WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:06.440 Welcome to Mortgage Talk with Mark Harriston, the program that not only talks about 2 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:10.560 mortgages, taxes, and interest rates, but Mark and his guest talk real 3 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:14.839 estate trends and your home. He also answers your mortgage questions to help you 4 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:20.679 make the right financing or refinancing decisions. Now here's Mark harrisbody and welcome back 5 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:23.879 to Mortgage Talk with Mark Harriston. I'm your host, Mark Harriston, and 6 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:28.719 very excited about my guest today. I would introduce him just a second and 7 00:00:28.760 --> 00:00:33.000 we're gonna get off that path a little bit. Typically this show is around 8 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:39.399 mortgage information, qualifying for loans, investing in properties, some legal aspects, 9 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:45.439 possibly credit scoring, that sort of thing. Today my guest is Kevin Klugey, 10 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:51.600 who is the manager of the Introduce Yourself Again Water Conservation Division at Austin 11 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:55.079 Water. And I knew that top of my head. I just blacked out, 12 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:59.200 and he's this is the stuffy that everybody needs to be listened to and 13 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:03.159 knowing about. This summer in twenty twenty three was one of the hottest ones 14 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:07.560 I've been through. And I've been here forty six years and I've seen Lake 15 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:11.000 Travis go up and down over the years. But water is such a critical 16 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:15.439 thing, always has been, but especially as Austin has grown so much for 17 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:19.640 the last servant, certainly last twenty years, you know. And I'm really 18 00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:23.760 glad to have Kevin on to share his knowledge and expertise around conserving water and 19 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:26.200 what it looks like and what we're going to do in the future about it 20 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:30.400 as it relates to develop over at real estate, that sort of thing. 21 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:33.079 So take it away, Kevin. I'm just going to kind of sit back 22 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:34.840 as a listener, you know, and we'll chat a little bit, but 23 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:38.719 I want you to kind of run with it. Sure, Sure, thanks 24 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:42.319 Margaret. It's great being on this show, particularly one it talks about mortgage, 25 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:49.079 because water really impacts all facets of our life and our development and our 26 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:53.560 economy, so it's important to realize how water can intersect with different parts of 27 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:57.760 it. Yeah. Absolutely, So I was joking before we started. I 28 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:00.840 said, you know, my knowledge of water is when I turned my foss 29 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:05.000 on and I expected to come out, you know, and it always does. 30 00:02:05.480 --> 00:02:08.319 And that's not the limit of my right, right, And that's a 31 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:15.479 good thing. Hot water in the shower exactly. Yeah, and water in 32 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:20.159 the mortgage industry have a lot in common. They really both deal with a 33 00:02:20.199 --> 00:02:23.319 lot of supply and demand issues. When you have less supply, you have 34 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:29.000 to make adjustments, and that's really what we're doing in water conservation in the 35 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:32.719 city of Austin. Excellent. Here's some background, some background on myself. 36 00:02:34.439 --> 00:02:38.479 I actually grew up in Nebraska, the land of clean and bountiful groundwater, 37 00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:44.879 and never really gave water a second thought. After going to college, I 38 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:49.719 went into the US Peace Corps for several years on an island in the Pacific, 39 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:54.319 and that's really where I first got a glimpse of the value of water. 40 00:02:54.400 --> 00:03:00.479 Because our host family, our water supply was rain water catchment a lot 41 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:04.879 and on this island of Poondpei, so the catchment tanks often filled up, 42 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:07.560 but there would be months, several months in a row that we didn't have 43 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:12.039 anything, and you'd see the water go down, down, down in those 44 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:16.759 tanks, right, So it really stressed me the value of water. I 45 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:23.840 came back did graduate school and resource economics, and then came down to Texas 46 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:30.520 following my wife, where I met in the Peace Corps in Austin. So 47 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:34.479 that's where we ended up and I've been working at I've worked at the Texas 48 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:39.000 Water Development Board, a state agency in charge of planning and financing water across 49 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:43.719 