08 May Planning for Austin’s Water in the face of Climate Change and Drought

Tuesday the White House released the National Climate Assessment, written by scientists across the nation and called the most detailed and U.S.-focused scientific report on global warming.
Statesman carried the AP's Federal Report: Warming disrupts Americans' Lives, and then local reporter Asher Price brought it home indicating that we can expect more of, "The dire Texas drought conditions of 2011… and existing adaptation and planning efforts are inadequate to respond to these projected impacts." 

With all that, I was excited to find out that this Monday, May 5th was the first meeting of the Austin Water Resource Planning Task Force. The Water Task Force was created by council resolution at the request of SOS Alliance, the Austin Sierra Club, Environment Texas, and Clean Water Action.  This is yet another important task force full of very green-minded community leaders that have a tall order to fill. By late June they are to “examine and make recommendations regarding any alternative water sources including, but not be limited to, conservation, reuse, regional transmission systems and partnerships, groundwater, aquifer storage, as well as other potential sources in the region” and “make recommendations to the Council consistent with the goals and provisions of the Imagine Austin Plan.”

The Task Force will consist of 11 members, including one member appointed by each Council Member as well as one each from and elected by the Water and Wastewater Commission, the Environmental Board, the Resource Management Commission, and the Joint Financial Committee.
Members                        Appointed By
Stefan Schuster              Mayor Lee Leffingwell
Paul Robbins                  Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole
Lauren Ross                   Council Member Laura Morrison
Sharlene Leurig              Council Member Chris Riley
Jennifer Walker               Council Member Kathie Tovo
Tom Mason                      Council Member Bill Spelman
Marisa Perales                Council Member Mike Martinez
Luke Metzger                   Resource Management Commission
Brian Smith                      Environmental Board
Chris Bailey                     Joint Financial Committee (see below)
Water & Wastewater Commission (scheduled to appoint at May 14 meeting)

Citizens are welcome to provide input during Citizen's Communications during each of the Task Force meetings. Up to 10 people per meeting can speak for three minutes. Meetings are held at the Waller Creek Center, 625 East 10th Street, Austin, TX. in Conference Room 104. Scheduled meetings in May are::

• Monday, May 12, 3:30 PM
• Monday, May 19, 3:30 PM
• Tuesday, May 27, 6 PM
• Thursday, May 29, 6 PM

The group elected Sharlene Leurig as Chair. You can read an opinion piece she wrote last year in the Statesman to get a flavor of her philosophy. I just discovered she also has a cool Indiegogo campaign called "Our Desired Future" that is aimed at "Inspiring Texans to keep water flowing for future generations." The campaign is open for just 11 more days and she is less than $2000 from her goal. Check it out and chip in if you can>>.

Not coincidentally, with another drought-stricken summer ahead of us, the Austin Water utility is holding meetings of The Joint Committee on Austin Water’s Financial Plan to figure out how to approach drought rates for water rate increases projected for Fiscal Year 2015 and cost saving options they can recommend to Council. Their drought water rate recommendations will address expected revenue losses under stage-3 and stage-4 water restrictions if lake levels continue to deteriorate during the current drought.