCH FROM NON-TOXIC TO TOXIC.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH OUR CONTINUED ROUTINE WATER MONITORING AT OUR FIXED LOCATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE ADDED, UH, FIVE SITES THAT WE'RE DOING TOXIN IDENTIFICATION, UH, AND SAMPLING THIS YEAR.
THAT IS PART OF A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, BEYOND JUST IDENTIFYING AND MEASURING THE TOXINS.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE SPECIES THAT ARE PRESENT, WE'RE
[01:10:01]
DEVELOPING A DNA KIND OF LIBRARY, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO MORE RAPIDLY ASSESS WHEN THESE PIECES ARE MOVING INTO THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THERE IS SUCCESSION THAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE.AND THEN, UH, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, START TO, UH, HAVE A BETTER IDEA WHEN THE TOXINS GO AND WHO ARE THE ACTUAL PLAYERS THAT ARE PRODUCING THESE TOXINS.
AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, IS BEING OVERLAID.
WE HOPE TO DEVELOP SOME MODELS THAT TIE IN TO DISCHARGE, VELOCITIES, HOURLY TEMPERATURES, PH, UH, THE WATER CHEMISTRY.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE MEASURING OUT THERE TO PUT TOGETHER THIS PICTURE.
ONCE WE START TO DO THAT, WE START TO REFINE OUR MODELS.
WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY DRIVERS.
WE HAVE THE THREE KIND OF, UM, BOXES THAT WE KNOW CONTRIBUTE TO IT.
AND WE CAN HOPEFULLY START TO IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THOSE KEY COMPONENTS WITHIN EACH OF THOSE MAIN DRIVERS X.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ONCE YOU START TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE PRIMARY DRIVERS ARE, UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S INFLUENCING THE SYSTEM THE MOST, THIS IS WHEN YOU CAN START TO DEVELOP TEST, UM, AND HOPEFULLY IMPLEMENT, UH, TREATMENT OPTIONS OR PREVENTATIVE OPTIONS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO FOR TEMPERATURE, UH, BUT YOU CAN LOOK AT THE, THE OTHER TWO PILLARS NUTRIENTS.
YOU CAN LOOK AT, UH, TURBULENCE DISRUPTING, UH, CYANOBACTERIA GROWTH NEXT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THESE OF COURSE WOULD BE HEAVILY CAVEATED.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WILL NEED MORE EXPLORATION THAT WILL NEED DIRECT TESTING, BUT SOME OF THE TREATMENT OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FLOATED OUT THERE, UM, AND HAVE SHOWN VARIOUS DEGREES OF SUCCESS IN PONDS AND IN A CONTROLLED OR REGULATED WATER BODIES IS, UM, ALTERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR FLUSHING RATES ARE IN A SYSTEM OR IMPLEMENTING, UH, ADDING AERATION SYSTEMS. SO YOU'RE GETTING, UH, UH, VERTICAL MIXING OF THE WATER COLUMN TO PREVENT LIKE A PLANKTONIC BLOOM.
UH, YOU CAN USE, UH, CHEMICALS LIKE ALUM TO BIND UP YOUR PHOSPHORUS TO TRY TO STARVE OUT THE, UH, THE CYANOBACTERIA SEQUESTER, UH, THAT NUTRIENT IN THE SEDIMENTS.
UH, THIS IS JUST BASICALLY A CHARCOAL, UH, THAT YOU PUT IN THE WATER COLUMN.
AGAIN, IT'S JUST TO ADD ADSORB, THESE NUTRIENTS, PREVENT THE CYANOBACTERIA FROM HAVING ACCESS TO THAT.
AND THEN IN OTHER WATER BODIES, UH, THEY'VE ALSO USED CHEMICALS.
UH, THIS IS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, REALLY A LAST RESORT, WHAT YOU'D WANT TO DO OUT IN THE WATER COLUMN.
SO WHEN YOU ADD A CHEMICAL LIKE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, OR GOD FORBID, COPPER SULFATE, ALL YOU'RE DOING IS RUPTURING.
