Tag Archives: Austin Water Utility
Monday, December 3, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Resources
Austin Energy discusses how to resolve repercussions of water bill fiasco
It has been over a year since the water bill saga first made headlines in Austin. However, only now are city utilities releasing a post-mortem report designed to help them avoid a similar situation in the future.While the report that…
Friday, November 30, 2018 by Jack Craver
Water
Council approves 100-year water conservation road map
On Thursday, City Council unanimously adopted a plan to guide Austin’s water use for the next century.“This is a tremendous moment for Austin,” said David Foster, director of Texas Clean Water Action. “If we pass this plan, Austin will become…
Wednesday, November 14, 2018 by Jack Craver
Water
To conserve water amid warming climate, city envisions major underground storage system
For four years, volunteer members of the Integrated Water Resource Task Force have been crafting a plan to conserve Austin’s water supply over the next century.While experts have long warned that a warming climate, coupled with a growing population, poses…
Wednesday, October 31, 2018 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Council seems ready to OK biosolids contract
The latest chapter in the city’s quest to sign a new contract for handling biosolids at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant appears to be nearing its end after two and half years of struggle. With Council Member Alison Alter…
Tuesday, October 30, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
City Hall
Council plans additional post-mortem review of water crisis
Although last week’s crisis has passed and Austinites once again have clean drinking water in their homes and offices, City Council still has much work to do.In anticipation of the questions that would arrive in the aftermath of the boil…
Friday, October 26, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Water
Boil water order may be lifted Sunday
Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros said Thursday he expects a boil water notice for water utility customers to remain in effect until Sunday evening. In the meantime, the utility is working to satisfy all of its internal requirements as well…
Wednesday, October 24, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Water
Boil water rule could end this weekend
Although a Travis County emergency management official told commissioners Tuesday morning that the current boil water advisory for Austin Water customers could continue for 10 to 14 days, city officials said Tuesday afternoon that such a scenario was unlikely.Mayor Steve…
Monday, October 15, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Water
Water and Wastewater Commission holds off on billing recommendation
Over a year after the water billing saga surfaced in the news, Austin Water and Austin Energy are still working to adjust internal processes in order to proactively prevent a similar situation from reoccurring.In their effort to do so, several…
Wednesday, September 19, 2018 by Mose Buchele
Environment
Zebra mussels found in Austin Water intake pipes
Divers have found large amounts of invasive zebra mussels at intake pipes that feed Austin’s water supply, opening up a costly new challenge for the city’s water utility.Austin Water had seen evidence of the small, rectangular mussels in water samples…
Monday, August 6, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Water
Austin Water lays the path forward for the next 100 years of water conservation
There’s no denying it: The climate as we know it is changing, but access to water sources is not.Three years ago the second iteration of the Water Forward Task Force convened in an effort to draft a 100-year water supply…
Tuesday, July 24, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
City Hall
Despite water bill debacle, Austin’s utility customer service rating remains unharmed
The wounds that last fall’s water bill catastrophe left behind had the potential to open up once again as Austin Energy reviewed its customer service ratings and presented the findings at the July 16 meeting of the Electric Utility Commission.“Didn’t we…
Wednesday, July 18, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Water
Commissioners: Water bills should be overseen by Austin Water
Following the water bill fiasco from last fall, Austin Energy and Austin Water teamed up on a working group to uncover the puzzling reasons behind the unusual spikes.Although the group started off with one question, Commissioner Mickey Maia reported back…
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Water
Despite low water usage from Austinites, Austin Water continues to pay down debt
As it happens every year, Austin Water, the city-owned water and wastewater utility, is currently in the midst of planning its budget for the next fiscal year, which will also reflect an updated financial forecast until the year 2023.Although this…
Friday, May 4, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Environment
Talking climate change, national water experts in Austin look for answers
With temperatures creeping toward the triple digits and area rainfall totals falling below historical averages, Austin’s environmental and public planning communities recently got a look at the ways local governments across the country are planning to deal with water management…
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 by Caleb Pritchard
Water
Purple pipe to save water, Travis County tax dollars
Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea gathered members of the media at the Heman Marion Sweatt Courthouse on Tuesday afternoon to tout a water conservation program that will save millions of gallons of drinking water per year.Those savings are courtesy of…
Wednesday, March 21, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Water
Austin Water still repairing shattered trust with water bill smoothing
After months of investigation, Austin Water and Austin Energy have an answer for the unusual spikes that Austinites saw in their water bills last September.Although Austin Water responded and changed its meter-reading contractor after the rash of misreads came to…
Thursday, February 1, 2018 by Jack Craver
Resources
Troxclair wants to know how rates compare to other Texas utilities
This year, the average Austinite will spend $2,475 on utility bills to cover the cost of electricity, water and garbage pickup.City Council Member Ellen Troxclair wants to know how that compares to what other people served by other utilities in…
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 by Jessi Devenyns
Water
Austin Water pitches rate reductions in 2018
It has been 15 years since the last time Austin Water reduced the rates for the utility. There is a chance, however, that this trend may end in January.On Dec. 13, the assistant director of Austin Water, David Anders, presented…
Monday, December 18, 2017 by Jessi Devenyns
Water
Phantom water bill charges remain an unsolved mystery at Austin Water
For several years, water bills have been mysteriously spiking and leaving homeowners clutching their wallets and demanding answers. However, even when the public came en masse to plead that the Electric Utility Commission demand answers from city staff after the…
