Neither Austin Water nor the Watershed Protection Department have asked for an increase in their rates in many years, but both are doing so in the upcoming budget. Austin Water has not asked for an increase in its rates since 2017, but this year, the utility is seeking City Council approval to increase the typical […]
Water
Posted inWater
Aquifer district expecting unprecedented drought declaration
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District says that flow from Barton Springs is near the level that would require the district to declare it has reached Stage IV Exceptional Drought. As the district reports, “crossing into Stage IV drought status would result in significant pumping restrictions and permanent reclassification for certain District permittees.” Although the […]
Posted inWater
Water panelists examine how to supply Austin as growth continues
“Water is nonpartisan. But, oh, my God, it is totally political.” Those words, from Central Texas Water Coalition President Jo Karr Tedder, summarized much of the fraught and frank discussion about the future of water resources in Central Texas during a luncheon panel last week in front of local development and real estate leaders. The […]
Posted inWater
As drought worsens, Austin Water ramps up conservation protocols
Despite an unusually rainy spring, Austinites should hold off celebrating any end to the statewide dry spell. Austin Water staff joined City Council’s Austin Water Oversight Committee last week to discuss the ongoing crisis, confirming that the city is still on track to meet the Stage 2 drought threshold by the end of the year. […]
Posted inWater
Memo eyes possible polystyrene ban to curb trash in creeks, streams
The Watershed Protection Department wants city leaders to consider instituting a ban on polystyrene fast-food containers as one of a series of possible steps to reduce the amount of trash in local waterways. An April 10 memo gives City Council members an update on progress related to a 2020 resolution that called for a comprehensive […]
Posted inWater
Austin Water says it’s doing better in the face of crises
At Wednesday’s joint meeting of City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee and the Austin Water Oversight Committee, Austin Water Director Shay Ralls Roalson answered questions about a variety of topics, but one of the most difficult involved vacancies within the department, particularly at water treatment plants. The focus of the meeting was the utility’s actions […]
Posted inWater
Austin Water to discuss progress on improvement plan today
In the wake of five troubling incidents between 2018 and 2022, which led the former director of Austin Water to resign, the utility’s current leaders have been working to complete changes intended to prevent future service disruptions, such as boil-water notices. Of the city’s three water treatment plants – Ullrich, Handcox and Davis – Ullrich […]
Posted inWater
Downstream of Austin, Texas rice farmers face another year without Colorado River water
Lee esta historia en español Talking on the phone from his tractor in Colorado County, Texas, Craig Gutman said he was not surprised to hear water would not be available for rice farmers like him this year. “I was pretty much expecting it. We’ve been watching the lake levels,” he said, referring to the Highland […]
Posted inWater
Austin Water making progress but needs more employees
Members of City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee have reviewed the findings of a report detailing problems during four significant events at Austin Water’s Ullrich Water Treatment Plant between 2018 and February 2022, including three boil-water notices and a zebra mussel infestation. The utility has addressed many of those problems and is in the process […]
Posted inWater
UT report offers ‘roadmap’ for changes at Austin Water
In the wake of five incidents between 2018 and 2022 related to water quality problems, including three boil-water notices and a zebra mussel invasion, Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros resigned and City Council asked the city auditor to identify a group to study problems at the utility and report back. City Auditor Corrie Stokes led the […]
Posted inWater
Despite drought, Austin Water still supplying raw water to golf course
Austin Water continues to supply the River Place Country Club with a combination of reclaimed water and raw water from Lake Austin to irrigate its golf course. “The amount and need for lake water is the sole discretion of River Place Golf Group, as they use raw water to fill the effluent pond when the […]
Posted inWater
Amid drought conditions, Austin Water proposes ways to slash water use in new homes
The average water use per year in new Austin homes is 28,000 gallons. But that could soon decrease with initiatives aimed at conserving water through landscape transformations and other efforts. Kevin Kluge, environmental conservation division manager of Austin Water, presented possible ordinances on home landscapes during a Resource Management Commission meeting last week. Improving water […]