The city is located in Blanco County, Texas, on U.S. Highway 281. The city’s 2010 U.S. Census population was 1,739 people, up from 1,508 people in the 2000 U.S. Census count. The current population within the service area is approximately 2,558 based on best available information. The American Community Survey estimates do not track cities with a population less than 5,000. The city’s water system service area is shown in attachment B to Ordinance 2017-O-005.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. I, adopted 4/11/17)
(a) 
The city’s public water supply system currently serves approximately 1,023 connections. The city’s raw water supplies include an adjudicated water right on the Blanco River (600 acre-feet/year) as well as a contracted annual supply from the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) in Canyon Lake (600 acre-feet/year). The city’s combined raw water supplies are capable of serving upwards of 3,000 connections. Treated water supplies include a 1.0 mgd surface water treatment plant on the Blanco River which is owned and operated by the city as well as a 0.5 mgd water treatment and delivery contract with Canyon Lake Water Supply Company (CLWSC) for treatment of the GBRA Canyon Lake supply. Detailed water system data is provided in the utility profile worksheet in attachment C to Ordinance 2017-O-005.
(b) 
The city’s drinking water distribution system includes high service pump stations and ground storage tanks at each of the treated water entry points, for a combined ground storage volume of 750,000 gallons and high service pump capacity of 2,000 gpm. The city owns a booster pump station along the Canyon Lake treated water delivery pipeline that includes 200,000 gallons of ground storage and two 500 gpm booster pumps. A 200,000 gallon standpipe provides elevated storage capacity for the city’s central pressure plane, and a 100,000 gallon elevated storage tank and transfer pump station serves the north pressure plane. In addition, the city operates a small booster pump station with a 20,000 gallon ground storage tank and a 1,600 gallon hydro pneumatic pressure tank, which serves approximately 60 customers in its southern pressure plane.
(c) 
The city’s wastewater system generally includes a system of gravity collection mains that convey wastewater to a main lift station. The main lift station pumps the wastewater to a 0.225 mgd wastewater treatment plant owned and operated by the city. After treatment, the wastewater is discharged to an unnamed tributary which flows to the Blanco River. Detailed wastewater system data is provided in the utility profile worksheet in attachment C to Ordinance 2017-O-005.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. II, adopted 4/11/17)
The city recognizes the importance of developing effective water conservation and emergency water demand management plans. Proper planning will allow all users in the system to conserve water and ensure a supply during shortages due to system constraints or drought. The state water development board’s 2016 Regional Water Plan water management strategies includes water conservation. The city will establish an overall goal of 1% reduction per year over 10 years. The city will attempt to eventually reduce total per capita water consumption to below 100 gallons per capita, per day. The city has established the following combination of goals to meet state and regional goals for its water conservation plan:
(1) 
Reduce per capita consumption.
The city’s 5-year average annual per capita treated water use for 2012-2016 was 115 gallons per day. The city’s goals are to reduce the gallons consumed per capita per day in the next five years to 109 gallons per day, and in the next ten years to 104 gallons per day.
(2) 
Reduce unaccounted-for water.
The city’s 5-year average per capita unaccounted-for water for 2012-2016 was 18 gallons per day. The city’s goals are to reduce the unaccounted-for water in the next five years to 16 gallons consumed per capita per day, and in the next ten years to 14 gallons consumed per capita per day.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. III, adopted 4/11/17)
The city uses master meters at the treated water system entry points to measure the amount of water pumped into the system. The city will have its water meters tested and calibrated annually to maintain its accuracy to within plus or minus 5%.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. IV, adopted 4/11/17)
(a) 
The water conservation plan must include a program for universal metering of both customer and public uses of water, for meter testing and repair, and periodic meter replacement.
