Too many people are wasting way too much water. We are currently in a prolonged drought.  Every drop of water you use comes out of our Colorado River, probably Lakes Travis and Buchanan.  If you do not start conserving, then the lower levels of both lakes will be your fault!

Indoor conservation involves things as simple and "painless" as low flush toilets, low flow shower heads, water efficient clothes washers, turning the water off while you brush your teeth and soap your hands, turning lights off, unplugging appliances when not in use, and raising air conditioner temperature settings when you leave your house.

Outdoor conservation involves planting native plants (Many are really pretty.  This does not have to be a cactus garden in rocks!), watering between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m., watering twice a week for only about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (get a tuna can and place it in your lawn next time you water!), adding 6 to 8 inches of soil when you landscape (if you do not have this much soil, watering more than 1/2 inch will just water the rocks under your grass), mulch flowerbeds, check your sprinkler system for leaks at least twice a year, and only wash your car at a carwash that reuses water.

Cities can help in conservation by adopting graduated block rate pricing. Heavy users pay more per gallon. The top two tiers of pricing pay for conservation programs. (Block rate pricing should not be used for new, huge infrastructure projects.)

San Antonio has been incredibly successful by replacing the cities water-guzzling toilets with low flush toilets free to their customers and offering rebates on water efficient clothes washers, shower heads and other items. Austin offered some low flush toilets to all their customers with toilets made before 1996, but the program has been discontinued.  The new water plant and intake will be expensive.  Water rate payers need to use more water to pay for it!  LCRA initiated a small toilet program for Cedar Park and Lakeway, but no more.  Cities should license sprinkler companies.

Water leaks are a major cause of water waste in city water systems.  The Austin Water Utility has not even used the money it set aside for repairing leaks.

Conservation education is a necessity. Many people waste because they are not aware of what they are doing.  Cities waste because it is revenue!

Be a watch-dog. If you see a broken sprinkler head or a business saturating the street, let them know; write a letter to the editor about it to your local newspaper; tell your city council or water utility people. Several cities in the country have watch-dog programs where they give a reward for this information. (This is paid for by fines to the businesses and graduated block rate pricing.)