-
Koska
Horseshoe Bay City Manager Jeff Koska was invited to tell committee members from the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO) about the city's water conservation program at an on-line meeting Wednesday.
Horseshoe Bay's water conservation efforts are noted locally and AARO wanted its members to know more about how the city handles its water supply.
AARO calls itself a “non-partisan non- profit organization of 10 business and civic leaders from Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bas trop, Burnet and Caldwell counties.” It says members are drawn from throughout the region and the economy to bring a diversity of views. AARO focuses on long-term challenges and addresses more immediate issues with long-term implications.
AARO head Sandy Hentges Guzman said the dozen members who sat in on the closed con-
'Automatic water meters not only save city staff time and effort but allow almost immediate pinpointing of water leaks.”
— Jeff Koska HSB City Manager ference would take back ideas about area water conservation.
AARO members include hospitals, col leges and universities, law firms, cities, gro- cery chains, Realtors and developers and banks, among others.
Koska pointed out that the city promotes water conservation all the time, not just during droughts, and does so through ed ucation, watering sched- ules and other efforts.
"Automatic water meters not only save city staff time and effort but allow almost-immediate pinpointing of water leaks," he said. "That's especially important for property owners who may have second homes here and aren't always on hand to know about leaks on their property." Many plants and an - imals in the local area depend on a water supply for survival, he said.
Besides the meters, the city Maintains a
twice-weekly watering schedule for all utility
customers based on odd or even addresses.
Allows rainwater harvesting (collecting and storing rainwater) under certain conditions and with a city permit.
Passes along LCRA rebates on irrigation systems.
Uses recycled water for watering golf courses.
Offers suggestions for water conservation throughout the home on its web site (www.horseshoe-bay-tx.gov). The city has received the prestigious Blue Leg acy Award from the Texas Water Conservation's Water Conservation Advisory Council recognizing residents' conservation efforts and the water conservation program is credited with helping get a recent boost in the Lower Colorado River Authority's water contract, doubling the city's potential water supply for the future.
"All future LCRA firm water contracts will require a conservation component management similar to what Horse- shoe Bay has used since 2016 (with measurable success)," Mayor Cynthia Clinesmith said.