9/6/2023

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KVUE-TV Austin

Austin leaders continue to address water concerns | KVUE – YouTube

Austin restaurant outsmarts water restrictions, saving thousands of dollars.

City of Austin is currently under Stage 2 watering restrictions, which can have an effect on local businesses. However, one restaurant has come up with a creative way to keep its landscaping thriving without violating the restrictions.

The property manager at Fonda San Miguel in northwest Austin, Diego Rodriguez, said he doesn’t use a single drop of City water when attending to the restaurant’s landscape – and because of that, he’s saving thousands of dollars in operating costs.

Rodriguez said the idea came to him when he noticed a large amount of water pooling in the street when the drain into the City’s water and wastewater system was temporarily clogged.

“It was a bunch of water running into the roots, and I noticed it was water from the condensation, from the AC units. I wanted to just catch the water and see how much water we can collect,” Rodriguez said. “I did it one day, and I got 1,000 liters of water just from the condensation.”

Rodriguez came up with a solution to recapture the water, and now it provides more than enough to meet all of the restaurant’s outdoor watering needs. He began working on the system in late June, weeks before the City’s watering restrictions took effect in mid-August. Rodriguez estimates the system collects about 250 gallons per day.

“That’s why I decided to get a second tank. Because I was like, ‘Man, what am I going to do? What if I don’t use the water in one for 24 hours?’ So, I just had to have another one. I think I’m going to collect rainwater also,” Rodriguez said.

Fonda San Miguel has five air conditioning units, but for other businesses struggling with watering their landscaping Rodriguez said this could be an option. In the future, he’s planning to try and get water from the restaurant’s refrigeration units instead of having it go down the drain.

The City of Austin has a list of guidelines and rebates offered for businesses and homeowners interested in installing similar systems. Learn more.

ttps://www.austintexas.gov/page/alternative-onsite-water-systems

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Native Onsite Water Systems
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REBATES

Bucks for Business rebates are available for the installation of alternative onsite water systems to meet water demands such as manufacturing, irrigation, cooling tower makeup, washing, toilet flushing and other authorized onsite uses.

Onsite water sources include: recycled manufacturing process water, air conditioner condensate recovery, rainwater, storm water, graywater, cooling tower blow down, and foundation drain water. A separate rainwater harvesting rebate is available for rainwater harvesting systems. If the system blends rainwater and other onsite sources, the Bucks for Business rebate should be used.

The rebate is available for existing commercial, industrial and institutional facilities and where the system is not otherwise required by city code or ordinance.

REQUIRED SYSTEMS
Certain new commercial and multifamily facilities are required to install AC condensate capture and use systems (§310.10 Mechanical Code), install steam boilers with steam condensate return systems (§1015.0 Mechanical Code), and reuse cooling tower blowdown for on-site non-potable water demands or provide at least 10% of the cooling tower’s make-up water from on-site alternative water sources (§1126.0 Mechanical Code). Commercial car wash facilities are required to have rinse and wash water recycling systems (§6-4-10 Water Conservation Code). New facilities within 250 feet of a reclaimed water distribution line are also required to hook-up to the city’s “purple pipe” system ( §6-4-11(E) Water Conservation, Chapter 6-4 ).

PERMITTING REGULATIONS
Authorized end uses, corresponding treatment standards, monitoring, reporting, and O&M guidance document requirements for alternative water systems are provided under city and state permitting requirements contained in Chapters 15 and 16 of the city’s Adopted Plumbing Code & Local Amendments (Chapter 25-12, Article 6) and rules of the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality, 30 TAC Chapter 210 Subchapter F.

For more information, visit:

Alternative Water Sources
Reclaimed Water
Onsite Water Reuse Systems
Other Funding, Financing, and Tax Incentive Programs:
Texas Water Development Financial Assistance
State Energy Conservation Office Loan Star Program
PACE
Texas Sales Tax Exemption;
​ Sales and Use Tax Bulletin 94-123 Water and Wastewater Systems
Application for Water Conservation Initiatives Property Tax Exemption,
RESOURCES
Single family residential onsite water reuse guide for homeowners
Commercial and multi-family residential onsite water reuse guide for customers
AE Green Building Commercial Guidebook (pdf)
Alliance for Water Efficiency: Condensate Water Introduction
San Antonio Water Systems: Condensate Collection and Use Manual for Commercial Buildings
Gray Water Frequently Asked Questions
Onsite Non-Potable Water Reuse Practice Guide (William J. Worthen Foundation 2018)
CASE STUDIES
Case Study: Austin Central Library
Cooling Tower Efficiency Using Treated Wastewater – BAE Integrated Vision Solutions
Process Water Reuse System – Spansion, Inc.
Process Water Reuse System – El Lago Tortillas

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