Even though Central Texas is made up of dozens of cities, counties, and towns, there is one thing that connects us all - water. Rivers and streams do not abide by municipal boundaries, and as more and more people continue to move into the area,...
The City of Austin is thinking big on water. Together with the city's water utility, Austin Water, they're leading an effort to develop a 100-year water supply and demand management plan. The process has been dubbed Water Forward and is supported by a citizen task...
After facing the threat of a lawsuit from the Save Our Springs Alliance and the Center for Biological Diversity, the Texas Department of Transportation appears to be changing course on a major highway project here in Austin. The two environmental organizations have long been expressing concern...
One of the reasons behind Austin's conservation successes is its Water Conservation Code. The code was recently updated to ensure that water is being used responsibly, even in times like now, when the city is not suffering from a drought. As we reported earlier this...
Austin Water has ranked first in a scorecard measuring the conservation efforts of water utilities across the state. The Texas Water Conservation Scorecard rates hundreds of water providers on their on-going efforts to lower water consumption, inform their customers about how to help out, cut water losses in...
For the first time in years, the lakes that provide Austin with its water supply are pretty much full. That's good news, but as our water utility warns, it's not the time to just sit back and relax. “One of the classic kind of patterns that...
Last month, a group of environmental organizations and activists filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the extension and expansion of South MoPac until a comprehensive environmental analysis is done on the project. At issue is SH 45 SW, the controversial road project that is planned...
Building on lessons learned during the drought, Austin Water is proposing to move to a permanent one-day-per-week watering schedule. In a press release, Austin Water said they realize this would be a significant change for the community, which is why they are now soliciting public feedback as they move the proposal on to...
After a brief reprieve, much of Texas is back in a drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that 60 percent of the state is experiencing some level of dry or drought-like conditions. Southern Travis County has been categorized as being abnormally dry (less than normal rainfall), while the rest of the county...