Sources include Water Conservation Plans, Annual Reports, and Water Audit Report data. These are all obtained from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) staff. Additionally, Water Rate data is obtained from the Texas Municipal League (TML), Utility websites, and through communications with utility staff.

Since not all of these sources are updated on a yearly basis, Interim Scorecard updates reflect this: updates include four of the ten overall metrics from Annual Reports and yearly Water Audit Reports.

Data Sources by Scorecard

• 2016 Original Scorecard
  • 2009 Water Conservation Plan, TWDB
  • 2014 Water Conservation Plan, TWDB
  • Annual Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2015
  • Water Audit Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2015
  • 2015 Residential Water Costs Details, Texas Municipal League
  • Publicly-accessible WCP and/or conservation information, collected from Utility website in 2016
  • Outdoor watering schedule, information collected from Utility website or staff in 2016
• 2016 Interim Update
  • Annual Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2016
  • Water Audit Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2016
• 2017 Interim Update
  • Annual Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2017
  • Water Audit Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2017
• 2018 Interim Update
  • Annual Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2018
  • Water Audit Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2018
• 2020 Updated Scorecard
  • 2014 Water Conservation Plan, TWDB
  • 2019 Water Conservation Plan, TWDB
  • Annual Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2019
  • Water Audit Reports, submitted to the TWDB in 2019
  • 2019 Residential Water Costs Details, Texas Municipal League
  • Publicly-accessible WCP and/or conservation information, collected from Utility website in 2020
  • Outdoor watering schedule, information collected from Utility website or staff in 2020

In a full scorecard update, a utility’s score is determined by the following 10 metrics:

An interim, or partial, scorecard update is determined by 4 of the previous 10 metrics: whether the Annual Report was submitted, whether the Water Loss Audit was submitted, Percent Water Loss, and Number of BMPs implemented.

Water Conservation Plans (WCP) and Water Conservation Implementation Reports (WCIR) are required every 5 years by Texas law for certain entities. These entities are “Surface Water Rights holder w/ 1,000 acre-feet or more for municipal, industrial, and other non-irrigation uses” and “Surface Water Right holder w/ 10,000 acre-feet or more for irrigation uses”.

Water Conservation Plans ensure water use efficiency within a water utility’s operation. Water Conservation Plans outline a strategy or combination of strategies for reducing the consumption of water, reducing the loss or waste of water, improving or maintaining the efficiency in the use of water, and increasing recycling and reuse of water. This information is also helpful to the public, planning organizations, and agencies managing our state water resources. The latest cycle of Water Conservation Plans was due May 1, 2019.

The Annual Report evaluates a utility’s progress of program implementation in regards to the water conservation plan. The effectiveness of the water conservation plan is in the implementation of the water conservation program. Submitting the report annually provides an opportunity to evaluate program successes and needs.

The annual Report is a Texas Water Development Board requirement for entities meeting any of the following requirements:

• entities applying for or receiving financial assistance of greater than $500,000 from the TWDB;
• entities with 3,300 connections or more;
• entities that have a water right through TCEQ.

The Water Loss Audit provides utilities with a standardized approach for auditing water loss with a reliable means to analyze their water loss performance. Submitting this report is essential to help a utility understand where and how much water is being lost from the distribution system and will provide a baseline to track and improve water loss control. This information is also helpful to the agency managing and planning our state water resources.

All retail public water systems with more than 3,300 connections or a financial obligation to TWDB are required to complete and submit a Water Loss Audit annually. All other retail public water suppliers are required to submit a Water Loss Audit to the agency every five years. The next five-year deadline to submit an audit is for the 2020 reporting year, due May 1st, 2021.

Please note: a new legislative requirement under HB1573 requires water loss auditor training prior to submittal of a water loss audit to the Texas Water Development Board. The TWDB provides Water Loss Audit and Leak Detection Workshops for assistance if needed.

GPCD is the Net Use, divided by a Population Estimate, divided by 365 days. Net Use is defined as the volume of water taken into the system or systems of a city, minus water sales to other water systems and large industrial facilities. Additional information from the Texas Water Development Board: http://www.twdb.texas.gov/index.asp

The percentage of water lost from the distribution system provides the utility with a baseline from which to monitor and improve water loss control. A higher percent water loss potentially means that a utility is losing water that could be used or conserved to delay investment in expensive water infrastructure projects.

