Guest blog written by Jennifer Walker. Jennifer works on water issues at the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club and serves at the vice-chair of the CWCITF.
Most Monday nights for the last 6 months, the Austin Citizens Water Conservation Implementation Task Force 
(CWCITF) has been hard at work. Now they’ll finally get a night off because, at their last meeting, the task force unanimously passed the Water Conservation 2020: Strategic Recommendations report.
Where it all began
On August 5, 2009, the Austin City Council charged the CWCITF to produce a policy document that recommended strategies to reduce water use beyond the 2007 Task Force recommendations. The CWCITF worked with Austin Water Utility (AWU) staff and representatives from the Resource Management Commission, Environmental Board, Water and Wastewater Commission to produce this document
Report Highlights
The document contains over 100 strategies with 33 prioritized. Report highlights include recommendations for:
- a citywide goal of 140 gallons per capita per day (GPCD) by 2020
- increasing conservation education for all age groups
- expanding water reuse and
- increasing landscape measures to reduce peak summer watering
Next Steps
The report also requests that city staff perform quantitative analysis of the strategies (which has already begun) and to use that information, as well as other information in the report, to map out the strategies that will need to be implemented to meet the report's goals. That “action plan” should be ready by the end of 2010. This report gives the city the opportunity to rethink that way we use water in our community while being mindful to all water users and their needs. It is an exciting time in Austin.
The report will be presented to City Council for approval on Earth Day, April 22nd . What better way to celebrate the Earth than to make a community commitment to use our water wisely and responsibly?