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8 Public Utilities
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Water, electric power, and wastewater collection services undergird contemporary life. They create and convey many of the necessities of modern life. They can also affect development patterns by the way they centralize and disperse their services over networks, overcoming physical obstacles and meeting high demand that could otherwise limit development in areas without these services. The intensive nature of utility infrastructure itself can impact the built environment. Power lines and plants, water and sewer lines, treatment plants, and reservoirs all require planning, design, investment, and space. Citizens and public officials are increasingly aware of the impacts associated with providing these utilities and have responded with a number of policies and programs designed to mitigate negative impacts. This chapter provides an overview of existing and planned utilities for potable water, wastewater, reclaimed water, and electric utility services and their relation to comprehensive planning. The State of Texas sets many of the parameters for the operation of utility providers within the Austin area and regulates competition for utility business, particularly for electric service. In many instances, the City is obligated to provide services to customers, given that certain requirements are met. The Austin Water Utility plans to be the City’s retail utility provider in the ETJ wherever the City intends to annex land in the future so that citizens within the city limits receive consistent urban-level service from the City. Because of this, the City is a major utility provider in the regional utility system since it owns and operates the largest water and electric system in the area. The City’s water, wastewater and reclaimed water systems are regional in nature. Planning water system infrastructure often considers not only existing City limits and service areas but also regional areas, such as the Desired Development Zone and the ETJ. Austin Water Utility (AWU) supplies water, wastewater, and reclaimed water to retail customers within and outside the corporate City limits of Austin, as well as water and/or wastewater service to approximately 21 wholesale customers, including other cities, water control and improvement districts, water supply corporations, municipal utility districts, and private utilities. As part of the City's annexation program, AWU has acquired other utility systems over the years as neighborhoods with independent utility systems or systems connected to AWU are annexed and integrated into AWU’s operations and maintenance program. There are agreements with neighboring systems for future annexations and for assistance during drought and other emergency situations.
8.1. Stormwater System
This section covers the stormwater system and localized flooding complaints. Funding sources for the stormwater system, as well as the ongoing maintenance and repair activities that the Watershed Protection Department (WPD) conducts, are addressed in section 3.2 of the “Natural Environment” chapter. Localized flooding is used to describe flooding that occurs in the secondary drainage system. The secondary, or “local,” drainage system is composed of storm drainpipes, curb inlets, manholes, minor channels, roadside ditches, and culverts. WPD maintains more than 900 miles of storm drainpipe, ranging in size from as small as six inches in diameter to the Little Shoal Creek Tunnel, which is a 10-foot concrete arch. In addition to minor channels and ditches, the system includes over 29,000 storm drain inlets, 3,200 manholes, 4,500 outfalls,
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9,000 culverts, and 4,000 ditches. This system is intended to efficiently convey stormwater flows to the primary drainage system in Austin—its creeks. When the secondary drainage system is inadequate, localized flooding usually occurs.
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To better understand the storm drain system needs, locations of customer reported flood complaints were mapped using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The drainage complaint database and flood survey results were mapped using the City’s standardized GIS street address database. Results were then prioritized, with buildings with reported flooding receiving the highest priority. WPD has received over 8,600 drainage complaints through 2008 and estimates that 3,188 structures are at risk of localized flooding. In order to tie the drainage complaints to the storm drain system, WPD conducted an extensive engineering analysis of all the storm drains in the urban core. This study has been completed in 15 watersheds and portions of five additional watersheds. An inventory of the actual condition of the existing storm drain is necessary to identify infrastructure with reduced service. WPD has initiated a program to inventory and analyze the existing drainage system within the City. The project is referred to as the Drainage Infrastructure GIS (DIG), and is expected to be completed by 2012. Once complete, WPD will know the location, elevation, dimensions, age and limited condition of the existing drainage infrastructure. Planning is on-going to acquire a full condition assessment of the stormdrain system but relies heavily on video inspection due to the size of the pipes. Inventory and modeling of the existing drainage system will then be conducted in concert with the completed storm drain study to provide a better understanding of the storm drain system and upgrade needs. Much of Austin’s urban core was built prior to modern requirements for adequate local storm drain systems. In 1974, the Waterway Ordinance was enacted. Its requirements ensure developments could convey larger storm events. Storm drain systems in developments built prior to this time—including the vast majority in the Urban Watersheds and the most densely populated areas—are often undersized, and in poor condition. Map 8-1 shows the location of the drainage complaints relative to development constructed prior to the 1974 Waterway Ordinance. There is a greater demand for storm drain improvements in the urban core, which is expected to continue increasing as more intensive infill and redevelopment occurs. WPD has identified more than 420 areas in the inner city needing storm drain upgrades due to existing capacity. This estimate is likely to be low, as the City has primarily only repaired storm drain systems that have collapsed, and does not have in place a routine maintenance program for the storm drain system. Maintenance that has occurred has been in response to complaints. The condition of storm drains within the city will be documented in the DIG project, with the goal of establishing a program of routine scheduled maintenance to address storm drain infrastructure needs. Map 8-2 depicts the High Priority Localized Flood Areas and has identified potential Capital Improvement Program projects for some of the areas. The projects that have been identified are estimated to cost in excess of $300 million in the base year (2009). This is not the whole universe of projects and does not include the replacement costs of older systems, which could easily exceed $500 million in the next 20 years. Each area requires further study to determine possible costs and solutions. The implementation of solutions to the areas is directly dependent on funding availability.
