The 2008 Texas Living Waters Project conference entitled “From Policy to Reality: Advanced Urban Water Conservation in Texas” dedicated the whole day to discussions on urban water conservation.

Supporting Texas’ rapidly growing population and keeping the state’s natural water resources viable into the foreseeable future will require an increased 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

The conference including a discussion about what the future may hold for conservation policy in Texas in addition to examples of conservation efforts taking place both in Texas and nationwide. Other topics considered included:

• 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

Agenda PDF    |    Speakers Bios PDF

Click on the links below to download PDFs of the speakers’ presentations.

Keynote: A Vision for Advanced Water Conservation

Mary Ann Dickinson, Executive Director, Alliance for Water Efficiency
Presentation part 1     |    Presentation part 2     |    Presentation part 3

Water Conservation in Texas: How Far Have We Come?

Amy Hardberger, Attorney, Environmental Defense Fund
Presentation    |     Audio    |    Maximizing Urban Water Conservation in Texas Report

The Role of Water Pricing

Sheila Olmstead, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University
Presentation

Panel Discussion: Goals to Reality: Successes and Stumbling Blocks

Tim Blair, Program Manager for Water Use Efficiency, Metropolitan Water District, Southern California
Presentation    |    Audio

Karen Guz, Director of Conservation, San Antonio Water Systems
Presentation     |    Audio

Jennifer Douglass Nations, Water Resource Coordinator, College Station Public Utilities
Presentation 

Highlights from the Commercial Sector and the Green Building Movement

Bill Hoffman, H. W. (Bill) Hoffman and Associates, LLC
Presentation 

Pushing the Envelope within the High Tech Industry

Dan Wilcox, Facilities Engineering Manager, Spansion
Presentation 

Opportunities Within Energy Production

Fred Yebra, Director of Energy Efficiency Services, Austin Energy
Presentation