Some schools west of Austin temporarily lost water Thursday after the West Travis County Public Utility Agency said customers violated overnight lawn-watering rules, leaving storage tanks unable to recharge. At least three Lake Travis ISD campuses experienced low or no water pressure until service was restored by early afternoon; Bee Cave Middle School even closed restrooms that morning. Residents described the disruption as chaotic, with many families picking children up early. Officials said roughly 5.27 million gallons were used in irrigation-sized bursts between 7 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday — outside the Stage 3 window that limits watering to one day a week from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The episode highlights longer-term pressure on regional water supplies as Central Texas faces more drought, extreme heat, and growth. The utility, which serves a 225-square-mile area of homes, schools, and businesses, is pursuing about $125 million in capital projects and issued a boil-water notice to some customers because of the low pressure. Even after recent replenishment of Colorado River reservoirs that supply more than a million people, the incident underscores vulnerabilities in the system.
If your route to the lake crosses Mansfield Dam, build in some extra time. TxDOT crews are working on the RM 620 bridge in front of the dam, repairing expansion joints, upgradin...
Early voting for the Nov. 3 midterm election opens Monday, Oct. 19, and runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Registered Travis County voters can use any countywide polling site during...
The first strong cold front of the fall is expected to push through the Austin area early Friday, Oct. 16, and boaters on Lake Travis should plan for rough conditions. According...