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Map 8-1: Drainage complaints and subdivisions built prior to 1974
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Map 8-2: High priority localized flooding areas
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8.2. Water and Wastewater System
Municipal Water Supply
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In 2008, AWU served approximately 800,000 people directly, with a further 54,000 people through wholesale sales, for a total service population of approximately 854,000. AWU currently serves approximately 208,000 connections with approximately 3,600 miles of water mains and 25,000 public hydrants. AWU operates 9 major pressures zones (Map 8-3) and approximately 35 storage tanks and 35 pump stations matched to the significant topographical changes over the service area. Water is drawn from the Colorado River (on Lake Austin) into two water treatment plants.
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Map 8-3: Water System
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The operation of the treatment plants and pump stations results in AWU being Austin’s Energy’s largest customer among other City departments. The water treatment plants have a combined capacity to treat and distribute 285 million gallons per day (MGD). The next increment of capacity that will be added is the initial 50 million-gallons-per-day phase of Water Treatment Plant #4, with a targeted completion date of spring 2014. Table 8-1 has a summary of the current plant capacities. In December 2008, AWU decommissioned its Green Water Treatment Plant, the City’s oldest, which was built in 1925.
Table 8-1: City of Austin Water Treatment Plants and Capacity
Plant Name Davis Ullrich Total
a) Expanded in 1963, 1977, 1987, and 1999. b) Modernized in 1993 to meet the higher standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act and expanded in 1987 and 2000. Capacity expansion from 100 to 167 MGD, was recently completed. Source: City of Austin
Year Constructed 1954 1969
Treatment Capacity (million gallons/day) 118a 167b 285
The following chart shows the City’s historical water treatment plant milestones with the completion of the City’s first filtration plant in 1925 (Green), Davis in 1954, and Ullrich in 1969, plotted against served population. Plant expansions are also shown.
treatment Figure 8-2: AWU service population and water treatment plan milestones (1920 – 2020)
Figure 8-3shows the projected peak day demand with planned treatment capacity upgrades, under two water conservation reduction scenarios (savings of 16 MGD in 10 years savings of 25 MGD in 10 years) lines. These represent projected impacts of the Water Conservation Task Force recommendations approved by the City Council in 2007.
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Figure 8-3: Projected peak day demand and treatment capacity (2007 – 2025)
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The City holds permitted water rights granted by the State of Texas to divert up to approximately 294,000 acre-feet per year (AF/yr) (or 262 MGD) from the Colorado River for municipal, irrigation, and industrial use. These water rights are run-of-river rights in the State’s priority water rights system, meaning that the City is permitted to divert water under these rights if the water is available for diversion after other, more senior water rights are first fulfilled. As such, there are conditions under which this water is not available to be relied upon by the City of Austin. Therefore, Austin has entered into firm water supply contract agreements with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to ensure that Austin’s water supply is firm and reliable under a wide range of hydrologic conditions, including droughts. A description of the reservoir systems operation plan is available through the LCRA. Through a 1999 contractual arrangement with LCRA, the City has a reserved firm water supply of 325,000 AF/yr. (or 290 MGD). AWU currently draws its drinking water supply for its two water treatment plants from Lake Austin, an impoundment on the Colorado River. The planned Water Treatment Plant #4 will draw water from Lake Travis, which is the major reservoir immediately upstream from Lake Austin. The City’s reserved firm water supply of 325,000 AF/yr exceeds current demand levels, which average approximately 160,000 AF/yr. This firm supply is projected to meet demand at least through 2050, based in part on the City’s water conservation and reuse goals. In 2007, Austin entered into a supplemental water supply agreement with LCRA to provide Austin with an additional 250,000 AF/yr of firm water to be jointly planned in increments for future needs beyond the 1999 contract’s 325,000 AF/yr level. This amount of water supply, when secured, is projected to be sufficient to meet Austin’s needs at least through the year 2100. Figure 8-4 shows the historical and projected water needs through 2030.
