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 analysis by Black & Veatch that looked at Austin Water’s existing programs to track losses […]
Water and Wastewater Commission
The Water and Wastewater Commission reviews and analyzes city policies regarding all things water and helps the city of Austin ensure adequate and potable supplies of water for its residents.
Posted inWater
Austin Water aims to transform landscape requirements for new homes
Austin Water is planning a landscape transformation initiative for new single-family homes as part of the city’s long-range water conservation strategies, according to a progress report Wednesday to the Water and Wastewater Commission. Kevin Critendon, Austin Water’s assistant director over environmental, planning and development services, noted that while rainfall in May brought the combined Highland […]
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 inCity Council
Waste management emergency contract heads to Council with split recommendations
Austin’s dumpster wars continue. The city’s contract with Waste Management of Texas expires Feb. 28. To avoid a public health crisis, City Council will vote tonight on whether to execute an emergency multi-term contract with the waste collector for up to one year and an amount not to exceed $1.06 million. Not all commissions are […]
Posted inWater
Water and Wastewater Commission learns cause of foamy water
On Jan. 22, residents in South Austin reported foamy water in their taps following the Austin Fire Department’s extinguishing of a church fire. At the Feb. 12 meeting of the Water and Wastewater Commission, Rick Coronado, the assistant director of Austin Water, told commissioners that the foam was a benign substance. “Essentially it’s a soap […]
Posted inWater
Water and Wastewater Commission holds off on billing recommendation
Over a year after the water billing saga surfaced in the news, Austin Water and Austin Energy are still working to adjust internal processes in order to proactively prevent a similar situation from reoccurring. In their effort to do so, several months after the misreads were identified, Austin Water and Austin Energy formed a working […]
Posted inWater
Austin Water pitches rate reductions in 2018
It has been 15 years since the last time Austin Water reduced the rates for the utility. There is a chance, however, that this trend may end in January. On Dec. 13, the assistant director of Austin Water, David Anders, presented the Water and Wastewater Commission with the results of its Cost of Service study, […]
Posted inWater
Water commissioners hear bad news about Pilot Knob
In another act in the ongoing drama over the Pilot Knob planned unit development, members of the Water and Wastewater Commission spent an hour-and-a-half Wednesday night trying to understand the implications of the controversial deal between the city and a developer that could cost city agencies over $100 million in lost revenue. “This is a […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature, Water
Austin Water reports on water-related legislation
As Central Texas continues to face its worst drought on record, state legislators are considering several bills this session that could affect water supplies in Austin and throughout the state. Austin Water Utility Legislative Coordinator Heather Cooke briefed the Water and Wastewater Commission Wednesday about some of the water-related bills making their way through the […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Resources, Water
Developers propose brackish water for Decker Golf
In a major shift, Decker Lake Golf LLC representatives have proposed a new plan they say would not use reclaimed water to irrigate a PGA-class golf course proposed for Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park. The company’s vice president, Warren Hayes, told the Water and Wastewater Commission on Wednesday that he and his associates would pump […]