the state, for twenty years, and then coming over to the Sea of 50 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:47.840 Austin for the last two years to really help implement some of these ideas that 51 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:53.120 they conceive of at the state level, but it really has to be implemented 52 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:58.639 at the local level. Are these ideas that implemented all over the state of 53 00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:01.439 whatever these I want you to go the dive in these ideas. So one 54 00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:06.039 of the things that the State of Texas has, which is really i'd say 55 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:11.120 unusual, really sets the state apart. We have a very strong and robust 56 00:04:11.639 --> 00:04:16.639 water planning process at the state level which they look at how much all the 57 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:23.199 cities and larger utilities are going to need, and then they put in strategies 58 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:29.160 for these different needs that these cities have in these industries and agg and what 59 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:32.639 have you. But they only identify the strategy. You know that that's that's 60 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:39.560 picking your battles, implementing that the that the local level that's fighting the battles, 61 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:43.560 right and that that's where you do. And that's what I do the 62 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:49.000 City of Austin here is implement those envisioned conservation ideas on the ground and with 63 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:55.360 customers. Awesome. Can you share some of those They know this so well. 64 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:59.720 I mentioned the city of our state of Texas has a very robust planning 65 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:02.839 program. So does the city of Austin. We have a great planning program 66 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:10.879 one hundred years out, but we also have a very strong conservation division and 67 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:16.120 programs within the city. Not only do we have rebates, but we do 68 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:21.360 have one of the few one day a week watering schedules across the state. 69 00:05:21.639 --> 00:05:27.879 ORE'SI only a few other utilities that have one day a week watering, which 70 00:05:27.879 --> 00:05:32.199 has really helped us to become much more efficient over time. Great. So 71 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:36.519 I failed to mention where I met you about It was probably August possibly. 72 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:42.120 I saw you at a at a sort of a round table but more of 73 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:44.480 a speaker panel, when you were one of the speakers of a group of 74 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:47.920 relters at the Morn of Relters, and I was really impressed with you know 75 00:05:47.959 --> 00:05:50.319 what you said because again I don't really think of that, but you talked 76 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:57.279 about Lake Travis being our water supply. Is that correct? It correct? 77 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:02.439 Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan or really where we store our water and unless you 78 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:08.439 drive by them every once in a while, you don't often realize how low 79 00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:12.160 they have become because, as you mentioned before, you turn on the water 80 00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:16.279 on the tap and the water comes out. You know whether the storage is 81 00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:20.639 one hundred percent or fifty percent or thirty percent, you know the water's coming 82 00:06:20.680 --> 00:06:26.680 out, and you don't realize where our water supply is. And as you 83 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:30.480 mentioned, you know this last summer was one of the hottest on records. 84 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:33.959 It was. It was a very hot summer. So there there's a lot 85 00:06:33.959 --> 00:06:41.120 of apple transpiration, irrigation, what have you. People used water when it's 86 00:06:41.160 --> 00:06:46.399 really hot. And we've been having constraints on our water supply over the last 87 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:54.519 several years. Actually, we really depend on rain, not in Austin. 88 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:58.319 It's great when it rains here in Austin, but it's really important when it 89 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:03.519 rains up base, no less upstream right up in the hill country San Saba, 90 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:10.439 places like that San Saba, Alano, further up the Colorado River. 91 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:15.560 That inflow. That's kind of like our income into our bank account. If 92 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:19.199 the Lake Travis and lake you Can and our bank account levels, how much 93 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:26.240 comes in is the income and that, as you mentioned, is record high 94 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:31.720 temperatures this last year. But last year the inflow our income into those highland 95 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:35.560 lakes was at a record low, at a record at a record low in 96 00:07:35.639 --> 00:07:41.040 twenty twenty two, eleven being very bad too, twenty eleven, it was 97 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:44.639 it was around the series. We set a new record in twenty twenty two 98 00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:48.439 in terms