THE CELLS YOU'RE RELEASING ALL OF THAT TOXIN NOW INTO THE WATER, INSTEAD OF KEEPING IT SEQUESTERED IN, IN THE ALGAE ITSELF, UH, WHICH COULD DIRECTLY IMPACT, UH, RECREATIONAL USE OR DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES.
UH, IF YOU'D LOOK AT, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, IN THESE MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE HAD TO CLOSE DOWN THEIR WATER SUPPLY BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF TOXINS, WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, YOU'D KIND OF HAVE A CONSTANT TURNOVER OF ALGAE GROWING IN THE PLANKTON AS YOU GET THIS MASSIVE DIE OFF, AGAIN, TENS HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES OF ALLERGY DYING, KIND OF ALL, YOU KNOW, IN LARGE NUMBERS, ALL THOSE CELLS RUPTURE, ALL THOSE TOXINS GET RELEASED, AND THEN THEY END UP IN AN INTAKE PIPE.
SO IT'S REALLY THE BLOOM KIND OF SENESCENCE AND TURNOVER IS WHAT'S IMPACTING A DRINKING WATER SUPPLY OR THE INTAKE OF THE ALGAE ITSELF.
AND THEN THOSE CELLS GET DISRUPTED DISRUPTED, YOU KNOW, ONE IT'S IN THE TREATMENT PLANTS.
SO CHEMICALS, NOT REALLY ANYTHING DESIRABLE, BUT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR TRYING TO TREAT AND CONTROL A HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MERISSA WHO WILL LINK THIS TO THE, UH, DIRECT POTABLE REUSE NOW.
UM, SO HAD, UH, RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE TASKFORCE TO HAVE THIS PRESENTATION, UH, FROM WATERSHED, UH, PROTECTION.
AND IT'S A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UH, THAT REQUEST WAS YOUR SEAT IN THE CONTEXT OF INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE, UM, WHICH IS A WATER FORWARD DROUGHT STRATEGY.
IT'S AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY STRATEGY THAT WE WOULD ONLY USE DURING SEVERE DROUGHT SITUATIONS WHEN COMBINED STORAGE IN THE HIGHLAND LAKES WAS AT, OR BELOW 400,000 ACRE FEET.
UM, AND THAT'S A LEVEL OF COMBINED STORAGE THAT WE'VE NEVER REACHED BEFORE.
THE LOWEST, THE, UM, LIKES HAVE EVER BEEN, UH, IS 630,000 ACRE FEET OF COMBINED STORAGE.
THIS OPTION, OR THIS STRATEGY WOULD CONVEY HIGHLY TREATED RECLAIMED WATER FROM A WASTEWATER PLANT TO LADY BIRD LAKE.
SO COULD BE DIVERTED FOR TREATMENT TO DRINKING WATER STANDARDS.
UM, AFTER DIVERSION DOWN THE STREAM
[01:15:01]
AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE WOULD ALSO BE USED FOR A NON-CORRUPT STRATEGY TO CAPTURE LOCAL INFLOWS TO LADY BIRD LAKE.UM, THOSE INSULTS WOULD, OF COURSE ONLY BE AVAILABLE, UH, DURING NON DROUGHT PERIODS AND THE ULTIMATE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE FOR IPR WAS TO HAVE THIS ONLINE BY 2040.
UM, SO OUR NEXT STEP, UH, WITH IPR, UH, WOULD INCLUDE REFINEMENT OF OUR NEAR TERM PLAN.
UM, THAT INCLUDES FURTHER RESEARCH AND STUDY.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION AND OTHERS ABOUT ALGAE CHECKS THE CITY.
UM, WE'RE LEARNING A GREAT DEAL FROM WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UM, AND THOSE CONSIDERATIONS WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO OUR PLANNING FOR IPR.
AND WE'RE ALSO DOING A HYDROLOGIC MODELING, UH, WITH, UM, OUR, UH, WATER AVAILABILITY MODELS TO ASSESS RISKS AND TIMING, UM, FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF IPR TO INFORM SOME TRIGGERS AND APPROACHES THAT WE COULD INCORPORATE INTO AN ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK.
