Dry Springs in Central Texas Warn of Water Shortage Ahead

Almost every other day, Charlie Flatten gets a call about another local water well gone dry. Last week, he tried to help one woman find a water truck to fill her home cistern. But all the hauling companies had suspended service amid a deepening shortage in Central...

‘Nature-based solutions’ like trees and rain gardens can be cost-effective climate adaptations, advocates say

In early February, winter weather pummeled Austin, Texas, where “extreme weather” usually refers to sweltering temperatures, not ice storms. More than 100,000 city residents lost power because of the historic weather event, a recent example of why cities need to...

Black and Hispanic Texans say they don’t trust the quality of their water

Black and Hispanic people and those living in low-income Texas communities are highly concerned about the quality of their drinking water, a new survey shows. Commissioned by the nonprofit organization Texas Water Trade, the survey included responses from 650...

New bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers wants to highlight the state’s fragile water infrastructure

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers plans to spend part of its time in Austin this year highlighting the state’s increasingly fragile water infrastructure. Texas Water Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on creating a sustainable water system in Texas,...

Texas approves $52M for water, wastewater, stormwater projects

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has recently approved $52,913,408 in financial assistance for water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The funds were distributed to seven projects through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), the Drinking Water...

Ongoing drought, growing population and aging infrastructure affecting water supplies

Having enough water for Austin’s growing population is a huge concern. Add the ongoing drought, record-breaking heat and aging infrastructure and you can see why water managers and conservationists are worried about the future. The KVUE Defenders looked into...