of water coming into the Highland lakes. So as a result of 99 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:53.399 that, our lakes have gone down to about between the two bu Can and 100 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:58.120 Travis, we have about forty percent of our water supply. So it's been 101 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:01.360 going down, down, down, and that's where really is trying to get 102 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:05.240 serious about helping folks save water. Now, these last couple of weeks, 103 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:11.360 we've had some good rains. It's been nice, cooled off and it's gone 104 00:08:11.480 --> 00:08:18.439 up. About two billion gallons have gone into those two reservoirs, which seems 105 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:22.879 like a lot, two billion gallons, but that's taken us from forty percent 106 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:28.079 of our to forty two. You're really close. So it has improved it 107 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:33.000 by two percent. All of that that rain. So even though we're getting 108 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:35.840 rain, it's not going to immediately take us out of trout. It's going 109 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:39.360 to be a while before we can we can get out of Trout. Yeah, 110 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:43.159 I was telling you. I live in Lakewhite, so I'm very familiar 111 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:45.559 with the lake levels. I don't live on the lake proper, but I 112 00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:48.679 do live in Old Lake Way, and we crossed the dam all the time. 113 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:52.679 In about two or three weeks ago, I took my grandson to a 114 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:56.799 pyod but it used to call it sometimes Island right there across from the oasis. 115 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:01.919 Well, now the peninsula out there, you know, Oh wow, 116 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:05.440 Yeah, it may may have covered up now that little area that you could 117 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:07.039 walk, but still I'm thinking this is pretty I've never seen it quite like 118 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:11.440 this, you know. So it's concerning, right, And I've been thinking 119 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:16.399 more about just when I do my dishes and I wash clothes, you know, 120 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:18.759 and all that sort of thing. How much water really is that? 121 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:22.000 I don't think of that, but I've been thinking about ever since I talked 122 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:26.879 to you, or bet you you know so well, all that that wondering 123 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:31.559 how much water I really use is one of the strategies that Austin is really 124 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:39.120 implementing now. And that's a strategy of installing smart meters for all Austin Water 125 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:46.120 customers. Okay, so these are meters we're putting on and they transmit how 126 00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:50.799 much is going through the meter every hour up to a system the cloud I 127 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:56.279 guess, and then Austin Water customers can now sign into the portal and see 128 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:03.320 exactly how much water they're using every hour and every hour, every hour if 129 00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:07.799 you want it to you. It's about it's about a one day delay between 130 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:09.559 getting the data up there, but once it's up there, then you can 131 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:15.720 see it. Right. We have about two hundred and fifty thousand customers Austin 132 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:22.840 Water and we have about one hundred and ninety thousand of these smart meters installed, 133 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:26.639 so we're almost there. Maybe another in this next year or so, 134 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:31.279 we'll have it across across the board with everyone's smart meter. Then people can 135 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:35.000 see how much they're using if they wonder how much am I? How much 136 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:41.080 is that irrigation time using? And they can also sign up for a number 137 00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:46.519 of great alerts like leak alerts. The system will tell you if it detects 138 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:52.799 a leak going on for multiple hours and I'll let you know, or it 139 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:56.200 will also let you know and you can set this on your portal if you're 140 00:10:56.240 --> 00:11:01.559 going up into one of the higher costs tiers. Okay, because in Austin 141 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:05.480 rates. We have five tiers, and it gets more expensive the more you 142 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:11.279 use. Okay, so some customers may want to know if they're projected to 143 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:15.960 go up into that fourth tier. It's a good point they give them a 144 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:20.559 little Hey, we're just letting you know you might be going up into that 145 00:11:20.679 --> 00:11:24.039 at this rate a little more expensive that way, right. And I remember 146 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:28.120 that wasn't this summer. But I own a home also in the Lost Creek 147 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:33.720 area in West Austin, and neighbor knocked on my door at like four or 148 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:37.080 probably five thirty in the morning and say, hey, man, you've got 149 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:39.519 a river run into your front yard, you know. Oh and it was 150 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:43.240 in the summer with a drought that year too. I forget what year was 151 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:46.360 that. Wo wasn't that long ago. Anyway, the ground had cracked the 152 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:50.960 pipe right there on the street there, you know, and the water was 153 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.519 pouring out. Yeah, I will say the city got out there very quickly. 