Truckee Meadows utility presents 20‑year water resource plan; council hears capacity and conservation updates

Representatives of the Truckee Meadows Water Authority briefed the Reno City Council on Feb. 11 about the authority's 2025 Water Resource Plan, a 20‑year projection and strategic review of supply, conservation and drought resilience.

Assistant general manager Danny Rauter and senior hydrologist Cara Steelen summarized the plan's key findings: modest demand growth (~1.8% annually in the 20‑year projection); historically declining per‑capita consumption because of conservation measures; a supply portfolio that normally uses 80–85% surface water and 15–20% groundwater; and the value of private stored water and drought credits used only occasionally. Steelen noted that roughly 226,000 acre‑feet of Truckee River water rights exist regionwide, with approximately 40,000 acre‑feet remaining to be converted to municipal use as the area develops.

TMWA highlighted aquifer storage and recovery (injecting treated surface water into groundwater in winter) as a key tool to reduce future shortages, and listed potential longer‑term resource options the plan tracks but does not yet fund. The plan is an update in a five‑year cycle and emphasizes community engagement and transparency; staff said the plan and an executive “at a glance” summary are available online at tomah.com/wrp2020five.

Council members praised the presentation and asked questions about climate scenarios, infrastructure complexity and backup power preparations for utility operations. TMWA said it has invested in mobile generators and increased coordination with power and fire agencies to ensure water services during outages. There was no council action requested or taken; the presentation was informational.