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Water
New water-saving requirements take effect Dec. 1
Starting Dec. 1, eligible new developments in Austin will need to include water-conservation measures. The new requirements are in response to City Council actions and subsequent code amendments adopted in recent months. Once the new terms take effect, developments submitting…
Water • By Amy Smith • Nov 24, 2021
Water conservation items move to Council, but not without debate
The City Council committee overseeing Water Forward, Austin’s long-range water resource plan, approved two resolutions last week containing code amendments that would both underscore and expedite the work required to conserve and reclaim water for reuse. One resolution, brought by…
Water • By Amy Smith • May 17, 2021
Before Uri, Austin Water didn’t see winter weather as a threat
Austin Water deemed winter weather a low risk to the city’s water supply before Winter Storm Uri, the utility told the Water Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Multiple climate and disaster preparedness plans failed to mention the threat of extreme winter…
Water • By Jonathan Lee • Apr 1, 2021
Austin Water responds to 'demoralizing' water outages
Austin Water gave a presentation to the Water Oversight Committee on Wednesday detailing the timeline of the water outages last month, preparation for future disasters and upcoming utility bill relief measures. City Council members demanded to know how a substantial…
Water • By Jonathan Lee • Mar 4, 2021
City says water outages could last for days
Many Austinites remain completely without water Friday as tens of thousands of cold-related leaks riddle water mains and pipes, leaving the city in a water crisis that is set to last days. “We never imagined the day where hospitals wouldn’t…
Water • By Jonathan Lee • Feb 19, 2021
Austin Water issues citywide boil-water notice, urges residents to conserve water
Austin Water has issued a citywide boil-water notice as a result of “extreme weather conditions.” In a statement Wednesday night, the utility said there had been power loss at the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, its largest water-treatment facility, and drops…
Water • By Marisa Charpentier, KUT • Feb 18, 2021
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ZAP OKs Ullrich plant variances
The Zoning and Platting Commission voted at its Dec. 15 meeting to recommend the approval of seven environmental variances for the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, with a stipulation that the size of an access road included in the project be…
Water • By Seth Smalley • Dec 23, 2020
Council OKs contract for Ullrich repairs
After a considerable amount of discussion at its Thursday meeting, City Council approved a contract of more than $22 million, plus a 10 percent contingency, for a joint venture to rebuild the electrical pump station serving the Ullrich water treatment…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Dec 11, 2020
Garza questions penalties in water reuse rules
City Council is poised to adopt two ordinances at today’s meeting establishing regulations for on-site water reuse systems as well as water cooling towers. Council has unanimously supported the ideas behind the Water Forward plan that are aimed at reducing…
Water • By Jo Clifton • Dec 10, 2020
Proposed discharge permit draws ire of city, Environmental Commission
The Environmental Commission received an update Wednesday on the impacts of a proposed wastewater treatment plant southwest of Austin. Abel Porras, the supervising engineer in the Environmental Resource Management Division of the city’s Watershed Protection Department, described the water quality…
Water • By Daniel Salazar • Oct 28, 2020
City could store three Lake Austins' worth of water underground by 2040
Austin gets all of its water from the Highland Lakes, but that might not always be the case. The city recently took a first step toward storing massive amounts of water underground. If the plan works, it could help Austin…
Water • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Aug 31, 2020
Tesla urged to use water-saving measures
As Tesla speeds ahead with converting an old sand and gravel mining site in eastern Travis County into a manufacturing facility for its Cybertruck and Model Y SUV, City Council members have begun asking questions about how much water the…