It is not required by law that Conservation plans to be available online. However, many utilities / municipalities have done so, which is a good thing. Communication of the WCP and/or water conservation information on city websites educates the public on current programs and how residents can become more engaged in conservation practices. To find yours it may take just a google search, or if that doesn't work then contact your utility and they can provide it for you.

BMPs are a menu of options for which entities within a water use sector can choose to implement in order to achieve benchmarks and goals through water conservation. Best management practices are voluntary efficiency measures that are intended to save a quantifiable amount of water, either directly or indirectly, and can be implemented within a specified timeframe. The greater number of BMPs a utility implements the more extensive reach water conservation measures will have.

Additional information from the Texas Water Development Board: http://www.twdb.texas.gov/conservation/BMPs/index.asp   

An outdoor watering schedule is restrictions put into effect to limit outdoor use of water supplies.  Studies have shown that annually outdoor water use for single-family homes in Texas accounts for approximately 31% of water use. A significant reduction in annual and peak water use could be realized if a city implemented a mandatory year-round outdoor watering schedule.

Additional Resource(s):

• The Grass is Always Greener…Outdoor Residential Water Use in Texas
• Water Conservation by the Yard: A Statewide Analysis of Outdoor Water Savings Potential
• Statewide Water Conservation Quantification Study Report

A water conservation pricing signal is a rate structure designed and priced in a way that significantly increases a consumer’s water bill when he or she uses more water and conversely offers a significant decrease in the bill when the customer conserves. The pricing signal is determined by calculating the percent increase in the amount a residential customer pays using 5,000 gallons versus 10,000 gallons. See below to understand how the “conservation rate structure” was calculated for the Scorecard:

Calculating the Conservation Pricing Signal

If residential customer “A” uses 5,000 gallons of water a month and pays $17.27 and residential customer “B” uses 10,000 a month and pays $28.62 the percent increase is calculated by:

• Subtracting the amount paid using 5,000 gallons ($17.27) from the amount paid using 10,000 gallons ($28.62) which is an increase of $11.35 in the amount paid.
• The price increase of $11.35 is divided by the amount paid at 10,000 gallon ($28.62) and multiply by 100 to get the percent increase when using 5,000 gallons versus 10,000 gallons.

$11.35 ÷ $28.62 = .3965 x 100 = 39.65%

Additional Resource(s):

• Designing Water Rate Structures for Conservation and Revenue Stability
• Designing Water Rate Structures That Support Your Utility’s Objectives
• Water and Wastewater Rates Analysis Model
• Texas Water and Wastewater Rates Dashboard

The annual percent reduction value is calculated as follows: dividing the change in GPCD (difference between baseline and goal) by the number of years of change (5-yr conservation goal = 5) by the current (baseline) GPCD and multiplying by 100. Example: Let’s say a utility has a 5-yr water conservation goal of 196 GPCD and a current or baseline water use of 204 GPCD in their 2014 WCP.

Annual percent water use reduction is calculated by:

• Subtracting the current or baseline water use by the 5-yr water use goal (204 GPCD – 196 GPCD = 8 GPCD);
• Then dividing that number which is “8”, by the number of years of change, which is “5” because it’s a 5-year goal;
• That number (1.6) is then dividing by the current or baseline GPCD, which is 204;
• The product of this calculation “.007843” is then multiplied by 100 to get an annual percent reduction of water use.
• 8 ÷ 5 ÷ 204 = .007843 X 100 = .78%

TWDB is a state agency that provides water planning, data collection and dissemination, financial assistance and technical assistance services to the citizens of Texas. Additional information:http://www.twdb.texas.gov/about/index.asp

TCEQ is the environmental agency for the state. TCEQ implements a broad range of air, water, and waste regulatory and compliance activities. Additional information: http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/

TML is a non-profit association which exists solely to provide services to Texas cities through legislative, legal and educational efforts. Additional information: http://www.tml.org/