Austin's trying to get a handle on how much water buildings are using to find ways to save. The goal is to ensure there's enough water for all residents, especially as the city grows.
At a glance
Rising — being discussed more frequently. 7 mentions in the last 30 days, 4 the 60 before.
Large industrial users will be required to pay their fair share for infrastructure and water usage.
Austin residents who rely on a stable and affordable water supply.
Large industrial developers who may face stricter operational requirements.
Austin City Council approves first step toward oversight of large water users KEYE
The city is looking at how to manage water usage for massive industrial projects like data centers to ensure there's enough water for residents and that costs are fair.
A report from the Environment Texas Research & Policy Center revealed that microplastics were present in 99% of Texas waterways, prompting calls for Governor Greg Abbott to form a health task force and implement stricter environmental standards.
Rainfall last week may have helped fill the Highland Lakes, but it also filled the lakes with pollutants. Now, some residents in the Austin metro area are being asked to suspend outdoor watering as a result of the water pollution.
Talarico is calling for new safeguards related to water use, electricity demand and community impacts.
Austin City Council members are back from summer break this week, and one of the items on the agenda for their first meeting back involves water usage, particularly for customers that use large volumes of water, such as data centers and other water-i...
City of Austin considers lowering Lake Austin for first time in nearly a decade KVUE
Smart meters have saved Austin, Texas, more than a billion of gallons of water, utility says Smart Cities Dive
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin are calling for transparency in data center water use after new studies suggest the industry could potentially account for up to 9% of the state's water usage within the next 20 years.
In the past years, two data centers have been constructed and a third was approved for zoning in Round Rock on Feb 12.
Under the changes, customers may hand-water lawns and wash cars on designated days and times.
Water Benchmarking City of Austin (.gov)
Austin Returns to Conservation Stage Watering Restrictions City of Austin (.gov)
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