Austin Water continues to supply the River Place Country Club with a combination of reclaimed water and raw water from Lake Austin to irrigate its golf course. “The amount and need for lake water is the sole discretion of River Place Golf Group, as they use raw water to fill the effluent pond when the […]
Austin Water Utility
AWU is the municipal utility that provides water service for the City of Austin.
Posted inWater
Amid drought conditions, Austin Water proposes ways to slash water use in new homes
The average water use per year in new Austin homes is 28,000 gallons. But that could soon decrease with initiatives aimed at conserving water through landscape transformations and other efforts. Kevin Kluge, environmental conservation division manager of Austin Water, presented possible ordinances on home landscapes during a Resource Management Commission meeting last week. Improving water […]
Posted inWater
Austin is looking for a place to store massive amounts of water to pull from during droughts
Austin is planning a big underground water storage project that would provide the city with another source of water during droughts. But city planners are not sure exactly where to put it. This week, they’ll meet with residents of Lee, Bastrop and Travis counties, the three counties that may end up playing host to the […]
Posted inFire
Austin Water safeguarding its facilities from wildfire risk
As Austin continues to grow, the city is expanding toward wildlands. This creates an increased risk of fire in areas where human development intersects with natural areas, known as the wildland-urban interface. Austin Water discussed its efforts to mitigate wildfires at the Water and Wastewater Commission’s July 20 meeting. These efforts include assessing its facilities […]
Posted inBudget
Austin Water set to address staff shortage
Austin Water discussed efforts to address its staff shortage at Wednesday’s Water and Wastewater Commission meeting. The discussion about recruiting and retaining employees was part of the department’s presentation on its 2022-23 budget, which was unanimously approved by the commission. As interim Director Robert Goode said in his introduction to the presentation, the city manager […]
Posted inWater
City braces for imminent drought restrictions – and stiffer penalties for violators
The city of Austin likely will enter the first stage of its drought response plan later this month or next, triggering stricter restrictions and testing out recently updated penalties for customers who violate the rules. Robert Goode, Austin Water’s interim director, wrote in a May 20 memo to City Council that the utility anticipates the […]
Posted inWater
Austin Water to announce pilot aquifer storage site by the end of next year
The city’s water utility is inching toward its goal to store 60,000 acre feet in underground potable water reserves by 2040, according to a briefing delivered to the Austin Water Oversight Committee on Wednesday. The ambitious 20-year project will be the city’s first foray into aquifer storage and recovery, or ASR, a technology that harnesses […]
Posted inWater
Improvements, hiring at Austin Water likely remedies for boil-water notice
The city appears likely to approve a special budget item that will pay for more than a dozen new hires and operational software improvements at Austin Water. City Council’s Austin Water Oversight Committee voted unanimously Thursday to support the recommendations of staff that were the result of the investigation into what caused a three-day boil-water notice […]
Posted inWater
Committee tells auditor to seek water audit contract with UT
On Wednesday, City Council’s Audit & Finance Committee directed City Auditor Corrie Stokes to move forward with an interlocal agreement with the University of Texas to conduct an audit to review problems at Austin Water. The city has just released its internal report on the events that led to the boil-water notice in February. Council […]
Posted inWater
Report IDs Austin Water staff missteps that preceded Feb. boil-water notice
The city has completed its investigation into the cause of an early February boil-water notice and concluded that staff at the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant failed to take actions to address escalating equipment problems on an overnight shift. Through a combination of incorrect actions, misinterpreting data and alerts linked to water quality, and not communicating […]
Posted inWater
Water director recommends more staff over bill credit following February boil-water snafu
After reviewing the options, the director of Austin Water is recommending spending money on more staff and enhanced technology instead of a direct credit to customers impacted by February’s citywide boil-water notice. Council approved a March 3 resolution that, in part, asked the water utility to look into one-time bill credits for customers and alternative […]
Posted inWater
Water utility chief answers questions about boil-water notice
Following an unexpected boil-water notice not related to a winter storm, Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros announced his resignation last week from a job he has held for nearly 15 years. Several City Council members took the opportunity to praise his leadership at Tuesday’s special called meeting; however, for most of the two-hour meeting, Meszaros […]