154 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.279 We called whatever number you call them. They were out there with them 155 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:01.440 half an hour, you know, to take care of that. So that 156 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:05.480 was that was really good. But the guy was saying that the ground because 157 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:09.720 of the of the drought, was so dry it can actually affect the piping, 158 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:15.159 you know. So that was my experience, which wasn't good. Yeah, 159 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:18.720 you know. Yeah, So that's just one of the ways that that 160 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:26.559 Austin is working to make our system more sustainable because as we mentioned we at 161 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:31.879 the top of the show, we mentioned, you know, the mortgage industry 162 00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:35.039 and really the growth of the city and kind how that fuels that, and 163 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:41.679 that often leaves the question how can we continue to grow with essentially the same 164 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:46.039 amount of water. The reservoirs aren't going to change right, hopefully they'll start 165 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:48.960 feeling up faster, but we kind of have a set amount of water for 166 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:54.120 Austin, and the question is how can we continue to grow. Some people 167 00:12:54.279 --> 00:13:01.360 say we can't grow because we don't have we won't have enough water, and 168 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:09.279 we personally always trying to be very pessimistic about how much water will have so 169 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:13.879 that we can my group can prepare. I'm also very optimistic about what the 170 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:20.960 city can do because we have a smart, vibrant city, growing city, 171 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:26.080 and we can do a lot with learning how to use water more efficiently. 172 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:31.200 So that'll be really the key into the future in how Austin can grow. 173 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:35.399 Every current resident business is going to have to learn to use just a little 174 00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:41.279 bit less every year going forward, but every new house, every new business 175 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:46.799 is going to have to be even more efficient than the current ones. And 176 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:52.080 those are strategies that Austin and the Austin Water in the City of Austin are 177 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:54.519 also undertaking. Well, that's why I wanted to have you on there, 178 00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:56.720 because this is sort of public awareness, you know, announcement, if you 179 00:13:56.759 --> 00:14:01.480 will, public service, because I don't think I'm much different than a lot 180 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:03.919 of people who don't give us that much thought. You know that it could 181 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:09.399 be a problem, but it seemed to me a correcting if I'm wrong, 182 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:13.360 But you were just described me in this meeting that I saw you speak about 183 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:20.559 some sort of underground holding tank of water that makes the might right right, 184 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:24.360 correctly right, I mean, other than conservation, one of the near term 185 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:28.799 strategies we have is what's called aquifer storage and recovery. So the aquifers are 186 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:35.240 those layers of gravel generally, you know, deep in the ground in which 187 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:39.559 water is filled up, and when we have groundwater wells, that's we're pulling 188 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:43.879 water out of those aquifers. Now, we aren't going to build any more 189 00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:48.159 reservoirs in the Highland Lakes area. But what we can do is we can 190 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:52.720 store water in these aquifers that have been drawn down a bit, Okay, 191 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:58.039 through ground water use. Put our excess water. When we have excess water, 192 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:01.000 put it in there, and then we need it, we pull it 193 00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:05.720 out. Now, some of the benefits of this aqfor storage and recovery is 194 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:11.279 you don't have the evaporation loss. Because the evaporation loss over travesing Buchanan during 195 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:16.200 