City Council members responsible for monitoring Austin Water service said they expect to receive a complete report by the end of this week explaining the cause behind the boil-water notice that went into effect on Saturday night. The Austin area went through a multi-day period of below-freezing temperatures last week that was less severe than […]
Austin Water Oversight Committee
Posted inWater
Austin Water outlines actions for dealing with the next crisis
Since last February’s winter storm, Austin Water has taken numerous steps, both big and small, to prepare for the impact of another such emergency. Director Greg Meszaros told City Council’s Austin Water Oversight Committee last week that, with the help of a working group from the Water and Wastewater Commission, the water utility has prioritized […]
Posted inWater
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 Oversight Committee Chair Ann Kitchen, would revive three measures Council had incorporated into the […]
Posted inEnvironment
With winter coming, city works on treatment for toxic blue-green algae
The Water Oversight Committee met the last week of October to hear an update on the toxic algae that resulted in the deaths of at least five dogs in Austin last year. Brent Bellinger, a research ecologist with the Watershed Protection Department, informed the committee about the harmful algae in Lady Bird Lake and how […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Water-saving code amendments coming
Years after the city’s Water Forward Committee recommended changes to require on-site water reuse systems for commercial development, an item to put the matter into city regulations appears headed for a City Council agenda in December. Austin Water Assistant Director Kevin Crittendon told Council’s water oversight committee Wednesday that the department wants to make changes […]
Posted inWater
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 plant might use and whether Tesla owner Elon Musk would be willing to take steps […]
Posted inWater
With businesses shut, Austin Water’s revenues fall
Austin Water, which contributed an extra $5 million to the city’s utility customer assistance program and cut rates by 10 percent in an effort to help those affected by the coronavirus, has itself felt the impact of business closures on its bottom line. David Anders, assistant director for finance and business services, told the Austin […]
Posted inWater
Digital meter reading coming to Austin Water
Austin Water is preparing to roll out digital water meters that will allow the utility, as well as individual customers, to see how much water each customer is using every hour. Ultimately, every single one of the utility’s 240,000 meters will be replaced by a new meter that can broadcast a digital signal, according to […]