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Figure 8-4: Municipal water demand history and projections, 1990 – 2030 projections,
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Drought Management Actions
LCRA uses storage levels in the Highland Lakes reservoirs, and other factors, as the indicators of possible severe, long-term drought conditions. LCRA manages the Highland Lakes, including Lakes Travis and Buchanan, as one system, resulting in a maximum combined storage capacity of 2.1 million acre-feet per year. The Drought of Record (DOR; a benchmark for severe drought conditions which is used for planning purposes) for the Highland Lakes reservoirs occurred during the years 1947-1956 when the combined water storage levels of Lakes Travis and Buchanan fell to 681,000 acre-feet (or 222 billion gallons). According to its 1999 Water Management Plan for the Lower Colorado Basin, LCRA plans to ensure that there is no shortage of stored water for firm demands during a repeat of the DOR. LCRA has developed a Drought Contingency Plan to maintain water supplies by working with water customers to implement various water use restrictions to reduce water use during periods of drought. At a combined Lakes Travis and Buchanan storage volume of 900,000 acre-feet, LCRA plans to meet with their firm water customers and request that they implement mandatory conservation measures. In accordance with this plan, at a combined Lakes Travis and Buchanan storage level of 600,000 acre-feet, LCRA will implement pro-rata curtailments of firm water if the LCRA Board declares a drought is more severe than the DOR. LCRA has developed a procedure for identifying a drought worse than the DOR and routinely monitors the Highland Lakes watershed. If drought conditions are worse than the DOR, LCRA may implement pro-rata curtailments of firm water.
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In order to minimize negative effects of periods of severe water shortages, in 2009, the City updated its Drought Contingency Plan, in accordance with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements. An Emergency and Peak Day Water Use Management Ordinance (2007) was put in place which outlines the City’s stages for taking action during such periods caused by drought, water supply contamination, system outage due to failure or damage of water system, or other emergency conditions. If the available supply is less than the anticipated demand, the City can consider and implement additional demand management measures. The City may consider and implement emergency conservation measures if it is required to curtail water use during a drought worse than the DOR.
Water Conservation
The City of Austin formally established its Water Conservation Program in 1983. Since then, Austin has expanded and refined the program and continues to focus on implementing programs aimed at reducing demands, increasing water use efficiency, and saving the region’s valuable water resources. Austin Water Utility offers rebate and incentive programs, educational programs and community outreach, water use audits and evaluations, and other opportunities to reduce water waste and water theft. In addition, AWU is building the City’s reclaimed water system, essentially a third utility, to provide reuse water for certain approved non-potable uses, thereby extending Austin’s water supplies (see below). The water conservation and reclaimed water programs have recently merged to pool resources, maximize marketing efforts, and conduct joint research. Many of the water conservation and reuse efforts currently underway were initiated or enhanced through the efforts of the City Council and its appointed Water Conservation Task Force, which was established in 2006. The Task Force primarily focused on programs and measures to lower peak day demands to help manage the need for Austin’s next major water treatment plant project. In 2007, the City Council directed the City Manager to implement the Task Force’s recommendations. These measures are expected to save over 25 million gallons a day during peak season within ten years (Figure 8-5). The water management ordinance went into effect in October 2007 and achieved a greater than expected reduction in outdoor water use in its first full year. Other Task Force recommendations are being evaluated to determine the best implementation strategy. The efficiency and effectiveness of existing conservation efforts and future programming is being evaluated with an emphasis on sustainability, public acceptance, and the possibility of energy reduction in addition to water use reduction. The following graph shows the original projected the annual peak day savings aimed at achieving a savings of 25 MGD in ten years (an average of 1% per year) and updated estimates as of July 2009.
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Figure 8-5: Projected peak day savings from Water Conservation Task Force peak recommendations (2008 – 2017)
Projected Peak Day Savings
40 35 Estimated Peak Day Savings (MGD) 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
20 11 20 12 20 14 20 08 20 09 20 10 20 15 FY FY FY FY FY FY FY 20 16 FY FY FY 20 17 20 13
Estim. Range
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Updated Estimates July 2009
25 MGD
Council Peak Day Savings Goal: Save a cumulative 25 MGD in ten-years (based on 1% per year)
Original WCTF Estimates
Water Reclamation Initiative
AWU has been providing reclaimed water for irrigation since the 1970s. Intended uses for the reclaimed water are irrigation, cooling tower makeup, ornamental ponds, and manufacturing. Currently the reclaimed water program beneficially reuses approximately 1.6 billion gallons of water in an average year. The City of Austin has the beginnings of two main reclaimed water distribution systems from its two major wastewater treatment plants, Walnut Creek and South Austin Regional. Reclaimed water from these plants provides a non-potable water supply to applicable users in the City, including irrigation, commercial, industrial, and institutional. The major reclaimed water systems currently consist of two storage tanks, three pump stations, and approximately 29 miles of pipe. However, there are plans for considerable expansion in the future. An elevated storage tank is currently under construction near the RMMA redevelopment site (near 51st Street and Berkman Drive) and a main is under design to extend reclaimed water to the University of Texas. The reclaimed water program is regulated and permitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The program is consistent with State and regional water use planning. The following graph shows historical reclaimed water use and projected use through 2012, when reclaimed water use is projected to be 2.4 billion gallons per year or 6.6 MGD.
