Environment
A malfunction at Longhorn Dam that caused Lady Bird Lake to lose water has been fixed
If you happened to be near Austin’s Lady Bird Lake on Monday, you might have noticed it looked different. The lake level, which usually stays constant year-round, had dropped by about 2 feet, exposing stretches of muddy, sometimes smelly, shoreline.…
Water • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Oct 9, 2024
Report looks at Austin Water leaks, losses that could fill 12,000 Olympic pools
Leaks and inefficiencies throughout the local water system cause Austin Water to lose more than 8 billion gallons per year – enough to fill 12,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The loss totals were some of the findings from a recent outside…
Water • By Chad Swiatecki • Oct 8, 2024
SOS variance for aquifer development fails to win Environmental Commission support
A proposal to initiate an amendment to the Save Our Springs Ordinance to increase the allowable amount of impervious cover over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone failed to win the Environmental Commission’s support Wednesday. Impervious cover is any human-made surface…
Development • By Amy Smith • Oct 4, 2024
Austin Energy hopes new solar standard offer can scale up sorely needed local generation
Update 10:35 p.m. Oct. 2: On Monday, the Electric Utility Commission (EUC) approved an update to the city’s solar program after a quick discussion. As Austin Energy grapples with an electric future and unprecedented demands on the grid, the utility…
Energy • By Kali Bramble • Oct 2, 2024
Council rejects Texas Gas Service rate hike
Despite reining in its initial proposal, Texas Gas Service has still failed to win over City Council in its endeavor to raise prices for Austin ratepayers. The utility faced backlash this summer with news of its plans to aggressively hike…
Resources • By Kali Bramble • Oct 1, 2024
Austin Energy still pondering new generation plan
As part of Austin Energy’s effort to arrive at a new generation plan, the utility has spent this year talking to the public about what is most important to them when they think about electric service. According to Austin Energy’s…
Energy • By Jo Clifton • Sep 25, 2024
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Texas fatmucket mussel conservation provides significant value in regional water filtration efforts
At its regular meeting Sept. 18, the Environmental Commission heard updates on Austin’s freshwater mussel population from Matt Johnson, Texas freshwater mussel conservation and recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bianca Perez, an environmental scientist with…
Environment • By Hunter Simmons • Sep 24, 2024
Great Springs Project proposes to partner alongside local government with equity in mind
The Environmental Commission passed a motion at its regular meeting on Sept. 18, recommending local government establish a partnership with Great Springs Project to “serve the City’s interest with respect to connectivity, transportation, conservation, and watershed protection outcomes.” Trails and…
Environment • By Hunter Simmons • Sep 20, 2024
Austin said a report on water utility leaks would be final months ago. It's still not public.
Austin has a leaky pipe problem. The city’s water utility estimates it loses about 21 gallons of water per resident per day from leaks and breaks in the system. Last year that added up to over 7 billion gallons of treated…
Water • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Sep 19, 2024
After leak repairs, Barton Springs reopens weeks earlier than expected
In a piece of good news – especially as recent sweltering temperatures have confirmed that summer doesn’t end till late September – Barton Springs is set to reopen today, on a Thursday, no less. During weekly pool maintenance Aug. 29,…
Parks • By Lina Fisher • Sep 19, 2024
Barton Springs closed for weeks due to major leaks
Austinites looking forward to an end-of-summer celebratory Barton Springs dip this Labor Day weekend were disappointed, thanks to a safety hazard caused by two major leaks that has led to a weekslong indefinite closure of the pool. The pool has…
Parks • By Lina Fisher • Sep 5, 2024
Hays Commons development’s parkland proposal wins support from Parks Board
The Parks and Recreation Board has given a proposed development its unanimous support based on the amount of parkland the builder has promised to provide on a nearly 500-acre site straddling Travis and Hays counties. The development, Hays Commons, is…