UM, SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE HAVE AN OVERALL ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR WATER FORWARD, BUT FOR IPR IN PARTICULAR, HOW DO WE APPROACH, UM, ACTUALLY DEPLOYING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THAT STRATEGY IF IT WAS NECESSARY? SO ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, YES, WE ARE HERE.
UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING DOING PLANNING RELATED TO IPR TO INCLUDE THESE CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO ALGAE, TEXAS CITY.
OUR TIMELINE HAS US HAPPY BEING IPR, UH, CAPITAL THE STRUCTURE, A PROJECT DELIVERED BY 2040.
UM, AND WITH THIS MODELING WITH ASSESSMENT OF RISKS AND TIMING, WE CAN SET TRIGGERS AND THRESHOLDS THAT WOULD INFORM US IF WE NEEDED TO DO AN ACCELERATED PROJECT DELIVERY PROCESS FOR IPR.
IF WE THINK GET INTO A DROUGHT SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD NEED TO USE, UM, THAT SOURCE OF, UH, OF DROUGHT SUPPLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHILE WE WERE IN THOSE SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS, UM, THAT PROJECT DELIVERY APPROACH WOULD BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE A SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME TO DEPLOY THAT.
AND ULTIMATELY WE WOULD WANT TO GET BACK ON THE PATH OF HAVING A MORE PERMANENT, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE APPROACH THAT COULD, AGAIN, ONLY BE USED DURING THOSE SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS AND OPTUM WATER.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION, UM, AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES TO OUR INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE SUBCOMMITTEE, WHICH IS MEETING EVERY SIX MONTHS AND ALSO TO THE FULL TASK FORCE AS WE, UM, LOOK FORWARD, JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT LINKAGE BACK SINCE THE QUESTION WAS ASKED IN THE CONTEXT OF IPR.
UM, CAN WE START ASKING QUESTIONS NOW? IT LOOKS LIKE WE CAN.
UM, THANKS VERY MUCH TO BRENT AND TO MIKE.
UM, IT WAS REALLY EXCEPTIONALLY, UM, DETAILED, BUT CONCISE PRESENTATION ON SOMETHING THAT, UM, I THINK A NUMBER OF US ON THE TASK FORCE HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, NOT JUST AS IT RELATES, OBVIOUSLY TO THE WATERFORD PLAN, BUT, UM, AS PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AUSTIN AND RECREATE ON THE LAKE, SO WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, BILL.
I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND WE HAVE A LITTLE TIME LEFT.
NOW THIS IS HARMFUL OR FATAL TO HUMANS.
MARIA, YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? UH, YES.
UH, THERE ARE, UH, DEPENDING ON THE TOXIN THAT'S PRESENT, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UH, ATTRIBUTES OF A PERSON OR OBVIOUSLY A PET THAT COULD BE IMPACTED.
UM, AND IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO, AGAIN, IT'S A TYPE OF TOXIN THAT'S PRESENT AND HOW MUCH OF THAT TOXIN IS PRESENT.
UH, SO DRINKING WATER STANDARDS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE EPA, BY THE STATES.
UM, SOME OF THESE WILL HAVE, UH, CHRONIC EFFECTS.
SOME OF THESE WILL HAVE ACUTE EFFECTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FORTUNATE HERE IN AUSTIN, UM, THAT AGAIN, UH, NO TOXINS HAVE BEEN DETECTED IN THE RAW WATER AND THE TREATED WATER, UH, OR IN THE ALGAE IN LAKE AUSTIN.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S BIG, UH, WITH THE ALGAE IN LADY BIRD LAKE WITH A TOXIN THAT'S PRESENT, IT COMES DOWN TO REALLY INGESTION, UM, JUST KIND OF EXPOSURE, UH, TO THE ALLERGY.
YOU'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO HAVE MUCH EFFECT, UH, BEING A NEUROTOXIN THAT'S OUT THERE.
UH, YOU HAVE TO INGEST THAT AND GET THAT INTO YOUR SYSTEM FOR AN EFFECT, BUT THAT IT IS QUITE NASTY.