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Figure 8-6: Historical and projected reclaimed water use (2000 – 2012) reclaimed
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Bi l l i on gal l on s per year
3
2.5
2
Projected
1.5
Historical
1
0.5
0
2000-01 2001 -02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-1 0 201 1 0-1 201 -1 1 2
F i scal y e ar
Climate Protection and Energy Efficiency
The City of Austin adopted a Climate Protection Program in 2007, under which AWU has inventoried its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and identified opportunities for reducing those emissions, with a goal of being carbon neutral by 2020. Central to this effort are AWU’s ongoing programs in water conservation, energy efficiency, and onsite renewable energy generation. Almost 90% of AWU’s GHG emissions derive from the electricity obtained from Austin Energy and other providers. AWU uses on the order of 200,000,000 kWh per year, or less than 2% of Austin Energy’s total delivered electricity. Most of that electricity is used to simply pump drinking water and treat wastewater, so AWU’s efforts to promote water conservation will directly reduce GHG emissions. Recent improvements in pump operations and wastewater treatment at AWU’s Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, and South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant have significantly reduced energy consumption per volume of water treated. The planned Water Treatment Plant #4 project will save energy; because the plant will draw water from Lake Travis rather than Lake Austin, the higher elevation of this source water will translate to less pumping and less energy to get water to the same service areas currently served by the Davis WTP. AWU has estimated these savings to be on the order of 20 million kWh and 10,000 MTCO2-e per year, an estimated initial 13.5% less greenhouse gas emissions than if the same amount of water were delivered from the existing system.
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A direct way that AWU and Austin Energy can work together in addressing climate change is through establishing renewable energy generation at AWU facilities. Alternative energy projects currently being pursued are solar and methane gas cogeneration. As construction of a new roof at AWU’s Glen Bell Service Center moves forward, AWU is working with Austin Energy on a 115 kW solar array to be installed after the roof is replaced.
8.3. Wastewater System
City of Austin wastewater facilities serve approximately 195,000 connections with approximately 2,600 miles of sewer lines and 124 lift stations. The locations of these facilities and the small wastewater plants operated by the City of Austin are illustrated in Map 8-4. The wastewater service area is generally the same as the water system, although it serves fewer customers. Some City of Austin water customers have private septic tanks for their wastewater service. In 2008, AWU served approximately 774,000 people directly and 29,000 people through wholesale, for a total wastewater service population of approximately 803,000. The City operates two major wastewater treatment facilities: South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, with a combined capacity of 150 million gallons per day. Austin is also a partner with other regional entities, including Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Leander in the Brushy Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, located in Round Rock and serving the far northwest portion of Austin that does not drain toward the Colorado River basin. As of August 2009, AWU also operates seven small plants, which were generally acquired when independent utilities were annexed or purchased by the City. An eighth small plant at Lost Creek is expected to be added to the operating responsibilities on December 31, 2015. During this past fiscal year, the City’s two major wastewater treatment facilities discharged a total of approximately 93,000 AF/yr or 83 million gallons per day of highly treated effluent into the Colorado River. Sludge, the semi-solids remaining after the wastewater has been treated, was transferred from these two facilities to be further treated at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Facility. There, it is composted to create the EPA-approved, nutrient-rich soil compost known as Dillo Dirt.TM Dillo Dirt is used in Austin parks and sold to the general public by more than 20 local retailers.
Beneficial Biosolids Reuse Program
The Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Facility is the site of the Utility's nationally recognized Beneficial Reuse Program. A wastewater treatment bi-product referred to as “sludge” is delivered from the City's wastewater treatment plants to the facility and composted into an EPA-approved product known as Dillo Dirt. This organic compost product is sold to the public by local garden retailers and is used throughout the city by the Parks and Recreation Department as a nutrient-rich soil conditioner. Hornsby Bend is also the location of the Center for Environmental Research, a consortium of the Utility, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. The Center conducts research to develop solutions to long-term environmental concerns. AWU is also repairing the cogeneration capacity at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant. Currently, the methane gas produced from wastewater sludge treatment
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is used only for heating the anaerobic digesters that treat sewage at the facility. In the past the gas was also used to generate electricity for the plant, and planned repairs in 2009 should allow generation of at least 500 kW by 2010 with a potential of up to 2 MW in the future.