the summer was as much as any other use. I mean, it's very 196 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:18.759 significant. How much do you think we lost in evaporation? Can you any 197 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:22.679 ideas on that? Boy, I have to admit to be able to say, 198 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.879 hey, I have no idea, but it's a significant amount. We're 199 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:31.879 talking about billions of callons or something, right, it's a lot of a 200 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:33.399 lot of water. So when you put it on the ground, you don't 201 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:37.840 lose it to evaporation, and you don't also have to take up land. 202 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:43.639 So whenever you build a new reservoir, you have to purchase or condemn, 203 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:48.639 or one combination or another a large amount of land. But you don't have 204 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:52.799 to do that for aquefer storage and recovery. Yeah, generally, the uses 205 00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:58.279 that took place before the project can take place after. So Austin is in 206 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:03.879 the process of studying that see where the best locations for this aqua stores and 207 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:08.440 recovery are. It looks as though maybe to the counties to the east of 208 00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:12.840 US or east Travis County is where we have a bass drop or somewhere in 209 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:18.080 there. Yeah, in those areas, right right. Yeah. So we 210 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:22.440 our staff have been meeting with folks out there to assure them that this is 211 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:26.399 a project that is not going to take their groundwater. It's actually going to 212 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:30.360 fill up the aquifer until it's needed. Ye. So, and what is 213 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:33.799 your relationship with l c R, because I don't really understand that either, 214 00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:37.159 because it seemed to me that in the old days, the complaint was always 215 00:16:37.159 --> 00:16:41.120 that the LCR controlled the water supply coming out of Travis to the farmers or 216 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:45.799 something down screening. That's still the way it works. That's still the way 217 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:53.519 it works. L CRA, the Lower Colorado River Authority, manages the reservoirs 218 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:59.039 and the release and a lot of the water in the Colorado River. So 219 00:16:59.080 --> 00:17:03.720 they do send water down to the farmers downstream, and they store water for 220 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:10.960 us in the reservoirs since twenty eleven, they've they've redone their water management plan 221 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:15.400 to keep to be more conservative. I'd say keep more water up. That 222 00:17:15.480 --> 00:17:18.440 was one of the things in twenty eleven. They sent a big rush of 223 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:22.559 water down in twenty eleven and that really set us in a tight spot. 224 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:29.160 But they've they've revamped that to be a more conservative in terms of keeping water 225 00:17:29.160 --> 00:17:30.400 in the reservoir. Do you have any say over that with them or they 226 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:38.079 control that? Not really. We are a wholesale customer generally. You know 227 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:42.000 some of the water rights, we own some of what we use from my 228 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:45.599 wife and I went down to the low water crossing across like Austin right below 229 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:49.599 Mansfield, damn, and they weren't releasing any water at all. There was 230 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:52.559 something as far as like a down. It didn't seem any work coming out 231 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:59.240 right. Yeah, good, So we partner with LCRA in managing that water. 232 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:03.880 Lakes. I've always been curious and maybe you don't know the answer of 233 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:07.359 this, but it's not really a bone to pick. But I wonder why 234 00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:15.160 a lake you can and doesn't have the same or LBJ have the same rules 235 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:21.440 about they don't release water constant level. Right there are a number of lakes 236 00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:26.160 like Austin Ladybird Lake LBJ that are constant level lakes. So that's one of 237 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:30.039 the things that you go downtown Austin, you see Ladybird Lake is always full 238 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:36.160 always. What's the problem is right? But this is a big lake, 239 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:40.559 all right. LBJ is a big lake. He's just curious. Yeah, 240 00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:45.039 I'm not sure. I'm not operating on how the rules work, any big 241 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:48.920 biddle. What else can you share that can teach us something about water conservation? 