Today, the Austin City Council approved the 2024 update to Water Forward, Austin's Integrated Water Resource Plan. This plan aims to ensure a sustainable and equitable water future for the next century. Alongside this, revisions to Austin’s Water Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan were also adopted.
Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax emphasized the importance of planning for water resources due to rapid population growth and climate impacts: “Planning for our water future is critical. Central Texas continues to face rapid population growth, as well as climate impacts from more frequent and severe droughts,” he stated. “Today’s adoption allows us to advance our much-needed 100-year Water Forward strategies.”
The original Water Forward Plan was unanimously adopted in November 2018 by the City Council. Since then, Austin Water has worked on implementing strategies such as increasing water conservation, expanding reclaimed water use through the GoPurple Program, and diversifying Austin's water supply.
The updated 2024 plan builds on these strategies with new technical analysis and community input. The development process was led by Austin Water with assistance from various groups including the Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force and a Climate Technical Advisory Group. Additionally, support came from the University of Texas at Austin for climate projections and a consultant reviewed its water loss program.
Shay Ralls Roalson, Director of Austin Water, highlighted community involvement in shaping the updated plan: “The foundation for the portfolio of strategies in this updated plan are based on input from the community we serve alongside the most recent population and climate projections that will impact the lower Colorado River and Highland Lakes system that provides Austin’s drinking water supply,” she said. She further added that meeting future needs will require commitment from everyone: “The updated Water Forward plan provides a roadmap for our water future. It will take everyone’s commitment to conservation, reuse, and investing in long-term supply strategies."
Revisions to supporting plans include new drought stage watering restrictions and stricter goals for per-person water use reduction.