(a)
The City of Katy (the "city"), a community located within Harris,
Waller, and Fort Bend County, Texas, recognizing the need for efficient
use of existing water supply and treatment facilities, shall adopt
the following water conservation plan for the purposes of identifying
and establishing principles and practices to effectively monitor and
conserve the efficient use of available water supplies and distribution
system capacity. This is an update of the current plan previously
adopted on August 11,2014. The plan was prepared in general accordance
with the Texas Water Development Board's Water Conservation Plan
requirements contained in title 31, part 10, chapter 363, subchapter
A, rule 363.15 of the Texas Administrative Code.
(b)
In order to conserve the available water supply and/or to protect
the integrity of water supply facilities, with particular regard for
domestic water use, sanitation, and fire protection, and to protect
and preserve public health, welfare, and safety and minimize the adverse
impacts of water supply shortage or other water supply emergency conditions,
the city adopts the following water conservation plan.
(c)
Water uses regulated or prohibited under the water conservation plan (the "plan") are considered to be nonessential and continuation of such uses during times of water shortage or other emergency water supply condition is deemed to constitute a waste of water which subjects the offender(s) to penalties as referenced in section 13.10.049 of this article.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
For the purpose of this plan, the following definitions shall
apply:
Water use for ornamental or decorative purposes such as fountains,
reflecting pools, and water gardens.
Water use which is integral to the operations of commercial
and nonprofit establishments and governmental entities, such as retail
establishments, hotels and motels, restaurants, and office buildings.
Those practices, techniques, and technologies that reduce
the consumption of water, reduce the loss and/or waste of water, improve
the efficiency of the use of water, and increase the recycling and
reuse of water so that a supply is conserved and made available for
future or alternative uses.
Any person, company, or organization using water supplied
by the city.
Water use for personal needs or for household or sanitary
purposes such as drinking, cooking, bathing, heating, cooling, sanitation,
or for cleaning a residence, business, industry, or institution.
A strategy or combination of strategies for temporary supply
and demand management responses to temporary and potentially recurring
water supply shortages and other water supply emergencies. A drought
contingency plan may be a separate document identified as such or
may be contained within another water management document(s).
Water used for the irrigation and maintenance of landscaped
areas, whether publicly or privately owned, including residential
and commercial lawns, gardens, golf courses, parks, rights-of-way,
and medians.
The sum total of water diverted into a water supply system
for residential, commercial, public, and institutional uses divided
by actual population served.
The use of potable water within or outside a municipality
and its environs whether supplied by a person, privately owned utility,
political subdivision, or other entity as well as the use of sewage
effluent for certain purposes, including the use of treated water
for domestic purposes, fighting fires, sprinkling streets, flushing
sewers and drains, watering parks and parkways, and recreational purposes,
including public and private swimming pools, the use of potable water
in industrial and commercial enterprises supplied by a municipal distribution
system without special construction to meet its demands, and for the
watering of lawns and family gardens.
The total average daily amount of water diverted or pumped
for treatment for potable use by a public water system. The calculation
is made by dividing the water pumped for treatment for potable use
by population served. Indirect reuse volumes shall be credited against
total diversion volumes for the purpose of calculation gallons per
capita per day for targets and goals.
Water uses that are neither essential nor required for the
protection of public health, safety, and welfare, including:
Irrigation of landscape areas, including parks, athletic fields,
and golf courses, except otherwise provided for under this plan.
Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer,
airplane, or other vehicle.
Use of water to wash down any sidewalks, walkways, driveways,
parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard-surface areas.
Use of water to wash down buildings or structures for purposes
other than immediate fire protection.
Flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in
any gutter or street.
Use of water to fill, refill, or add to any indoor or outdoor
swimming pool or Jacuzzi-type pools.
Use of water in a fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes
except where necessary to support aquatic life.
Failure to repair a controllable leak(s) within a reasonable
period after having been given notice directing the repair of such
leak(s).
Use of water from hydrants for construction purposes or any
other purposes other than firefighting.
The alteration of the physical, thermal, chemical, or biological
quality of, or the contamination of any water in the state that renders
the water harmful, detrimental, or injurious to humans, animal life,
vegetation, or property, or to the public health, safety, or welfare,
or impairs the usefulness or the public enjoyment of the water for
any lawful or reasonable purpose.