Table 8-2: City of Austin Wastewater Treatment Plants and Capacity
Major Plant Name Walnut Creek South Austin Regional Total
a) Expanded b) Expanded
Year Constructed 1977 1986
Effluent Treated (MGD) 47 36 83
Current Treatment Capacity (MGD) 75a 75b 150
in 1986, 1989 and 2005. in 1987, 1988, 1998 and 2006.
Source: City of Austin
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Map 8-4: Wastewater System
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8.4. Electric Energy
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Austin Energy (AE) is the nation’s 9th largest community-owned electric utility and the largest City of Austin department, with revenues of approximately $800 million, and operating and maintenance expenditures of approximately $430 million. The utility transfers about $73 million to the City’s general fund budget, helping to fund other City services. Other areas of Austin’s ETJ are served by Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, Pedernales Electric Cooperative, and TXU Electric.
Electricity Customers
AE serves 388,000 customers and a population of more than 900,000, including several communities outside of Austin’s city limits. AE’s 200 largest commercial and industrial customers provide about 34 percent of all revenues. Its 41,000 commercial customers provide nearly the same revenue as its 345,000 residential customers. AE also serves four municipal street and highway programs (powering street and traffic lights, for example) as well as more than 1,500 governments and agencies (including the City of Austin, State of Texas, Travis County, and the Lower Colorado River Authority).
Table 8-3: Electricity customers by class Number of Customer class customers Consumption Residential 345,197 3,908,318,000 Commercial 41,825 4,350,912,000 Industrial 75 1,930,289,000 Street/highway 4 47,230,000 Other government 1,519 1,088,320,000
While AE’s ability to provide energy is fairly constant, the demands of its customers vary throughout the day and throughout the year, with the peak of electricity demand in summer evenings as workers return home (Figure 8-7). Fall and spring typically have the lowest demand, while winter is in-between. Peak demand in winter is usually between 7am and 9am. 2009’s early summer heat wave has had several record-breaking demand days. AE has not increased base electric rates since 1994. Increases in fuel costs are handled through a Fuel Charge, which is updated annually. This charge is a dollar-for-dollar recovery of the cost of fuel used to generate the power consumed by AE customers, fees paid by AE to support the electricity grid, and power purchased from the wholesale market. The fuel charge is about one-third of the average residential customer’s electric bill. The base electric rate—the other two-thirds—includes power production, distribution and transmission, customer service, conservation programs, and other AE activities, including transfers to the City’s general fund.
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Figure 8-7: Example demand profile throughout a typical August day
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Electricity System
Power sources
This pattern of demand has an impact on the mix of power sources that AE uses to generate electricity. Generally, the lowest cost resources are used for the “base load”—the minimum amount of electricity needed throughout the day—and run almost constantly. AE’s base load resources are coal and nuclear. More costly power sources, such as natural gas plants, are used for the first part of the rise in demand, while the most expensive resources (such as gas units that start and stop quickly) are used for peak periods. Typically, base load resources are the most expensive to build, the cheapest to operate, and the slowest to start or stop; peak resources are cheaper to build, but more expensive to operate.
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Figure 8-8: Austin Energy electricity generation capacity by source, 1960 - 2008
N am eplate C apacity (M W )
4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 South Texas 1500 Fayette Power Plant 1000 Decker Power Plant 500 0 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Sand Hill Energy Center Conservation (est.) Holly Power Plant Wind power
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Note: The following sources are not shown: combined heat & power (9 MW), landfill methane (11.8 MW), summer peak purchase agreements (300 MW).
