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Most Popular Stories
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport announces new flight service while anticipating capacity cuts
- Austin Resource Recovery to formally amend cart collection rules
- City facing a $33 million deficit for 2026
- Austin ISD gets $41 million from the Education Department. What happens if the agency closes?
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Environment
Watershed report focuses on projects to prevent and prepare for floods
The Watershed Protection Department has released its 2024 annual report, highlighting a lengthy list of achievements in flood prevention, future flood preparedness and erosion control projects in several corners of the city. The department credits these efforts for Austin’s improved…
Environment • By Amy Smith • Apr 18, 2025
Austin Resource Recovery to formally amend cart collection rules
Austin Resource Recovery, the city department that handles Austin’s waste, wants to clarify some things about how residents put out recycling, trash and compost carts. In a presentation to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission during a meeting on April 10,…
Resources • By Miles Wall • Apr 16, 2025
Panelists talk pipelines, batteries and other answers to Austin’s energy demands
Austin’s fast-paced growth and the increasing energy demands of large industries like data centers and advanced manufacturing are pushing the region’s energy infrastructure toward a critical juncture, according to experts who spoke at the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s recent Infrastructure…
Energy • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 14, 2025
Infrastructure panelists ponder tactics for stretching Austin’s existing water supply
Facing limited prospects for new water sources, Austin officials are advancing a broad strategy centered on water reuse, conservation and storage to meet the city’s long-term needs. At a recent infrastructure summit hosted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, water…
Water • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 9, 2025
Resource Management Commission, Austin Energy discuss reforms to homeowner solar incentives
The Resource Management Commission held an extended discussion on March 25 on a resolution urging Austin Energy, by way of City Council, to undertake several key reforms to residential solar incentive programs. The resolution, titled “Resolution on Changes to Residential…
Energy • By Miles Wall • Apr 3, 2025
$1 billion expansion of wastewater treatment plant poised to break ground
With a major expansion on the horizon for Austin’s Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mayor Kirk Watson is working with city staff to ensure the $1 billion project goes off without a hitch. The project, which City Council approved last…
Water • By Kali Bramble • Mar 28, 2025
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In rare move, Council delays decision on nominee’s appointment to the parks board
For the second time in less than a year, community member Ted Eubanks faced opposition to his nomination to the city’s Parks and Recreation Board. Eubanks, a 40-year parks professional who specializes in heritage and nature tourism, was one of…
Parks • By Amy Smith • Mar 28, 2025
Audit finds Austin Water needs to document how it fixes leaks
While Austin Water has worked to limit the amount of water lost through breaks in its water lines, over time the amount of water lost through such leaks has steadily increased, according to an audit discussed at the City Council…
Water • By Jo Clifton • Mar 27, 2025
Burying Austin's power lines would cost $50 billion (and is pretty much impossible)
Two years ago, after Austin’s lush urban tree canopy froze and downed power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, the city resolved to look into a simple solution: burying the power lines. Now, a new city-commissioned study shows that…
Energy • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Mar 26, 2025
Environmental Commission hears briefing on 2026 bond election
The Watershed Protection Department would need an estimated $2 billion to solve the city’s most severe watershed problems and other critical needs. A bond package expected to go before voters in 2026 would cover a portion of those costs, if…
Environment • By Amy Smith • Mar 24, 2025
The Austin area won't be seeing a lot of bluebonnets this year. Here's why.
It’s a quintessential Texas experience to get your photo taken in a field of bluebonnets. “I have lots of pictures,” said Matthew Gaston, who used to work as director of education for the Zilker Botanical Garden. “It’s this bluish hue…
Environment • By Maya Fawaz, KUT • Mar 17, 2025
Austin's water reuse program is moving forward, but slowly
Austin adopted what were called “historic” water reuse regulations a year ago, so the program is still in its infancy, especially compared with Los Angeles and San Francisco, which adopted regulations requiring builders to put in the necessary plumbing to…