UH, SECOND QUESTION PILOT, LINK'S BEEN EXAMINED, TESTED FOR THIS, UH, BLUE GREEN NOW.
UH, AGAIN, UH, LAKE AUSTIN OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN,
[01:20:01]
UM, THE, UH, UTILITY I BELIEVE HAS THRESHOLDS IN PLACE ALSO, PROBABLY LATE TRAVIS.UM, BUT FOR AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE OTHER HIGH LAKES HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY TYPE OF BLOOM, UH, NOTHING HAS BEEN REPORTED AS FAR AS I KNOW, TOO.
THE LCRA IS HARMFUL ALGAE WEBSITE THAT WOULD WARRANT TESTING.
UH, SO AS OF NOW, THIS IS SOMETHING ISOLATED, UH, THAT SAID, UH, FURTHER UP IN THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
UH, THERE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTATION, UH, AND, AND QUITE A BIT OF STUDY OF THE GOLDEN ALGAE, UH, THAT ARE KNOWN TO, UH, PRODUCE TOXINS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A SIGN OF BACTERIA.
UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE.
UH, BUT IN THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER WHERE YOU HAVE MUCH HIGHER SALINITIES, UM, IN THE WATER COMPARED TO DOWN HERE, UH, THE GOLDEN ALLERGY HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE AN ISSUE.
SO CAN THE, UH, TOXINS ENTER THE DRINKING WATER SYSTEM? UH, IF NOT EFFECTIVELY TREATED OKAY.
UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY OF DES MOINES AND, UM, I PRESUME OUR SITUATION IS HERE BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE TOXINS.
UM, WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ONE OF THESE LARGE PLANKTONIC BLOOMS. UH, WHAT'S GOING ON IN DES MOINES.
UH, MICROSYSTEMS IS, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS AFFLICTED LAKE ERIE AND SHUT DOWN, UH, TOLEDO'S WATER SUPPLY.
THE TOXIN IS MICROCYSTIN SOMETHING THAT, UM, HAS, UH, REALLY IMPACTS, UH, THE KIDNEY AND LIVER FUNCTION, UH, CAN LEAD TO CANCER, UM, WITH ENOUGH, UH, CHRONIC EXPOSURE OR A CHRONIC EXPOSURE.
UH, BUT YES, WE DON'T HAVE THAT ALGAE.
UH, THEY TEND TO BE MORE ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS.
SO WE'RE TALKING A LOT OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS, MOVING INTO A WATER BOTTLE.
UH, CAN THE TOXINS PROCEED DOWNSTREAM AND HARM OTHERS? UH, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING OF CONCERN, UM, MORE THAN LIKELY WHAT YOU'D GET IS A DILUTION EFFECT, UM, AT THE TYPE OF OXIDANT TOXIN THAT WE HAVE, THE ANTITOXIN IS VERY PHOTOSENSITIVE.
UH, SO ONCE THESE MASS BECOME MOBILIZED, DISRUPTED, THE CELLS ARE DYING.
UM, THE ANTITOXIN AND ITS DIRECTIVES SHOULD BREAK DOWN FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UH, BUT IT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING TOO THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED.
UH, AT SOME POINT, NEXT QUESTION HAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN NOTIFIED DOWNSTREAM WATER USERS OF THE EXISTENCE OF THIS TOXIN AND THE POTENTIAL HARMFUL EFFECTS.
UH, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, UH, LOCALLY.
UH, WE'VE SPOKEN WITH A NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS, UH, THAT IS PROBABLY, UH, MORE SO AND LCRA WHEELHOUSE.
UM, THEY, AGAIN, THEY HAVE A WEBSITE DEDICATED FOR THE REPORTING AND FOLLOW UP WITH ANY HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS. UH, THEY'RE AWARE OF THE SITUATION HERE.
UM, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE SHOULD BE SOME OF THAT COMMUNICATION GOING ON AMONGST THE GROUPS, UH, THE INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE STRATEGY THAT MARISSA DESCRIBED IN YOUR OPINION, WOULD THAT IF THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED, MAKE THIS PROBLEM WORSE, UM, THAT WOULD BE THE WORKING HYPOTHESIS.
