AUSTIN, Texas — As Austin keeps growing, so does the water demand.
Now, Austin Water is looking at whether some of the city’s largest water users should have to do more to conserve.
As Austin keeps growing, so does the demand for water. (CBS Austin/Brenna Gibbons)
That could include using more reclaimed water, coming up with conservation plans, and sticking to water budgets.
One of the questions they’re looking at now: should some of the city’s biggest water users have to do more to conserve?
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Austin Water is looking at whether some of the city’s largest water users should have to do more to conserve. (CBS Austin/Brenna Gibbons)
Austin Water is working through what those new rules could look like.
“Last year, Austin as a whole throughout all of our system, we used about 55 billion gallons of water in a year,” Director of Austin Water, Shay Ralls Roalson, said. “So 85 million is about 0.15% of our total water use.”
Austin Water said its current definition of a large water user is a customer using more than 85 million gallons of water a year.
One of the questions they’re looking at now; should some of the city’s biggest water users have to do more to conserve? (CBS Austin/Brenna Gibbons)
The utility already has conservation requirements for some large developments, including on-site water reuse.
“The purpose of the event today is to seek input from members of our community about the policies and programs and practices that Austin Water has in place today for high-impact water users,” Roalson said.
The utility is now considering whether large users should have to do more, from using reclaimed water to making conservation plans and following water budgets.
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Austin Water said its current definition of a large water user is a customer using more than 85 million gallons of water a year. (CBS Austin/Brenna Gibbons)
The open house gave people a chance to weigh in before recommendations go to City Council.
“There should be representatives from both sides of the equation,” Austin resident Brad Knowles said. “Both private citizens such as myself, as well as the companies coming in wanting to use this water. We have to take a balanced approach.”
Knowles said he supports planning for growth, but wants the city to strike a balance between making water available for new customers and protecting the supply for the people who already live here.
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Austin Water is working through what those new rules could look like. (CBS Austin/Brenna Gibbons)
No new requirements were adopted at the open house.
“We need to make sure that the city is doing everything it needs to be doing in order to adequately ensure that resource is available to all the people who should have access to it,” Knowles said.
Austin Water said it will take what it heard from the community and use that to fine-tune its proposals.
From there, those recommendations will go to City Council for consideration.