An individual or entity that supplies water to the public
for human consumption.
A group established by the state water development board
to prepare a regional water plan under Texas Water Code, section 16.053.
An individual or entity that for compensation supplies water
to the public for human consumption. The term does not include an
individual or entity that supplies water to it or its employees or
tenants when the water is not resold to or used by others.
The authorized use for one or more beneficial purposes of
use of water that remains unconsumed after the water is used for the
original purpose of use and before that water is either disposed of
or discharged or otherwise allowed to flow into a watercourse, lake,
or other body of state-owned water.
A strategy or combination of strategies for reducing the
volume of water withdrawn from a water supply source, for reducing
the loss or waste of water, for maintaining or improving the efficiency
in the use of water, for increasing the recycling and reuse of water,
and for preventing the pollution of water. A water conservation plan
may be a separate document identified as such or may be contained
within another water management document(s).
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
This water conservation plan will be reviewed and updated, as
appropriate, based on an assessment of previous five-year and ten-year
targets and any other new or updated information. The city will review
and update the next revision of its water conservation plan not later
than May 1, 2024, and every five years after that date to coincide
with the regional water planning group.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
The city administrator, or his/her designee, is hereby authorized
and directed to implement and enforce this water conservation plan.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
The provisions of this plan shall apply to all persons, customers,
and properties utilizing water provided by the city. The terms person
and customers as used in the plan include individuals, corporations,
partnerships, associations, and all other legal entities.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
The city utility profile is found under exhibit A to this water
conservation plan and is maintained on file in the office of the city
secretary.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
(a)
In accordance with 30 TAC part 1, chapter 288, subchapter C,
rule 288.2(a)(1)C the following objectives and five (5) and ten (10)
year targets have been established.
(b)
The objectives of this water conservation plan are as follows:
(1)
Maintain the per capita municipal water use below the specified
amount in gallons per capita per day in a normal climate year, as
shown in the completed table 3.1.
(2)
To promote water conservation.
(3)
To determine and control unaccounted water usage.
(4)
To reduce the loss and waste of water.
(5)
To maintain an accurate record of water usage.
(c)
Goals of the program (5 year and 10 year):
(1)
Maintain the level of unaccounted water in the system below 5 percent annually in 2024 and subsequent years, as discussed in section 13.10.039.
(2)
The projected baseline to reduce per capita per day consumption
is 209 GPCD.
(3)
To accomplish these goals the city will utilize the programs
and policies in this plan such as accurate metering devices, universal
metering, meter testing and repair, periodic meter replacement, control
of unaccounted water, public education, nonpromotional water rates,
and leak detection and repair.
|
Table 3.1
Water Conservation Plan 5- and 10-YR Goals for Water Savings
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Previous 5-yr Average
|
Baseline
(2023)
|
5-yr Goal for Year 2029
|
10-yr Goal for Year 2034
| |
|
Total GPCD
|
217
|
209
|
215
|
210
|
|
Residential GPCD
|
120
|
119
|
115
|
110
|
|
Water Loss GPCD
|
12
|
12
|
10
|
9.5
|
|
Water Loss Percentage
|
6%
|
6%
|
5%
|
5%
|
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
(a)
The city meters 100% of the connections to the distribution
system including municipal uses. Meters range in size from 3/4" to
8". All meters are designed to provide accurate flows to within +/-
5%. The city has upgraded water meters to the flex net system to allow
for real-time readings. Utility personnel and customers are able to
collect electronic readings hourly. The flex net system will help
with investigating abnormal usage on a daily basis.
(b)
The city practices a meter change-out program whereby meters
are changed out as needed. Additionally, larger meters are field tested
and repaired for accuracy. Generally, the city does not use repaired
meters in the system.
(c)
The water treatment plants have metering for treated water.
The metering is accomplished through turbine meters. Certified calibration
is performed bi-annually.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
Unaccounted water is the difference between water pumped and
metered water sales to customers, plus authorized but unmetered uses.
(Authorized but unmetered uses would include use for firefighting,
releases for flushing of lines, uses associated with new construction,
etc.) Unaccounted water can include several categories:
(1)
Losses due to water main breaks and leaks in the water distribution
system.
