Background
Texas Administrative Code, Title 30, Chapter 288 requires the City of prepare and implement a water conservation plan that meets certain requirements and be no older than 5 years. Additionally, the Texas Water Code - Section 11.1271 contains additional requirements for Water Conservation Plans. This five-year update to the City of Houston's Water Conservation Plan includes information required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for Water Conservation Plans, in addition to information specific to the City of Houston's water supply and treatment systems.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for Water Conservation Plans as a "strategy or combination of strategies for reducing the consumption of water, reducing the loss or waste of water, improving or maintaining the efficiency in the use of water, or increasing recycling and reuse of water". The City's 2014 Water Conservation Plan includes measure to be taken internally at the City of Houston as well as programs for water customers. These include an in-house public education program, an internal water loss audit program, continue enforcement of water-wise building codes, and plans to develop water conservation measures for City departments and a Consumption Awareness Program designed to allow water customers to determine the most effective methods to maximize water-use efficiency inside and outside the home through communications meter data to household users.
One requirement of the Water Conservation Plan is formal adoption by the governing body of the entity. City Council approval shall serve as official adoption of the Plan. The previous Water Conservation Plan was adopted in September 2009. So as to have both the Drought Contingency Plan and Water Conservation Plan on the same revision schedule, the Drought Contingency Plan is also included. TCEQ requested additional clarification to be added to denote that the Drought Contingency Plan is in compliance with Texas Water Code Section 11.039 pro rata water allocation requirement for wholesaler customers. This non-substantive revision has been made to ensure Texas Administrative Code requirement language in the Drought Contingency Plan is consistent with language found in treated water contracts.