Water Conservation Implementation Task Force

Goals and Purpose

In Austin, we're fortunate to have a dependable long-term water supply through our rights on the Colorado River and contracts with the LCRA. Yet, even though our current supplies should be enough to last us through 2040, there are important reasons why we need to conserve today.

Building new treatment plants, buying and treating raw water, pumping it to customers and then treating the wastewater is expensive business. Conservation is the most cost-effective way to keep these costs down and keep water rates low. As the adage goes, "the cheapest water you'll ever have is the water you've already got."

Water conservation brings a host of environmental benefits as well. When we save water, we reduce energy needs for treatment and pumping; and this translates into better air quality. Sound landscaping and irrigation practices help water quality by reducing runoff and the need for harmful lawn-care chemicals. And water efficiency helps keep our rivers flowing, thus supporting riparian and estuarine habitats.

Last summer the Austin City Council set a goal of reducing projected peak-day demand by 1 percent per year for 10 years - for total savings of 25 million gallons per day. This is an ambitious goal, but one we can reach if we work together as a community.

In September, the City Council established the Water Conservation Implementation Task Force. Through the task force, we'll bring together a broad range of stakeholder groups, take input and study the issues, and bring back to the full City Council proposed strategies for meeting our conservation goals.

Water conservation doesn't mean we need to sacrifice or dramatically change our way of life. It just means we need to put the best practices and policies in place and do things more efficiently. As a member of the Austin community, we hope you will take an active interest in the work of Water Conservation Implementation Task Force.

To stay informed, please visit the task force website. There you can find agendas and minutes for meetings, review staff presentations and even study technical documents. All task force meetings are open to the public and have time reserved for citizen communication. The task force welcomes any and all participation from interested parties. Together, we can protect this critical resource for future generations.