Revised Water Use Management Plan

Update: On September 20, 2012, Austin Water held a public workshop to get input into developing rules to support provisions of the Water Conservation Code. Drafts of each proposed rule can be found at the links below. Public comment on the proposed rules has ended and the rules are expected to be adopted in June 2013.

On August 16, 2012, the Austin City Council voted 6-0 to revise Austin’s water use management strategy. This strategy is made up of two parts: the Water Conservation Code and the Drought Contingency Plan. Both documents together outline how commercial and residential customers of the City’s water utility may use water in and around their homes and businesses.

Austin Water encouraged the public, organizations, and businesses to assist in developing revisions to this water use management strategy by attending workshops to provide input about ways the city should regulate water use in times of drought and review specific restrictions. Click here to learn more about these public workshops.

With this updated strategy, Austin Water is striving to continue strengthening conservation efforts while also protecting the City’s urban landscape and tree canopy. Water conservation efforts, including policies for responsible outdoor water use, help maximize limited resources as Austin’s population grows. Conservation also ensures an adequate water supply during times of drought for public health and safety needs, such as firefighting.

Highlights of the updated water use management strategy include:

A default conservation stage that allows for two-day-a-week watering
Four drought response stages that ramp up water use restrictions during times of drought to maximize water conservation. These stages are aligned with drought triggers such as lake levels and/or water consumption
Provisions for watering trees and vegetable gardens during droughts

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