The dramatic rise in water levels in the reservoirs that supply Austin is allowing the city to loosen drought-related watering restrictions that have been in effect for about two years. Under the new system, which kicks in Sept. 2, Austin will go from Stage 2 drought restrictions to the baseline rules the city calls “conservation stage.” Despite […]
Austin Water Utility
AWU is the municipal utility that provides water service for the City of Austin.
Posted inWater
Austin Water reports progress and challenges as drought persists
Amid a second year of drought restrictions, city leaders are navigating community debates about whether water conservation goals are aggressive enough. In a presentation to the City Council’s Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee, Austin Water shared its first quarterly progress report following updates to the city’s Water Forward, Drought Contingency, and Conservation plans last […]
Posted inWater
City leaders evaluate surprising ideas for water conservation
Paul Robbins said he had two main goals when he presented his water conservation ideas to the Resource Management Commission this month. “First is to convey a sense of urgency,” he said. “Austin is as little as 15 years and one bad drought away from dry lakes and a water crisis. This is not science […]
Posted inWater
Austin is losing even more water to leaky city pipes than previously thought
Austin’s leaky pipe problem keeps getting worse. In recent years, the city’s water utility has recorded losses of about 7 billion gallons annually due to leaks in its treatment and distribution system. That’s about enough water to fill Lady Bird Lake three times over every year. Now, an annual review shows the problem could be […]
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Council OKs water, wastewater extension to environmentally sensitive property
In a vote of 7-4, City Council on Thursday approved granting water and wastewater service for a proposed multi-family project outside the city limits and within the Drinking Water Protection Zone. The property at 10656 North FM 620 is in the North Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, upstream from habitat for the Jollyville Plateau salamander, which […]
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Infrastructure panelists ponder tactics for stretching Austin’s existing water supply
Facing limited prospects for new water sources, Austin officials are advancing a broad strategy centered on water reuse, conservation and storage to meet the city’s long-term needs. At a recent infrastructure summit hosted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, water planners described an array of initiatives designed to extend the capacity of Austin’s existing supply […]
Posted inPublic Health
Audit throws shade at city’s efforts to mitigate extreme heat
A new report from the Office of the City Auditor concludes that, while the city has made notable progress in preparing for extreme heat, challenges in coordination, funding and measurable planning continue to undermine long-term resilience. The audit, released this week, evaluates whether the city is adequately planning for heat-related risks to public infrastructure. The […]
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$1 billion expansion of wastewater treatment plant poised to break ground
With a major expansion on the horizon for Austin’s Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mayor Kirk Watson is working with city staff to ensure the $1 billion project goes off without a hitch. The project, which City Council approved last May, would expand the site’s processing capacity from 75 million to 100 million gallons of […]
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Audit finds Austin Water needs to document how it fixes leaks
While Austin Water has worked to limit the amount of water lost through breaks in its water lines, over time the amount of water lost through such leaks has steadily increased, according to an audit discussed at the City Council Audit & Finance Committee on Wednesday. As the audit team observed, the utility has taken […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit shows former Austin Water employee directed search of boss’ inbox
The former chief information officer for Austin Water misused the city’s resources in an effort to find out the identity of the person who lodged a complaint against him, according to an audit report released this week by the Office of the City Auditor. The employee, David Johnson, resigned during the investigation in January 2025. […]
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Austin’s water reuse program is moving forward, but slowly
Austin adopted what were called “historic” water reuse regulations a year ago, so the program is still in its infancy, especially compared with Los Angeles and San Francisco, which adopted regulations requiring builders to put in the necessary plumbing to reuse water at least a decade ago. “San Francisco started its program in 2012 and […]
Posted inWater
Lady Bird Lake’s water levels dropped (again), raising questions about dam’s integrity
If you went out for a walk along Lady Bird Lake on Tuesday afternoon you might have noticed the water level was lower than usual. Muddy stretches of bank extended farther toward the center of the lake. The smell wasn’t great. Lady Bird Lake’s water level fell by about 2 feet. The Longhorn Dam holds […]