242 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.720 You know, because I'm really interested in this. Well, we have 243 00:18:52.759 --> 00:19:00.559 a number of things for Austin customers and customers of small water tillies that we 244 00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:04.079 provide water to. They're all eligible for these things, but we have various 245 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:11.759 rebates people can get. Well, they can also get small household water efficiency 246 00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:18.039 things mailed to them. That's handy. If you need a new shower head 247 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:22.319 or fast aerator, we can mail those to customers. As I mentioned, 248 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:30.119 we have rebates for improving your water fishency in your home landscape. We have 249 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:34.680 rebates for irrigation upgrades. So if you want to have a pressure reduction device 250 00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:41.359 or new water fishing heads on your irrigation system, we can offset the cost 251 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:45.200 of that if you just want to get rid of that and go with a 252 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:52.480 more local scape landscape that doesn't involve all turf more beds. We also have 253 00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:57.279 a rebate for that, what we call it waterwise landscape. We recently increased 254 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:03.599 it over the spring from the rebate them out from thirty cents per square foot 255 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:08.599 to a dollar per square foot, so that that's a nice increase. I 256 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:12.640 think it's been a long time coming. So we finally did that. Where 257 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:15.720 would we do some research around that further? With our website, we can 258 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:23.400 go to or Austin Water I'm sorry, Waterwise Austin dot org, or simply 259 00:20:25.079 --> 00:20:27.799 I have to admit a web search a Google search of it. Austin Water 260 00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:33.839 Conservation Rebates is probably the easiest way to do it. Y'all don't have a 261 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:38.200 preferred vendor list of landscapers, do you? We do not. I wasn't 262 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:41.279 sure that was the part of the deal there, because I wouldn't even really 263 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:47.359 to call. But I live in a condo now it's a standalone single family 264 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:49.960 home and in a condo regime. But the yard is tiny, not much 265 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:53.119 to it, so I don't think about that so much. But I don't 266 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:56.880 know properly is a large yard didn't I need some attention there for sure. 267 00:20:57.480 --> 00:21:03.559 So there's a why range of different rebates that we have a lot of people 268 00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:11.359 take advantage of that. It has been downturned with the pandemic, but we're 269 00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:17.039 slowly building our way up. So we're always hoping to get more people to 270 00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:22.000 do it, particularly if we need to adjust things or raise the rebate amounts. 271 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:29.920 We're trying to get more and more people to participate. One of the 272 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:33.920 things that I want to mention is that while we're in the drought, we 273 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:37.079 have a drought plan, a drought contingency plan it's called, which really kind 274 00:21:37.079 --> 00:21:42.039 of sets the regulations and restrictions at these various levels of drought. You know, 275 00:21:42.039 --> 00:21:48.119 we're in stage two drought. We've never been in stage three, but 276 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:52.240 knock on wood, we want next summer. But that drought plan really kind 277 00:21:52.240 --> 00:22:02.119 of sets the tone for how we employ implement restrictions in the drought. We 278 00:22:02.200 --> 00:22:04.720 have to do a new drought plan and turn it into the state in twenty 279 00:22:04.759 --> 00:22:11.880 twenty four, so we are currently soliciting public input on a new drought plan. 280 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:17.680 So if folks go to speak up Austin page, Speak up Austin dot 281 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:22.839 org and search for drought. They'll find out more information about this new drought 282 00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:27.000 plan that we're putting together and how they can lend their voices or thoughts to 283 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:32.519 what we do with these drought plans. How many stages are there? Three? 284 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:37.319 We have four stages currently. We went into stage two in August of 285 00:22:37.319 --> 00:22:44.440 this year, stage one in June of I guess it would have been twenty 286 00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:48.880 two. As I mentioned, we have stage three. In stage four, 287 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:53.559 which is emergency. We've never been in stage three. We got closed at 288 00:22:53.720 --> 00:22:57.759 in that last drought, but we've got a little relief since then. We 289 00:22:57.839 --> 00:23:03.240 had a little release since then, so hopefully we'll never get to stage three. 290 00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:11.440 Are you in contact with any meteorologists around us? I did. I 291 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:17.480 was at a seminar was it a seminar last week with Bob Rose of l 292 00:23:17.559 --> 00:23:23.119 c R A And he's a well known figure in central Austin regarding the weather, 293 00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:27.000 and he was saying that we are in an El Nino pattern. Now 294 00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:37.359 we switched over from Nini El Nino kind of the midsummer. YEAHO is a 295 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:44.920 condition in which we typically have more precipitation. Of course, you don't see 296 00:23:44.920 --> 00:23:47.720 it in the summer, because we never really get precipitation in the summer. 