On July 29, Environment Texas joined with Save Our Springs Alliance and UT biology professor Dr. Mark Kirkpatrick to file a lawsuit in Federal court challenging the City of Austin’s new $1.2 billion water treatment plant project as violating the National Environmental Policy Act.  If successful, the lawsuit will force the City to stop work on the project and consider more affordable alternatives that also minimize harm to endangered species, native habitats, water quality, Northwest Austin neighbors, Bull Creek park and preserve lands. The treatment plant, which would be avoided with more aggressive conservation measures, would lock Austin in to decades of unsustainable water use.  

Drought, development threaten water supply

Barton Springs, Edwards Aquifer and Lake Travis are some of Texas’ most important water sources. They provide us with clean, safe water to drink and beautiful places to escape the demands of the city and let our children play and swim.

The recent drought, one of the worst  in 100 years, saw lake levels and spring flows fall to alarming levels. While the rains have returned, development, climate change and future droughts will put additional stress on our water supply. If we want treasures like Lake Travis and Barton Springs to be around for future generations, we must do more to conserve water.

Leaky pipes and wasteful behavior cause billions of gallons of water to be wasted in Texas each year. With leak detection programs, audits of the largest water users, incentive programs and public education, we can protect our waters. Environment Texas is pushing local and state governments to make water conservation a priority.

Fight wasteful water use

There are many easy ways we can save water, such as replacing old shower heads and toilets with new models that use less water, capturing
rainwater off roofs for use in gardens and using drought-resistant plants in landscaping.

By increasing funding and standards for water conservation, we can guarantee our water supply for the future and help save consumers
money by avoiding the need for expensive new reservoirs and treatment plants.