Water Conservation and Drought Planning

Jennifer Allis

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Water Availability Division

Resource Protection Team

A strategy or combination of strategies for temporary and potentially recurring water supply shortages and other water supply emergencies.

Drought Contingency Plans (DCP)

Retail Public Water SuppliersWholesale Public Water Suppliers Irrigation Districts

Rules and requirements for Drought Contingency Plans are governed by 30 TAC Chapter 288.20, 288.21 and 288.22

Who is required to have a DCP?

DCP Plan ElementsPublic InvolvementOngoing EducationNotification ProceduresTriggering CriteriaResponse StagesQuantified targetsManagement measuresVariancesEnforcement & Adoption of

the DCP

Communication with Customers

Public InvolvementOngoing EducationCoordination with your Regional

Water Planning Group (RWPG)

Examples of Public Education

Radio and television public service announcements

Newspaper articles and announcementsPress releases and media alertsBill inserts or notification lettersDrought Website Distribution of fact sheets, brochures, and

pamphletsPublic meetings and hearings

Triggering Criteria

Description of the information to be monitored by the water supplier

Specific criteria for the initiation and termination of drought response stages

Explanation of the rationale or basis

Examples of Triggers

Supply Trigger for Surface Water - may be based on lake level or percent of storage capacity or streamflow level

Supply Trigger for Groundwater - may be based on aquifer level

Demand Trigger may be based on demand during specific time period or inability to recover/maintain water storage supply for time period.

Emergency Trigger would be a system outage, equipment failure, contamination, or other emergency.

Response Stages

The DCP shall include emergency responses for each drought stage

Water Supply Reductions- Water Systems

Water Demand Reductions- Water customers

Specific, Quantified Targets

The drought contingency plan must include specific, quantified targets for water use reductions to be achieved during periods of water shortage and drought.

Management Measures

The Drought Contingency Plan must include the specific water supply or water demand management measures to be implemented during each stage of the plan including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Curtailment of non-essential water use

2. Utilization of alternative water sources and/or alternative delivery

mechanisms

Examples of Measures for Irrigation

Limitations on watering with an irrigation system, sprinkler or soaker hose

Restrictions on hand watering with a hand-held hose, drip irrigation, bucket or watering can

Use of variances or restrictions on watering new landscapes

Prohibition of all outdoor irrigation of vegetation including lawns

Variances

The drought contingency plan must include procedures for granting variances to the plan.

Enforcement & Adoption

The drought contingency plan must include procedures for the enforcement of mandatory water use restrictions, including specification of penalties (e.g., fines, water rate surcharges, discontinuation of service) for violations of such restrictions.

Pro rata curtailment of water deliveries and water contract extensions must comply with Texas Water Code §11.039

Additional requirements for Wholesale DCPs

Allocation and Surcharges

In the event that water shortage conditions exist, may establish water allocation plan, with limitations based on persons per household.

During period when pro rata allocation is in effect, may establish surcharges for excess water diversion and/or delivery.

Water Conservation Plans (WCP)

Water Conservation - everyday practices or techniques intended to reduce water consumption, reduce loss or waste of water, improve the efficiency in the use of water and increase recycling & reuse so that a water supply is available for future use.

Who is required to have a WCP?

Non-irrigation (municipal and industrial) water rights holders of 1,000 acre-feet or more and

Irrigation water rights holders of 10,000 acre-feet or more

Implementation reports are required to be submitted with a WCP

30 TAC Chapter 288

Rules and requirements for Water Conservation Plans are governed by 30 TAC Chapter 288.2, 288.3, 288.4 and 288.5

Municipal WCP Elements

Utility Profile Record Management (Retail use only)5 & 10 year goals for water savingsMeter calibration and replacementWater loss accountingPublic education programNon-promotional water rates Implementation and EnforcementCoordination with your RWPG

Utility Profile

population and customer data water use data in gallons per

capita per day (GPCD)water supply system data wastewater system data

Retail: Record Management Sector based reporting

Residential includes: single & multi -family units

Commercial Institutional Industrial Agricultural Wholesale

Specific, quantified five-year and ten-year targets

Retail • goals for water loss programs • goals for municipal use (GPCD)

Wholesale• target goals for municipal use (GCPD)• maximum acceptable unaccounted-for

water • the basis for the development of these

goals

Deliveries of Water

Retail• program for universal metering of both

customer and public uses of water, for meter testing and repair, and for periodic meter replacement

• measures to determine and control unaccounted-for uses of water

Deliveries of Water

Wholesale• a monitoring and record management

program for determining water deliveries, sales, and losses

• a program of metering, leak detection and repair for the wholesaler's water storage, delivery, and distribution system

Additional Retail Requirements

a program of continuing public education and information regarding water conservation

a water rate structure which is not "promotional"

Additional Wholesale Requirement

Every water supply contract entered into or renewed as well as contract extensions must include that each successive wholesaler implement a water conservation plan or water conservation measures

Means for implementation and enforcement

The means of implementation and enforcement of the plan shall be evidenced by:A copy of the ordinance, resolution, or

tariff indicating the official adoption

Coordination with RWPG

Documentation of coordination with the regional water planning groups for the service area of the Retail or Wholesale water supplier in order to ensure consistency with the appropriate approved regional water plans.

Best Management Practices (BMPs)

Water Conservation BMP Guide

Voluntary list of management practices that water users may implement in addition to the required components of TCEQ Rules in Chapter 288.

Broken out by sector, including Agriculture, Commercial and Institutional, Industrial, Municipal and Wholesale.

BMP Examples - Municipal

System Water Audit and Water LossWater Conservation PricingProhibition on Wasting WaterResidential Toilet Replacement

Programs, Rebates for Water-Efficient Wash Machines and Fixtures

School Education and Public Information

Examples of Measures

Home water audit to identify leaksRebate to install low-water landscape plants Requirement for residential and commercial

builders to install drought-tolerant turf grass for newly constructed homes or businesses

Free Irrigation Consultation for residential and/or Irrigation Design Rebate for commercial entities

Cooling tower water audit program

BMP Examples - Wholesale

Customer Contract Requirements to Develop and Implement Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plans

Technical Assistance and Outreach

Water Conservation = all the time

Drought Contingency = when necessary

Drought Contingency vs.Water Conservation

Reminders

DCPs should be revised as often as necessary especially as your triggers change over time.

Reminder: May 1, 2019 is the deadline to submit DCPs, WCPs & implementation reports to TCEQ.

Contact & Website

Jennifer Allis

Water Availability Division

Jennifer.Allis@tceq.texas.gov

(512) 239-0027

http://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/water_rights/conserve.html