UM, THEY WOULD ALSO BE THE CONCERN THAT GIVEN ITS DISCHARGE INTO THE BASIN, UH, DURING, UH, WHICH TENDS TO BE THE ONE PART OF LADYBIRD LAKE THAT STRATIFIES, UH, THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING A PLANKTONIC BLOOM AGAIN, CAUSE IT'S MUCH DEEPER DOWN AT A LOWER RESERVOIR.
UH, WE DON'T GET AS MUCH OF THIS TYPE OF BENTHIC ALGAE GROWING, BUT INSTEAD WHAT YOU COULD HAVE, IT IS EXACERBATE A PLANKTONIC BLOOM AND, UH, POTENTIALLY GO TOXIC.
SO WE'D HAVE TO MONITOR, UH, FOR BOTH OF THOSE SITUATIONS IN THAT EFFECT, IN THAT INSTANCE, THAT CONCLUDES MY QUESTIONS CHAIR.
YEAH, WE HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO JUMP IN AND SAY THAT THE AUSTIN WATER DOES, UH, DO CONSISTENT MONITORING.
UM, AND I ALSO, UH, UH, DETECT THE CONSIDERATIONS.
AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, THE QUESTION THAT YOU'RE ASKING BELLE ARE VERY GOOD QUESTIONS AND THEY'RE JUST THE TYPE OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE WORKING THROUGH WITH WATERSHIP AS PART OF OUR COLLABORATION.
I KNOW WE'RE ABOUT TO GET CUT OFF.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THE INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE COMMITTEE NEEDS TO BE MEETING NOW ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
SIX MONTHS, EVERY SIX MONTHS IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY, UM, GOING TO HELP US GET TO ANSWERS THAT WE NEEDED TO GET TO.
AND THAT MAY BE THE APPROPRIATE FORUM FOR US TO BE UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS IT RELATES TO THE IPR OPTION, UM, AND TROUBLESHOOTING THAT.
BUT ALSO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT COMMITTEE ALSO, UM, BRING FORWARD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT WE AS A CITY ARE DEALING WITH THIS, UM, UH, APPROPRIATELY FOR OUR CURRENT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY AS CURRENTLY OPERATED AS WELL AS FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES.
[01:25:02]
UM, I BELIEVE I'M A MEMBER OF THAT COMMITTEE, ALTHOUGH I WASN'T IN TOWN WHEN IT MET BILL, YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THAT COMMITTEE.UM, IF THERE ARE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN THAT, IF YOU COULD PLEASE NOTIFY MAUDIE OF THAT AND WE WILL WORK TO GET A MEETING COORDINATED.
I, I THINK I AM, THIS HAS BEEN, I SAID, I, AND I HAD SOME QUESTIONS, WHICH I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, UM, WHY DON'T I GO ON THE IPR COMMITTEES MEETING NEXT STEP ON IT, VANESSA, I'M SORRY, BUT THIS WILL CUT US OFF, I THINK.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHAT NEXT STEPS ARE.
WE WILL EMAIL THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING AND THAT FORUM, UM, WILL BE THE WAY THAT WE ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, AND WE'LL COME BACK IN DECEMBER FOR ANOTHER MEETING AND DECIDE IF THERE'S ANOTHER WAY THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING THIS.
WE, WE WILL GET, WE WILL GET ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND WE DON'T WANT TO CUT ANYONE SHORT WE'VE WE'RE WE'RE ON THIS AND WE'LL STAY ON IT.
THIS WAS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU TO WATERSHED PROTECTION AND AUSTIN WATER FOR RESPONDING TO THE TASK FORCES CONCERNS ON THIS.
UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, HAPPY TO DO IT AND HAPPY TO HELP, UH, HELP YOU ALL ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO FORMALLY ADJOURN.
IS THAT RIGHT BEFORE WE GET CUDDLED? OKAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
DO I NEED TO ASK FOR A VOTE TO ADJOURN? I THINK IT'S BEEN AWHILE SINCE THAT WE ADJOURN.