297 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:53.200 But Bob was really bullish on a strong El Nino or the winter. So 298 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:59.680 knock on wood, we'll get some rain over the winter, but particularly in 299 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:03.400 Ape in May. That'll be really the clutch of the time because I just 300 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:07.200 know this spring was pretty dry, too, right, and I'm thinking it 301 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:08.839 on rain in April May, it's going to be bad, you know, 302 00:24:10.519 --> 00:24:11.920 because I've been, like I said here a long time, and I've seen 303 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:15.799 this lake. I say this lake, I mean Lake Travis primarily you know, 304 00:24:17.160 --> 00:24:19.920 down and then and sometimes it'll go back up in a few weeks with 305 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:23.160 a lot of rain. I mean, it's unbelievable how fast I think can 306 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:26.839 go up. But you still gotta have the rain, you know, right, 307 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:34.160 So yeah, trouts are often broken by large floods unfortunately. Yeah it's 308 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:38.880 seldom that you get a long, slow, right, yeah, gradual flood 309 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:42.720 in July too, right, you know, not often. I see I've 310 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:47.519 seen floods in the Memorial Day floods for sure, right, you know, 311 00:24:48.359 --> 00:24:51.240 or even in Christmas time. You know, it's been it's been kind of 312 00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:56.119 crazy. But anyway, I don't know really what else to ask anything else 313 00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:59.400 you want to share for you repent, I just have a couple of takeaways 314 00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:03.640 for your listeners. First of all, let's try to save water over the 315 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:08.480 winter time when we don't have that that heat. So first of all, 316 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:14.559 it's just everyone turning off your irrigation systems if you haven't before. First of 317 00:25:14.599 --> 00:25:18.000 all, that saves water and your landscape probably doesn't need extra irrigation at this 318 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:22.559 point, so turn off the system. But more importantly, because we're coming 319 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:27.519 up on the wastewater averaging period where we take the water you used between now 320 00:25:27.559 --> 00:25:32.400 and March. That's how you set your wastewater rates for the whole year. 321 00:25:32.519 --> 00:25:37.000 You mean for household for household, right, So turn off your irrigation system 322 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:41.079 and you'll see you'll pay less throughout the year. Sign up for that my 323 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:45.799 ATX water Smart Meter portal if you have that meter, if you're in the 324 00:25:45.799 --> 00:25:51.519 city of Austin. And then I guess the last point B start planning on 325 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:55.440 how your landscape can be more water efficient in the summer. You know by 326 00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:59.359 June that's too late to be planning, right, plan how you how you 327 00:25:59.400 --> 00:26:03.799 do that now? Whether replaced her for augment the soil and start thinking about 328 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:08.680 how you can save water next summer. So the landscaping takes more than traditional 329 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:12.119 just showers and doing your dishes and stuff. Is that the big pole on 330 00:26:12.200 --> 00:26:15.640 waters landscape, particularly in the summer, that's the big surge. You can 331 00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:21.519 use a lot of water in an irrigation system. Good. Well, this 332 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:25.240 has been very insightful and very informative, and I really appreciate you coming out, 333 00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:30.640 Kevin, to share with us your expertise in this water conservation because it's 334 00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:34.000 a really important thing that again, I just want to put that out there 335 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:37.960 that people need to be thinking about, including myself, you know. So 336 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:44.160 I've learned a lot today and I appreciate your time and we'll be in touch. 337 00:26:44.359 --> 00:26:45.200 Are you a thank you? Mark? It's being great being here. 338 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:52.079 Yeah, you're wondering. This has been Mortgage Stock with Mark Hairston. Mark 339 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:57.400 is a mortgage advocate with Texas Mortgage Source LLC, offering personalized mortgage solutions, 340 00:26:57.559 --> 00:27:03.759 fast customized quotes, great rates and service with integrity. Contact Mark at Markhirston 341 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:08.559 dot com. Mark Hairston dot com. You can call our text Mark at 342 00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:14.079 five one two seven eight nine sixty nine sixty seven that's five, one, 343 00:27:14.119 --> 00:27:18.039 two, seven, eight nine sixty nine sixty seven, and come back next 344 00:27:18.039 --> 00:27:19.039 week for more mortgage talk.