Posting Language
Title
Approve 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.
De
Lead Department
Austin Water.
Fiscal Note
This item has no fiscal impact.
Prior Council Action:
December 11, 2019 - City Council voted to approve the Land Development Code Revision directing Austin Water to establish a regulatory program and an incentive program for Onsite Water Reuse Systems on first reading, on a 7-4 vote.
February 13, 2020 - City Council voted to approve the Land Development Code Revision directing Austin Water to establish a regulatory program and an incentive program for Onsite Water Reuse Systems on second reading, on a 7-4 vote.
December 10, 2020 - City Council approved an ordinance establishing City Code Chapter 15-13 relating to treatment, monitoring and reporting regulations for Onsite Water Reuse Systems, on a 10-0 vote.
April 22, 2021 - City Council voted to approve an initial Pilot Incentive Program for Onsite Water Reuse Systems for the voluntary installation of alternative Onsite Water Reuse Systems, on a 10-1 vote.
May 20, 2021 - City Council adopted a resolution directing staff to prepare an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 25-9 (Water and Wastewater) establishing water benchmarking, expanding Reclaimed Water Connection requirements, and adding Onsite Water Reuse requirements, on an 11-0 vote.
June 10, 2021 - City Council adopted an ordinance waiving Planning Commission review of Land Development Code amendments in order to expedite implementation of water conservation strategies in the Water Forward Plan, on an 11-0 vote.
September 30, 2021 - City Council adopted an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 25-9 (Water and Wastewater) relating to establishing new requirements for water conservation in the implementation of the Water Forward Plan, including expansion of the Reclaimed Water Connection requirement, water benchmarking, and mandatory Onsite Water Reuse for certain new developments and requiring an affordability report, on a 10-1 vote.
November 9, 2023 - City Council adopted an ordinance to amend Ordinance #20210930-117 to defer the effective date for Onsite Water Reuse requirements for large development projects, on a 7-1 vote.
March 7, 2024 - City Council adopted an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 25-9 (Water and Wastewater) relating to clarifying requirements for water conservation in the implementation of the Water Forward Plan, including distances for the Reclaimed Water Connection requirement, clarifying definitions, and modifying variances, including adding certain affordable housing exemptions for Reclaimed Water Connections and Onsite Water Reuse requirements., on an 11-0 vote.
March 7, 2024 - City Council adopted an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 15-13 (Regulation of Onsite Water Reuse Systems) to establish development project requirements and clarify onsite water reuse regulations, on an 11-0 vote.
For More Information:
Inquiries should be directed to Heather Cooke, Austin Water Chief Administrative Officer at 512-972-0083 or heather.cooke@austintexas.gov.
Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action:
February 19, 2025 - To be reviewed by the Water and Wastewater Commission.
Additional Backup Information:
Onsite water reuse is a strategy in the Council-adopted Water Forward Plan to meet the city’s future water supply needs. In December 2020, City Council adopted the Onsite Water Reuse Systems ordinance to regulate the collection, treatment, and use of alternative water sources for non-potable in multi-family and commercial buildings. Onsite water sources include rainwater, condensation from heating/air conditioning systems, foundation drain water, and graywater from certain sinks, bathing, and laundry.
In April 2021, Council approved an initial Pilot Incentive Program to encourage voluntary installation of Onsite Water Reuse Systems before initiating regulations to make Onsite Water Reuse Systems mandatory for certain development projects. In September 2021, Council adopted an ordinance to require an Onsite Water Reuse system for all new commercial, multi-family, and mixed-use site plan applications submitted on or after December 1, 2023 (later amended to be effective April 1, 2024) for development projects with a gross floor area of 250,000 square feet or greater.
This ordinance will amend City Code Chapter 15-9 (Utility Service Regulations) to provide a more efficient wastewater billing option for Onsite Water Reuse Systems using alternative water sources such as rainwater and air conditioner condensate water for toilet flushing. This methodology can also be applied to customers with cooling towers that experience evaporative loss when they recycle water in the towers. The proposed wastewater billing for these larger-scale commercial and multi-family customers will use a calculated wastewater flow factor to assess the amount of wastewater discharged to the sanitary sewer each month, eliminating the need for customers to transmit private meter flow readings each month for the associated sanitary sewer discharges.
This billing method will save the customer and Austin Water staff significant time each month by eliminating the need to manually read, transmit, and enter meter readings into an online portal and the City’s billing system. Currently, the San Antonio Water System uses a similar billing method, which also relies on the application of engineering calculations for assessing wastewater discharge to the sanitary sewer.
Austin Water proposes new customers with onsite water reuse systems be required to use this wastewater billing method, and existing customers in the cooling tower evaporative loss program will have the option to apply for it. The methodology for calculating this flow factor will be included in the FY 2025-2026 proposed fee schedule that Austin Water will bring to the City Council in August 2025 through the annual budget adoption process.