As of September 2008, AE had approximately 2,760 MW of generation capacity, including facilities owned or co-owned and power purchased under contract. Purchased power resources include an additional 300 MW of summer-only power purchases through summer 2010. AE receives base load generation from the South Texas Project (nuclear) and the Fayette Power Project (coal). AE owns two natural gas-fired generation facilities—the Decker Creek Power Station and the Sand Hill Energy Center—both located in Austin. The two plants have an approximate generating capacity of 1,435 MW. In addition, AE owns and operates two 4.5 MW combined heat and power units fueled by natural gas. While AE nuclear and coal generation each make up only about one-third of total AE generating capability, the two sources together provide almost 60 percent of AE’s power because they operate 24/7 year round, except for refueling. AE has contracts for the annual energy produced by 439 MW of wind turbines located in West Texas. The utility also receives 12 MW of output from two landfill methane gas projects, one located near Austin and the other in San Antonio. From 1982 through 2003, AE conservation, efficiency, and load-shifting programs reduced peak demand by 600 MW. Since 2004, AE has been working on a goal to reduce peak demand by an additional 700 MW by 2020. Conservation and efficiency programs seek to reduce energy use, while load-shifting programs encourage AE customers to use electricity during off-peak hours, reducing the total generation capacity that AE needs to maintain. These programs delay the need for new power plants, while also reducing customer energy
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bills. This “conservation power plant” also costs far less than building new generation facilities.
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AE’s 2020 energy resources plan calls for maintaining its current generation resources and its current conservation and load-shifting goal of 700 MW by 2020 (compared to 2004 demand). To meet the remaining gap of approximately 238 MW of its projected load, AE plans to add 300 MW of natural gas generation by expanding the Sand Hill Energy Center (100 MW of that total is currently under construction) and 912 MW of renewable. Doing so would meet the AE’s 30% target by 2030.
Figure 8-9: Projected load through 2020 with resource plan
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Delivery
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AE maintains over 5,000 miles of overhead primary and secondary power lines, 4,000 miles of underground primary and secondary lines, and 48 substations. A reliable electric delivery system is important to customer economics and customer satisfaction. AE is committed to continually improving its reliability by reducing the frequency and duration of power outages on the distribution system and voltage sags on the transmission system. AE has established the following reliability targets, which would put it among the top 10% of electric utilities nationwide: • • • SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) <= 60 minutes. SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) <= 0.8 interruptions per year. SATLPI (System Average Transmission Line Performance Index) = 4.1 average per year.
10: Figure 8-10: Austin Energy reliability metrics and performance for electricity delivery, Fiscal 20022007Years 2002-03 through 2007-08
Target Measure Average interruption duration (min.) Average interruptions per year Transmission line performance 08-09 60 0.8 4.1 02-03 64.93 0.85 n/a 03-04 62.72 0.88 4.5 fiscal Actual (by fiscal year) 04-05 79.06 1.05 4.1 05-06 86.1 0.99 4.2 06-07 82.13 1.02 4.1 07-08 48.29 0.66 3.6
Reliability in 2008 was heavily influenced by fair weather and drought and resulted in the best performance since tracking these metrics began. AE continues to focus on cost effective investments in the distribution system and has increased staff available to perform equipment inspections, begun completing coordination studies, completed and planned several feeder ties, and continued tree trimming. Several projects aimed to improve long term reliability by replacing aging substation assets were completed as planned in 2008. Prior transmission system improvements also continued to yield excellent results, with very few AE voltage sags impacting large customers in 2008.
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Map 8-5: Austin Energy Power System
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Efficiency and Conservation
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AE began to offer energy efficiency programs in 1982. Today, it provides energy efficiency and conservation programs that together save the city 500 megawatts of power, or roughly enough to power 50,000 homes per year. Higher efficiency lowers costs to AE and its customers, while also reducing power plant emissions and promoting economic development in the Austin area. The diverse mixture of programs offered by Austin Energy has achieved all-time record reductions in peak electric demand of 65.4 MW and over 119,000 MWH of annual energy usage. In addition, Table 8-4 shows the reduction in six emissions in FY 2006-07.
PowerReduction, Table 8-4: Estimated Power-Plant Emission Reduction, October 2006 through September 2007, Austin Energy service area
Power Plant Emission Carbon Dioxide Nitrogen Oxides Sulfur Dioxide Carbon Monoxide Suspended Particulates NMOC (VOC) Weight in Metric Tons 69,958.0 48.8 44.1 33.9 6.0 1.7
Source: City of Austin State of Environment Report. April 2008
The Power Saver Program provides incentives to AE’s residential and commercial customers. The program provides technical assistance and energy audits, identifies efficiency opportunities, makes recommendations on the most cost-effective measures, and offers financial incentives for installation of qualifying equipment. The Green Building Program provides plan-review and technical assistance services to building industry professionals seeking to have their projects evaluated for energy and resource efficiency or sustainability. Green Building evolved out of the Austin Energy Star Homes Program. Energy Star Homes was operated as an alternative path to energy code compliance for home builders. The program was popular with builders because City staff helped builders and designers find the best approach to meeting or exceeding the City’s energy code requirements, rather than simply inspecting homes and giving them a red or green tag. Green Building has developed and continually updates sustainable rating tools for single family homes (Map 8-6), multifamily complexes (Map 8-7), and commercial buildings (Map 8-8). Each of these rating tools was developed to be responsive to Austin’s climate, the requirements of Austin’s building codes, building industry practices specific to Austin, and the needs and priorities of the community. Homes and buildings are rated on a scale of one to five stars, with five stars being the highest level attainable. These rating tools evaluate a building’s sustainability in the areas of: • energy efficiency (emissions reductions), • water conservation and water quality, • efficient materials use and recycling, • indoor environmental quality, and
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• community issues (impact on infrastructure and community building).
