News & Updates
Central Texas water company under fire again for wanting to raise prices for customers
Aqua Texas is proposing a rate hike for water and wastewater services in the Wimberley area, and customers aren't thrilled. The Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings hosted a hearing on Wednesday to consider the proposition. The water utility company wants to...
50 murals in 50 small towns: How public art can revive communities
In the Spring, Emma Durand-Wood, a longtime Strong Towns contributor, concluded the same while planning a neighborhood walk. “We typically think of public art as about adding character, personality, beauty or visual interest to a place. Part of that can be...
Shield Ranch Barton Creek named the first Urban Night Sky Place in Texas
DarkSky International officially certified Shield Ranch Barton Creek as an Urban Night Sky Place (UNSP). Shield Ranch joins three neighboring designated International Dark Sky Places; Dripping Springs and Bee Cave, Texas – both International Dark Sky Communities – and...
Shield Ranch Barton Creek named first Urban Night Sky Place in Texas
“Shield Ranch is Texas’s 20th International Dark Sky Place certified in the International Dark Sky Places program. In addition to three Developments of Distinction, there are now 23 internationally recognized sites in the state that have gone above and beyond in the...
Vulcan Materials’ Hill Country quarry gets key permit despite locals’ concerns
A Texas Hill Country quarry recently hit a major milestone years in the making. Despite hundreds of residents trying to halt the controversial project, it now appears to be moving forward outside New Braunfels in Comal County. Read more from Gabriel Romero with Laredo...
Old pipes cause Texas cities to lose tens of billions of gallons of water each year
Texas’ most populous cities lost roughly 88 billion gallons of water last year because of aging water infrastructure and extreme heat, costing them millions of dollars and straining the state’s water supply, according to self-reported water loss audits. The documents...
Burnet groundwater district could seek priority status, more protections
County Commissioner Damon Beierle and Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District General Manager Mitchell Sodek were among 50 regional officials at a Hill Country Alliance summit on how natural resources can be better managed and preserved. Beierle said the June...
What’s the value of planting trees? Conservation groups say a new formula can tell them.
“We're gonna pull the heartstrings, because it does make you feel good, we're doing good things,” Carswell said. “But we also want to show the true value of the work that we're doing and show that we'll be smart about investing in our future.” The report found that...
SAWS’ updated conservation plan aims to address wasted water
San Antonio Water System has seen drastic water loss over the last several years due to an increased number of water main breaks exacerbated by extreme heat and drought. SAWS’ board of trustees unanimously approved a new five-year water conservation plan Tuesday that...