In 2020, the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University received $35,092 from the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District’s Water Conservation Grant Program to fund a water conservation research project that produced tailored conservation plans for Houston and an innovative tracking tool.

The City of Houston partnered with The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment to conduct this research project aimed at estimating residential, commercial/institutional, and outdoor water use conservation potential using the Alliance for Water Efficiency’s Conservation Tracking Tool. The study projected a 5.7% decrease in total water demand by 2040 if the selected scenarios are implemented by the City of Houston.

Meadows Center showed that the highest cost/benefit ratio conservation measures are residential HE toilets and LF showerheads for both multi-family and single-family use.

The project was used to update Houston’s Drought Contingency Plan and enabled the refinement of fixtures for many buildings across the City.

Total Project Cost: $78,428.00