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Green Building continues the collaborative approach developed in the Austin Energy Star Homes Program in its efforts to rate the sustainability of residential and commercial buildings in Austin. Green Building staff provide technical assistance to builders, designers, architects, engineers, and the public to guide them in their efforts to build more sustainable buildings. Building professionals who participate in the program are invited to monthly technical seminars on topics that range from the latest developments in water conserving toilets to photovoltaic (solar) energy systems. The lunch-time professional seminars attracted more than 1,000 attendees in 2006. All Green Building services provided in the Austin Energy service area are free. Each project or participating firm is assigned a staff representative who is the point of contact with the program for that project. This close collaboration between the program and the industry allows Green Building to act as the first point of contact for the City with building projects. As program staff work with the design teams and builders, they are able to refer the projects to other City programs that can have an impact on sustainability.
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Map 8-6: Single-family residences with Green Building ratings Single-
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Map 8-7: Multifamily projects with Green Building ratings
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Map 8-8: Commercial projects with Green Building ratings
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8.5. Recycling and Solid Waste Management
At the Curb and Beyond
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Curbside collections of garbage, recyclables, and yard trimmings are arguably the most visible of all City services. Residents are accustomed to seeing Solid Waste Services’ trucks in their neighborhoods on a weekly basis. There are, however, numerous activities that the department undertakes to improve Austin’s environment that are less obvious to the general public. Some of these “behind the scenes” accomplishments in 07/08 included the following: • The Household Hazardous Waste facility served 12,316 households and diverted approximately 976,460 pounds of waste; • Street cleaning crews swept 7,769 tons of material from city roadways; • Litter Control cleaned 439 illegal dumpsites and 779 right-of-ways; • Litter Abatement crews collected 2,747 tons of storm debris during the months of May through July; and • Code Enforcement investigated 10,036 property abatement complaints and responded to 6,955 zoning code complaints.
Pay As You Throw
Solid Waste Services provides weekly collection of garbage, recycling, and yard trimmings through its nationally recognized Pay As You Throw program. Pay As You Throw provides a volume-based system for garbage collection which ties the fees charged to customers to the volume of garbage generated. One measure of the success of such a system is the “diversion rate”—the rate at which curbside residential waste is diverted from area landfills. Although SWS also diverts much of the tonnage of bulky items and large brush collected from residents, only the tonnage of yard trimmings and recyclables from weekly curbside collections factors into the official diversion rate. In Fiscal Year 2007-08, Solid Waste Services’ diversion rate was 28.81% (see Table 8-5). The recycling participation rate was around 71% citywide. Solid Waste Services owns and operates a Material Recovery Facility, where curbside recyclables are sorted and sold. The City’s facility is also open to private haulers. In 2007-08, the MRF processed 49,419 total tons of material, approximately 11% over the amount processed the previous fiscal year. The facility sold a total of 40,181 tons of recyclables and generated over $3.6 million in total revenue.
Solid FY07Table 8-5: Solid Waste Collection: FY07-08
Curbside Collection Recycling Garbage (tons) (tons) 140,380 71.19% 32,789 16.63% Yard Trimmings (tons) 24,027 12.18% Diversion Rate 28.81%
Households 173,067
Total tons 197,196 100.00%
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Brush/Bulky Brush/Bulky Collection Disposed Recycled Bulky (tons) Bulky (tons) 7,530 49.76%
Source: Source: City of Austin Solid Waste Services
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Households 174,164
Brush (tons) 7,401 48.90%
Total tons 15,134 100.00%
Diversion Rate 50.24%
203 1.34%
Commercial Commercial Waste Reduction and Recycling
Over the years, Solid Waste Services has also worked to increase the amount of business waste diverted from area landfills through waste reduction and recycling. The department has a number of programs that focus on Austin’s commercial waste stream. Through the Waste Reduction Assistance Program (WRAP), staff members conduct site visits and identify opportunities for businesses to source reduce and recycle their wastes. In FY07-08, staff assisted 510 businesses with various waste issues. The department also continued to promote the WasteSMART program, recognizing Austin businesses with exemplary waste reduction accomplishments. In 2007, Silicon Labs led the way as the first company to merit WasteSMART status, with notable achievements such as preventing the disposal of an estimated 300,000 plastic water bottles that year by installing filtered water stations in break rooms and providing reusable polycarbonate bottles to employees. By the end of FY07-08, twelve local businesses had achieved WasteSMART status. Solid Waste Services administers the City’s Commercial/Multifamily Recycling Ordinance, which requires businesses with at least 100 onsite employees and apartment complexes with at least 100 units to set up recycling programs. Department staff monitors compliance with the recycling ordinance and provides technical assistance in setting up recycling programs that meet requirements. In FY07-08, staff made 399 contacts with the community regarding the ordinance. Since the recycling ordinance went into effect in 1999, business owners and property managers have reported 398,788 tons of material recycled. The department has also set up cardboard and paper recycling for companies in the Central Business District contract area. In 2008, glass bottle recycling was also introduced to bars and restaurants located in this area. Downtown businesses recycled 294 tons of cardboard and paper and 56 tons of glass bottles in FY07-08. Through the On the Job Recycling Program, Solid Waste Services provides recycling collection to City offices. In FY07-08, City facilities recycled 516 tons of material.
