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Water Conservation Plan <br />for the <br />City of San Marcos, Texas <br />1.0 Introduction <br />The objectives of the City of San Marcos Water Conservation Plan (the Plan) are to <br />improve efficiency of water use and to decrease per capita consumption in order to provide <br />additional water supplies for future growth. Projections for the San Marcos area indicate that by <br />2026 current water supplies may be insufficient to meet the needs of a rapidly growing <br />population. To address future water needs the City is investigating several water supply <br />strategies including purchase of additional ground water rights, conservation of existing water <br />resources, and reuse of existing resources. The City of San Marcos Water Supply Master Plan <br />and South Central Texas (Region L) Water Planning Group have identified conservation of <br />existing resources as an essential water management strategy for San Marcos and the south <br />central Texas region. <br />The City of San Marcos currently utilizes both surface and ground water resources to <br />meet its water needs. The majority of the water, over ninety percent, is obtained from Canyon <br />Lake under contract with the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority (GBRA). The City is presently <br />able to withdraw up to 10,000 acre -feet annually from Canyon Lake under the terms of the <br />contract. The remainder of the City water supply is pumped from the Edwards Aquifer, which <br />prior to 1999 was the sole water source for San Marcos. The City has a permit to use up to 5,433 <br />acre -feet of Edwards Aquifer groundwater per year. Groundwater withdrawals may be reduced <br />by up to 444% during critical periods when aquifer levels fall below certain triggers. <br />The agencies that govern these resources require preparation and implementation of <br />effective water conservation plans. In addition to providing for the needs of a rapidly growing <br />population, this Plan fulfills the requirements of the agencies that govern use of state waters. <br />Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 30, Chapter 288, Subchapter A, enforced by the Texas <br />Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), requires submission of water conservation <br />plans from each municipal user of state surface water. The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) <br />Rules, Chapter 715, Subchapter C, require water conservation plans from municipal users of <br />Edwards Aquifer groundwater. This Plan also meets the requirements of 31 TAC 363.15, which <br />