Cedar Park City Council members on March 6 signed off on an updated plan to reduce the city's water use within five years and promote water-conservation programs.

Cedar Park's previous water-conservation plan was approved in 2009. The revised ordinance updates demographic figures and sets new goals for the city. It also outlines how the city plans to encourage conservation such as rain-barrel sales and plumbing replacements.

The revised ordinance mentions a pilot program the city launched in February. Working with the Lower Colorado River Authority and the technology company WaterSmart, the program will track some residents' water usage and compare it to similar users' average statistics, Cedar Park Conservation Specialist Andrea Marwah said in a statement.

"The WaterSmart program allows us the opportunity to get our residents engaged and involved in saving water while we test the effectiveness of this new program," Marwah said.

About 5,000 Cedar Park residents will receive the reports in March, May and July from the city featuring the home's water-usage data. At the end of the six-month program, city staffers may know how residents can use less water and save money, Marwah said.

Meanwhile, Cedar Park and other municipalities have sponsored rain-barrel program. Customers can pre-order barrels online through March 30 and pick them up at Southwest Williamson County Regional Park between 8:30 a.m. to noon April 5, she said. More information is available at www.rainbarrelprogram.org/centraltexas.

The city reports it uses an average of 162.6 water gallons per capita daily, or GPCD. Per the adjusted ordinance, the city aims to reduce that to 158.5 GPCD by 2019 starting with a 2.5 percent reduction in 2014. By 2024, the city hopes to reduce its water use further to 154.4 GPCD.

About 83,887 customers use city water, according to the ordinance. City staffers expect Cedar Park's water users to number about 99,000 by 2019.