(b) 
All customer service connections and municipal connections are currently metered. The city has established a plan to replace broken or otherwise malfunctioning meters. Production meters larger than 1 inch will be tested annually, and meters 1 inch and smaller will be tested once every ten years. Residential meters recording greater than 1,000,000 gallons will be replaced, and suspicious meters that record abnormally low usage will be tested or replaced immediately.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. V, adopted 4/11/17)
The city maintains a database of all water customers. City personnel use this database to record water sales and to determine the amount of water loss in the system (by comparison to the amount of treated water pumped into the system).
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. VI, adopted 4/11/17)
Universal metering of all retail customers is already in place in the water system. The city’s current leak detection system consists of the following:
(1) 
Comparing treated water pumped into the system to potable water metered to customers on a monthly basis.
(2) 
Visual surveillance by all city employees, daily monitoring of system usage, and tank levels.
(3) 
Review of water bills to inform users of large increases in water usage.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. VII, adopted 4/11/17)
Several methods are used to find and control unaccounted for uses of water. City personnel continuously survey along distribution lines for leaks, abandoned services, and illegal connections. A periodic review of water pumped into the system versus water sold to customers is also performed to monitor for excessive losses. Further, the city strives to estimate the amount of unmetered water used for flushing or firefighting as accurately as possible.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. VIII, adopted 4/11/17)
Through education and information dissemination, the city will continue to inform its water customers of the benefits of water conservation. The city will accomplish this by implementing the following steps:
(1) 
The city will provide public educational material developed by its staff and materials obtained from the state water development board, the state commission on environmental quality, or other sources annually to its customers. The information will be made available on the city’s website and at city hall.
(2) 
The city will report annually on the effectiveness of the city’s water conservation measures, to include the per capita water usage and the annual water loss. If the water conservation plan is not effective, city staff will make recommendations for modifying the plan to increase its effectiveness. The city will send a copy of an annual report to the executive administrator of the state water development board.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. IX, adopted 4/11/17)
The city has adopted a rate structure that does not encourage the excessive use of water. A schedule of the current water rates is provided in attachment D to Ordinance 2017-O-005.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. X, adopted 4/11/17)
This water conservation plan has been implemented through the passage of an ordinance by the city. A copy of this ordinance is included as attachment A to Ordinance 2017-O-005.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. XI, adopted 4/11/17)
The city will require all wholesale public utility, private utility, political subdivision, or private business customers to adopt and implement the city’s water conservation plan. As part of any new wholesale customer contract or renewal of an existing wholesale customer contract to purchase water from the city, the city will require that the water conservation plan be adopted.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. XII, adopted 4/11/17)
(a) 
The plan must include a records management system to record water pumped, water deliveries, water sales, and water losses which allows for the desegregation of water sales and uses into the following user classes: residential, commercial, public and institutional, and industrial.
(b) 
The city currently maintains records of water pumped, water sold, and water losses. The accounting system allows for the segregation of water sales and use in categories of residential, commercial, industrial, and public/institutional.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. XIII, adopted 4/11/17)
The city has adopted the 2015 International Building Codes as published by the International Code Council (ICC) as its standard for new construction and remodeling.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. XIV, adopted 4/11/17)
(a) 
Master meters will be tested and calibrated annually.
(b) 
Meters 1 inch and smaller will be monitored for accuracy and replaced on a 10-year cycle.
(c) 
Water audits are conducted annually to identify water losses.
(d) 
Known water losses are corrected immediately and deteriorating water mains are replaced on an ongoing basis.
(e) 
Educational materials will be made available on the city’s website and at city hall annually.
(f) 
Visual leak detection inspections are performed on an ongoing basis.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. XV, adopted 4/11/17)
The city will track the established targets and goals by utilizing the following procedures:
(1) 
Logs shall be maintained for meter calibration, meter testing, and the meter replacement program.
(2) 
Annual water audits shall be documented and kept in the utility department files.
(3) 
Ordinances will document all changes in water rates.
(4) 
A record of the location of leaks repaired will be maintained in order to identify lines needing replacement.
(Ordinance 2017-O-005, sec. XVI, adopted 4/11/17)