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From Policy to Reality: Advanced Urban Water Conservation in Texas
Conference: April 18th, 2008 in Austin, Texas
Planners predict Texas' population will more than double over the next 40 years. Supporting this growth and keeping our state's natural water resources viable into the foreseeable future will require that we increase our emphasis on advanced water conservation and better water efficiency in all urban sectors. A number of cities around the country - including a few in Texas -are already pushing the envelope on "standard" conservation strategies. It's time to learn from these efforts and advance beyond the standard.
We dedicated the whole day of this conference to discussions on urban water conservation. We heard what the future may hold for conservation policy in Texas, in addition to examples of conservation efforts taking place both in Texas and nationwide. We also heard discussions on:
- Energy-efficiency trends that translate into water savings
- Current and emerging technologies in the high-tech sector and how they benefit our water supply
- Water conservation innovations in the commercial sector
- How standards developed within the Green Building Movement add to urban water savings
- The process of moving conservation policy into implementation
View the Agenda
View the Speakers Bios
Conference Presentations and Audio Files
Click below to view the presentations and hear the discussions from the conference.
Keynote: A Vision for Advanced Water Conservation
- Mary Ann Dickinson, Executive Director, Alliance for Water Efficiency
Water Conservation in Texas: How Far Have We Come?
- Amy Hardberger, Attorney, Environmental Defense Fund
The Role of Water Pricing
- Sheila Olmstead, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University
Goals to Reality: Successes and Stumbling Blocks
- Moderator: Carole Baker, Director of Intergovernmental Relations, Harris-Galveston Subsidence District
- Tim Blair, Program Manager for Water Use Efficiency, Metropolitan Water District, Southern California
- Karen Guz, Director of Conservation, San Antonio Water Systems
- Jennifer Douglass Nations, Water Resource Coordinator, College Station Public Utilities
- Question and Answer Session
Highlights from the Commercial Sector and the Green Building Movement
- Bill Hoffman, H. W. (Bill) Hoffman and Associates, LLC
Pushing the Envelope within the High Tech Industry
- Dan Wilcox, Facilities Engineering Manager, Spansion
Opportunities within Energy Production
- Fred Yebra, Director of Energy Efficiency Services, Austin Energy
Panel Discussion: Advanced Water Conservation: Policy, Implementation and Beyond
- Moderator: Mary E. Kelly, Co-Director, Land Water and Wildlife Program Environmental Defense Fund
Ken Kramer, Director, Lone Star Chapter, Sierra Club
State Representative Robert R. Puente
Jan Klein, Water Conservation Coordinator, City of San Marcos
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Maximizing Urban Water Conservation in Texas
Ensuring that Texas is sustainable in the 21st century depends in large part on smart management of the state's water resources. Are Texas cities doing enough to improve water use efficiency in our urban areas?
 Read the report
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