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Water

Audit: City water employees misused positions

Two employees of Austin Water misused their positions to generate business for a plumbing business owned by one of the employees, according to an investigative report issued Thursday by the Office of the City Auditor. That business owner/city employee, Rodney…

Hays and Travis counties prioritize aquifer conservation

The Trinity Aquifer is the primary groundwater supply for Hill Country residents in both Hays and Travis counties. But as a natural resource, its freshwater supply is limited, even as populations continue to grow. Already, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation…

Permit granted for annual extraction of 289 million gallons from Trinity Aquifer

The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District granted a permit to Needmore Water LLC on Monday evening to pump up to 289,080,000 gallons of water per year from the Trinity Aquifer. According to the applicant, the water will be used for…

AW assures: Austin's lead pipes pose little threat

In the wake of the drinking water scandal in Flint, Michigan, the issue of lead in drinking water has come to the forefront of the nation’s – and Austin’s – attention. Until July 9, Matt Cullen of Austin Water said…

Austin Water touts water conservation efforts

Despite Austin’s consistent growth and the city demographer’s prediction that city utilities will need to serve 4 million residents in the next 100 years, Austin Water feels confident that its facilities are up to the challenge. In terms of today’s…

Permanent zebra mussel solution still 18 months out

Following the odorous indication that a zebra mussel infestation had arrived in Austin waterways earlier this month, Austin Water has been working to come up with a solution to prevent a similar instance from recurring. Austin Water is already working to…

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Buda seeks passage of aquifer storage bill

Buda’s explosive growth, from about 7,300 people in 2010 to nearly 17,000 today, coupled with a changing climate that brings both floods and drought, means that the city has to carefully manage its water resources. The city is hoping to…

Odd smell in Austin's tap water likely caused by zebra mussels, city says

If you think your tap water smells strange today, you’re not alone. South and Central Austin residents began noticing the unusual smell Thursday morning. Austin Water initially said work on a waterline was to blame, but in an afternoon update,…

Austin Water report shows big impact of boil order was conservation

Austin Water delivered an “after action” report to City Council yesterday on the weeklong boil-water order enacted during severe flooding in October. The presentation shed more light on what happened to bring about the emergency and what the city might…

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…

lake travis at sunset

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,…

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…

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