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Travis County signs up for more reclaimed water

Last week, City Council authorized Austin Water to move forward with an interlocal agreement with Travis County to share the costs of designing and building oversized reclaimed water mains and pipes within the central business district. This will provide service…

City Council adopts historic water reuse regulations

City Council on Thursday unanimously and enthusiastically approved mandatory water reuse for most large new developments, with some provisions to exempt affordable housing from the requirement. They also approved an agreement with Travis County to provide reclaimed water connections for…

Conservation district has good news on drought level

The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has taken a step back from the most severe drought stage – Stage IV – and after a brief stint in Stage III, has declared the area to be at Stage II Alarm Drought,…

Water reuse plan coming back to Council next month

In March, City Council is scheduled to consider making on-site water reuse mandatory for a majority of large future projects as part of the city’s Water Forward plan. Council postponed consideration of the reclaimed water reuse rule last November after…

Concert venue planned near Edwards Aquifer spurs neighbors to prepare for legal fight

Residents in Hays County and a southwestern portion of Travis County hope the possibility of a civil case against a California development company will stop plans to construct a 5,000-seat concert venue on a two-lane country road near Dripping Springs.…

Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District installing two monitoring wells at Garrison and Zilker parks

This month, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District will install two new scientific monitoring wells in Garrison and Zilker parks. The new wells will be used to collect information about Edwards Aquifer water level and quality, as well as further…

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Austin declared new drought restrictions in August. Water use stayed the same.

Lee esta historia en español On Aug. 15, Austin was 39 days into its longest triple-digit heat wave ever recorded. The extreme heat had created a “climate feedback loop,” locking in the worst drought the city has seen in 113…

Reclaimed water rule postponed till April

On Thursday, City Council voted to postpone adoption of a long-planned ordinance requiring certain large developments to hook up to the city’s reclaimed water system. Bill Bunch, executive director of the Save Our Springs Alliance, asked Council not to agree…

Permit for controversial private dam on South Llano River withdrawn

A Houston-based landowner has withdrawn his request for a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permit that would’ve paved the way for a private dam on the South Llano River. The TCEQ permit database shows that the application from Waterstone Creek…

Austin joins fight against proposed private dam on South Llano River

Austin is joining the fight against a proposed private dam on the South Llano River that experts say could have an impact on the city’s water supply. City Council voted last week to approve a resolution directing the city manager…

Hundreds of Steiner Ranch properties get water cut off for violating restrictions

Several hundred customers in the Steiner Ranch community were fined or had their water shut off over the past week for violating restrictions meant to conserve water. Travis County Water Control and Improvement District No. 17 said it has been…

Council committee gets drought update

Austin Water Utility officials didn’t promise any miracles during a briefing on the city’s drought response and water supply at last week’s Austin Water Oversight Committee meeting. As of Aug. 14, the city was in exceptional drought conditions that pushed…

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