Hazardous Waste Management
The City started collecting household hazardous waste at annual collection events in 1986. That year, event 450 households disposed of 37,000 pounds of hazardous waste. The program has since grown to include twice weekly collections at a central facility. In FY0708, 12,316 households disposed of approximately 976,460 pounds of hazardous waste. Table 8-6 provides a historical overview of the Household Hazardous Waste Program as it progressed from its inception as an annual program to its current weekly program.
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Table 8-6: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program, Historical results, 1986 – 2008
TWICE WEEKLY ANNUAL QUARTERLY WEEKLY EVENTS EVENTS SCHEDULE 198619941986-1990 1991-1993 1994-1999 1991Households Volume HHW (pounds) Waste Oil Recycled (gallons) Lead Acid Batteries Recycled Latex Paint (gallons) Disposal Cost Disposal Cost/Household 5,185 11,375 42,872 TWICE WEEKLY SCHEDULE 20002000-2007 65,089 ONE SATURDAY/ MONTH 2008 12,316 TOTAL
425,203
731,052
3,125,250
6,126,824
976,460
11,384,789
11,750 1,957
12,885 1,350
51,019 4,798
52,786 10,543
8,885 1,597
137,325 20,245
N/A $429,079
3,169
26,925
53,016
5,660 $357,206
88,770 $5,078,170
$913,248 $1,531,172 $1,847,465
$83
$80
$36
$29
$29
Source: City of Austin Solid Waste Services
Household hazardous waste includes waste oil, batteries, paints and solvents, lawn care chemicals, household cleaning products and automotive products. In short, anything that should not be put in the trash. If this waste were not collected, it would remain in homes or it would be discarded, risking injury to Solid Waste Services workers or pollution in the solid waste stream or wastewater or storm sewer systems. The program also has increased the public’s awareness of the hazards of these materials. Relocating to the new facility allowed for the opening of a Product Reuse Center where Austin residents can obtain new or unused material. This material includes paint and paint products, automotive products, cleansers, and garden products (excluding restricted or prohibited pesticides). In FY07-08, the product reuse efforts diverted over 50,230 pounds of new or unused products, saving almost $8,800 in disposal costs.
Utilities 8.6. Other Utilities
In addition, the City enters into contracts with private utility providers who use the City’s public rights-of-way, through the Office of Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs. This office ensures fair use of, and compensation for, the public rights-of-way and is responsible for the administration of cable, electric, and gas franchises, as well as the licensing of telecommunications services. The franchise agreements govern the setting of rates, provide
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franchise fees to the City, and establish other rules, such as on obtaining permits to construct facilities. The franchise agreements also require the private providers to create energy conservation programs as part of the City’s climate protection policies. Texas Gas Service serves 600,000 customers throughout Texas; Austin is the company’s largest market in the state. Austin Energy combines energy efficiency rebates with Texas Gas service for residents who want to improve insulation and seal leaking ducts.
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The City of Austin participates in the Greater Austin Area Telecommunications Network (GAATN), a high -speed wide area network connecting over 300 governmental and educational sites in Austin. It provides the capability to deliver data, text, voice and video information across the entire metropolitan area to support services which are currently impossible or impractical. The Community Technology Initiative also promotes digital technology in the community through training, grants and technology access. One of the beneficiaries of these grants is Austin Free-net, which offers technology training and computer and internet access at a number of sites throughout the City. All City libraries participate in Austin Free-net, providing access to the internet through dedicated computers or wireless connections.
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