27 Feb Water Conservation A Must

Austin prides itself on stewardship of the environment, and yet we have fallen behind in the critical area of water conservation. The Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer District is facing Stage 3 water restrictions. The Lower Colorado River Authority will cut back water supplies from the Colorado by 20 percent as Lakes Buchanan and Travis reach unprecedented lows. Scientists predict the drought will continue for a decade or more. 
    The City Council has voted for Austin to do as San Antonio and San Marcos have done and to meet the recommendation of the Texas Water Board to reduce average daily consumption rates to 140 gallons per person per day. This goal is overdue and must be approached with serious and clear plans for implementation. We want to require 25 percent capture/reuse on all new construction, for instance. We advocate for coordination between water and parks for water reclamation. We want to see the city of Austin bring back the free toilets program.
    Raising basic water rates on those least able to pay is wrong from both social justice and conservation points of view. Access to water is a basic human right. Economic considerations of selling water must be secondary. Conservation must be encouraged through a rate structure which rewards responsible use of water and penalizes water wasters.
    We further support accountability through financial incentives to owners of rental properties for saving water. For example, they must be encouraged to install modern fixtures in older rentals and to fix the leaking pipes which are responsible for 12 percent of water loss. Incentives should be made available to landlords who build water reclamation systems and plumbing retrofits.

The Austin Sierra Club takes an active role in promoting policies that benefit our local environment.  One of the most pressing issues in our region of the state is water availability. Erin Myers, a member of our Conservation Committee, has been active in Austin for many years, and currently works on water issues.   If you would like to work with the club on water or other environmental policies, contact Erin at (notyouracadem1[at]yahoo[dot]com)