Vision:
Ensure water remains a celebrated and protected feature of our community by collaboratively managing our water resources to safeguard watersheds, waterways, and groundwater.
The One Water New Braunfels vision centers around an understanding that any decision, use, or impact on water – no matter the type of water – is interconnected, for it is ALL one water. This One Water approach is different from the predominant approach that shaped the water management structure our agencies currently function under. The approach compartmentalizes water into its various sectors, such as drinking water, wastewater, storm water, recreational water, decisions made in isolation from each other, and so forth. Instead, a One Water approach – and our New Braunfels One Water program – helps us see all water as “one water” and work more collectively as a group when we address water issues.
To achieve this, we must:
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Plan for and manage water resources holistically and sustainably
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Maximize environmental, social, and economic benefits to the greater New Braunfels area
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Ensure water remains a celebrated feature of our community
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Provide sustainable and high-quality water
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Ensure healthy watersheds, waterways, and groundwater resources
With a strong desire to provide water management that is resilient, sustainable, and in keeping with the values of the New Braunfels community, the One Water New Braunfels Roadmap is a framework to support water management agencies and the community in realizing its vision.
About One Water New Braunfels
Program History
Since 2019, New Braunfels Utilities has collaborated with the City of New Braunfels and the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority to explore One Water as a holistic approach to planning and managing water for New Braunfels.
A hard-working group of more than twenty technical experts worked together to identify the primary challenges New Braunfels’ water resources face and the strategic and actionable ways the agencies could work together with the community to address these challenges.
While still a high-level document, the One Water New Braunfels Roadmap (finalized in 2021) is a tool that New Braunfels Utilities, the City of New Braunfels and Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority will use to inform water management decisions from a holistic approach and collaborate when addressing the complex water challenges we often face.
The 2023 Interlocal Agreement between the three agencies outlines the governance and management of the One Water New Braunfels program for an initial 3 year project term. The agreement establishes an advisory council and a working group, made up of subject matter experts from the three agencies, responsible for continued development and implementation of the New Braunfels One Water Roadmap. A Program Coordinator manages day to day operations of the program, supports efforts of the advisory council and working group, and serves as primary liaison with the community at large.
