Austin Water Utility Struggles with Severe Leak Crisis as Conservation Goals Remain Challenged

Austin’s Water Utility Faces Major Leak Issues

Austin, Texas, is facing a serious problem with water leaks, and the city’s water utility is taking steps to address the issue. According to estimates, the utility loses about 21 gallons of water per resident per day due to leaks and breaks in the water system. Last year, this staggering loss added up to over 7 billion gallons of treated water, which is more than enough to fill Lady Bird Lake three times. To reduce these losses, Austin Water has turned to the consulting firm Black & Veatch for assistance.

City Council Approves Funding for Leak Assessment

In March 2023, the Austin City Council approved a $200,000 contract with Black & Veatch to analyze the city’s current efforts to combat water loss. Kevin Kluge, Austin Water Conservation Manager, stated, “We contracted with them to do a review of all that we were doing from auditing to meters to different (water) reading activities.” However, Kluge also noted that the report would not be ready until June, which was too late to be included in the updated conservation and drought management plans going to the City Council in May.

Water Conservation Plans Under Review

The conservation plan is essential as it sets out year-round goals and policies for reducing water consumption and waste. The drought contingency plan includes emergency rules that apply during times of drought. Despite the importance of the Black & Veatch report, the water task force was asked to support the water plans before City Council voted on them in May. Without the report, their recommendations were made without the comprehensive data the report was expected to provide.

“I think that report (Black & Veatch’s) will have a lot of information about what we could be doing and what we should prioritize,” Kluge said at the task force meeting. Unfortunately, the Council approved the water management policies without the support of the task force, but Austin Water assured everyone that conservation goals would be updated before the end of the year.

Delays Raise Concerns Over Water Loss Report

As the months passed, the task force members were informed that the final report may not be ready until October or later. This raises concerns that the task force may not see the data before being asked to endorse updated proposals. “Will (the consultants’ report) be available before we give our stamp of approval and send it to Council?” task force member Madelline Mathis asked recently. She emphasized the importance of having comprehensive data to analyze the situation.

Austin Water Director Shay Ralls Roalson expressed doubt that the report would be ready for public distribution before October 8 but mentioned that a preview could be shared with the task force prior to that date.

Impact of Climate Change and Population Growth

With Austin’s growing population and the increasing severity of droughts due to climate change, addressing water loss from leaks has become a priority for the city. Under the previous water plan, Austin Water aimed to meet 44 percent of its conservation targets by reducing utility-side water loss. The current proposal suggests that 39 percent to 50 percent of conservation goals may now depend on fixing leaks, reflecting the urgent nature of the situation.

Rising Water Loss Numbers

Despite these goals, data indicates that water loss is increasing. Audits show that Austin lost about 6.5 billion gallons of water in 2021, which grew to 6.9 billion gallons in 2022 and has now surpassed 7 billion gallons in 2023 according to the most recent audits. Sarah Faust, another member of the water task force, voiced the need for the report: “Continued water loss may be a major reason earlier Austin conservation goals were not met, but we don’t have that information yet.”

Uncertainty Surrounds the Report’s Release

The reasons for the delay in releasing the Black & Veatch report are unclear. Austin Water spokesperson Jose Emperador stated the consulting firm was timely with drafts but the process has taken longer than expected to ensure the final product’s accuracy. The final report, with recommendations for implementation, is expected to be made public in October.

It appears that the leak situation remains critical, as the latest conservation goals set by Austin Water have not changed despite the rising losses. The urgency to reduce water loss has never been more important as Austin seeks solutions to combat its ongoing water challenges.