(2)
The water plants are monitored daily and system pressure is
checked, but any unusual pressure level may be indicative of sizeable
leaks and reported to the maintenance section as soon as noted.
(3)
Inaccuracies in customer meters. (Customer meters tend to run
more slowly as they age and under-report actual use.)
(4)
Losses due to illegal connections and theft.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
(a)
The city will support programs to educate the public regarding
water conservation activities that support its goals. This includes
educating the general public on the need for and practices of water
conservation through public service announcements and other means.
This information will be provided by means of public notice, website,
press releases, and mailings.
(b)
Through the city website and the annual consumer customer report,
the city will provide water conservation tips to its customers. In
addition, the city will partner with the schools to educate the students
on water conservation.
(c)
Through flex net system customers are educated on how to monitor
their water usage on a daily basis.
(d)
The city is providing to new residents a new moisture meter
to monitor the soil moisture in yards and landscaping to reduce the
use of over watering.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
The city has base rates determined by the size of the meter,
and a declining block rate. Exhibit B to this plan, which is maintained
on file in the office of the city secretary, is a copy of the water
rates from the Code of Ordinances.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
The city owns and operates six (6) ground water plants. Two
of the plants are in Harris County, three in Waller County, and one
plant in Fort Bend County. The water is pumped from the wells, and
it is treated and stored in ground storage tanks and/or elevated storage
tanks, which produces the water pressure for residential and commercial
use. The volume capacity of the six (6) storage facilities is 8,750,000
gallons. The six (6) water plants are able to produce between 11 million
and 12.3 million gallons of water per day, depending on aquifer levels,
with all six water plants in full operation.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
The city has two water supply and interconnect contracts with
Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 37 and Willow Creek
Farms Municipal Utility District, which are only used on an emergency
situation basis. The city has one water supply and interconnect contract
with Waller County Improvement District Number 2, which is used on
a daily basis.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
(a)
The city operates under the 2017 [2021] International Plumbing
Code. This code has been formally adopted by the city council and
is included in the city Code of Ordinances. A copy of this code is
on file with the city secretary. The city routinely inspects new construction,
remodeling, add-ons, etc., through building permits. All new construction
is required to meet state and federal rules regarding water-conserving
plumbing fixtures.
(b)
The city does not offer a program for the replacement or retrofit
of water conserving plumbing fixtures in existing structures other
than what would be required through the permitting process for remodels
and building upgrades.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
The city reclaims and reuses nonpotable water for the cleaning
of the wastewater plant and for chlorination make-up water at the
wastewater plant.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
The city recognizes that in order to accomplish the goals and
objectives of this water conservation plan, other conservation measures
may be required that are not outlined within the body of this document.
The city is aware of the water conservation best management practices
guide ("BMP") and as deemed necessary, the city will implement other
measures either from the BMP guide or as otherwise seen fit to assure
compliance with the plan.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
In addition to this water conservation plan, the city also has
a drought contingency plan. Drought contingency planning has been
developed as a part of this water conservation plan as a means of
dealing with conditions which occur from drought and/or water emergencies.
The drought contingency and water emergency management phase of the
conservation plan has been developed using the guidelines of the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the TWDB.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
(a)
No person shall knowingly or intentionally allow the use of
water from the city for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural,
governmental, or any other purpose in a manner contrary to any provision
of this plan, or in an amount in excess of that permitted by the drought
response stage in effect at the time pursuant to action taken by the
city administrator, or his/her designee, in accordance with provisions
of this plan.
(b)
Any person who violates this plan is guilty of a misdemeanor
and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than $200.00.
Each day that one or more of the provisions in this plan is violated
shall constitute a separate offense. If a person is convicted of three
or more distinct violations of this plan, the city administrator,
or his/her designee, shall, upon due notice to the customer, be authorized
to discontinue water service to the premises where such violations
occur. Services discontinued under such circumstances shall be restored
only upon payment of a reconnection charge in accordance with current
policies and ordinances and any other costs incurred by the city in
discontinuing service. In addition, suitable assurance must be given
to the city administrator, or his/her designee, that the same action
shall not be repeated while the plan is in effect. Compliance with
this plan may also be sought through injunctive relief in the district
court.
(Ordinance 2912 adopted 7/22/19; Ordinance
3138 adopted 5/13/2024)
