Greening Austin Daily

City Council to Consider More Aggressive Water-Conservation Goal of 140 Gallons per Day per Resident, an 18% Decrease

6th May, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment

According to  the Statesman, city council “will likely vote May 13 to cut Austin’s per-person water use 18 percent by 2020 .”  The article also notes that ”Austin now uses about 170 gallons per day per resident . In 2007 , the council approved a plan to cut that number to 149 gallons per day by 2019 . The main change was restricting lawn-watering during spring and summer to twice a week. During summer, lawn watering accounts for 40 to 60 percent of the city’s water use, according to Austin Water Utility estimates. The new goal would put Austin at about 140 gallons per resident in a decade, about what San Antonio uses now.”

Further, “The new goal was spurred by concern about Lake Travis, Austin’s primary water source. After dipping to less than 40 percent full after two years of drought, the lake is now filled after a wet winter and spring. But Austin water officials say the drought-rain cycle of Central Texas could leave the region exposed to shortages during drier times if the city does not focus on conservation.”

Check out the full article for a discussion of the potential costs associated with this new goal.