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Aerial view of a bridge over a river, surrounded by lush greenery and a golf course.Aerial view of a bridge over a river, surrounded by lush greenery and a golf course.

Securing Austin’s water for generations to come

Facing rapid growth and worsening droughts, Austin Water partnered with CDM Smith to build a 100-year integrated plan ensuring long-term resilience and supply.  

Client

Austin Water 

Location

Austin, Texas

Connect with an expert

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Dan Rodrigo
Environmental Planner

Creating a sustainable, resilient plan for the next century 

Austin’s booming population and increasing drought risks placed tremendous stress on its limited water resources. To safeguard its future, Austin Water worked to develop a 100-year Integrated Water Resource Plan, a roadmap for sustainable supply diversification, reuse and conservation.  

Embracing a One Water vision

The plan unites water supply, reuse and stormwater under a single framework for long-term sustainability and reliability. 

Evaluating 47 water options

With detailed modeling and risk analysis, 47 supply and demand options were screened to identify the best long-term strategies. 

Integrating the triple bottom line 

Economic, environmental and social benefits guided decisions, ensuring equitable and climate-resilient water solutions. 

Engaging the community

Austin’s plan involved 80+ outreach events and a citizen task force, delivering transparency and shared ownership. 

Austin’s plan sets a national benchmark for forward-looking water management, expanding conservation, water reuse and alternative supplies while enhancing drought resilience and environmental protection. “This groundbreaking plan diversifies Austin’s water supplies and strengthens resiliency during droughts and climate change,” said Greg Meszaros, director of Austin Water.  

Curious to learn more?

Connect with an expert to find out how we delivered this project.

Rodrigo_Dan_2021.jpg

Dan Rodrigo

Environmental Planner

Dan is a leading expert in integrated water resources planning, decision science and climate risk and resiliency, with a gift for building stakeholder consensus.

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