exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The city has confirmed the presence of toxic algae in several local waterways, including Barton Springs, but analysis by Austin Water shows these are “non-concerning” levels of toxins in the water, meaning it’s not dangerous to humans. This algae may not affect humans as much, but it still could be fatal to animals – in 2019, at least five dogs died after swimming in local creeks and streams.

The Seguin City Council is showing its support for the replacement of the Meadow Lake/Nolte Dam on the Guadalupe River. The council on Tuesday agreed to provide $5 million to help support the project. Most of the project would be funded by homeowners along this stretch of the river. The Meadow Lake Water Control Improvement District (WCID) is expected to call for an election that would ask property owners on the lake to pay a tax that would cover the lion’s share of those expenses.

A multimillionaire oil executive, Greg Garland, is trying to dam the South Llano River – a major tributary into the Highland Lakes, which supply Austin’s drinking water – all for his private 5-acre lake larger than Barton Springs. Stakeholders represented by the Llano River Watershed Alliance (LWRA) have started a petition with almost 5,000 signatures warning that the proposal sets a dangerous precedent for more private dams to interrupt the already fragile flow of the river, which many rely on for drinking water.

When a team of researchers at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi combed through Railroad Commission records several years ago, they found more than 50 permits allowing conventional oil and gas drillers to discharge oil field wastewater, known as produced water, into creeks and streams near the Eagle Ford shale basin in South Texas. Although produced water contains naturally occurring toxins such as ammonia and radionuclides and also sometimes toxic drilling chemicals, the permits relied on companies self-reporting the contents. In their 2021 paper, the researchers found the permits allowed 700 million gallons annually of untreated oil field wastewater to be dumped into small creeks and tributaries that cattle drank from.

Diminishing springs and aquifers due to heat, drought and high for demand water highlight the urgency for Central Texas conservation districts to prioritize climate-focused management, potentially involving reduced pumping for sustainability.

The City of Nederland has issued an update to the main water line break resulting from lack of rain and excessive heat. Public Works crews remain on-site to complete repairs and they've made modest progress in recharging the water system. Due to the treated water being put back into the water system, some utility customers are having normalized or low water pressure.

The scientists hope they will soon be able to create bioplastics such as polycarbonates or polyurethanes, which are traditionally made from petrochemicals, from the flies. These plastics will not contribute to the plastic pollution problem.

Stage 3 conditions come with mandatory water restrictions. Residents can only water their lawns two days per week. Residents can also only water between midnight and 8 a.m. or 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on your assigned day.

The lawsuit claims the three-day blaze at Shell's Deer Park facility caused air pollution and discharged at least 68.7 million gallons of wastewater into the Houston Ship Channel after it was used to extinguish the fire.

The City of Angus approved a $5 per month increase to the base water for residential customers to $35 per month, at a regular meeting Monday. Commercial customers will see their base rate remain the same, however the usage fee for commercial customers will increase to $2.00 for every thousand gallons above the initial 2,000 gallons used. The base rate for commercial customers in Angus is $60. The increase will address issues related to the sewer fund which is approximately $18,000 in debt, according to the prior year’s revenue and costs.

The day of the week Cedar Park residents are allowed to water is determined by their street address. Overall, the city has a goal of reducing water usage by 10%-20% during Stage 3, Utility Program Manager Nanette McCartan said at an Aug. 10 City Council meeting.

Round Rock has 473 privately-owned stormwater ponds, all of which will now have to be inspected every three years.

Winkler Park Campsite is usually packed all summer with visitors, but this summer they have seen four people come and stay. That’s because what used to be a hot fishing spot is now empty and dry.

The hole formed on July 6 from a wastewater line that needed to be repaired. Repairs were expected to last two months but crews finished ahead of schedule.

As North Texas continues to experience reduced rainfall and drought conditions, corporation officials said in a news release that they would like people to practice water conservation measures by watering lawns on their allowed watering days. "For the month of June, members of CTWSC used an average of 26,100 gallons per household, which is a significantly higher average monthly usage than in previous years," the release states.

The formation of One Water New Braunfels is making water conservation a top priority in this region to make sure everybody does their part to protect and preserve recreational activities, like floating down the Comal with your family, even during a drought like we've been experiencing all summer long. As a team, the city, New Braunfels Utility and Guadalupe Blanco River Authority are coming up with innovative solutions to protect the water that runs through the community.

James Kunke, a spokesman for the city, said Monday afternoon that people can still cook, take baths and do laundry, but they need to follow the mandatory water restrictions because of heavy demands brought on by the hot temperatures and the drought. 

With water levels continuing to drop in the Highland Lakes reservoirs that supply Austin, the city announced Stage 2 water restrictions to take effect Tuesday. Even if you don’t have a lawn or don’t bother watering the lawn you have, you could notice the new rules affecting daily life in Austin.

McKinney’s City Manager is proposing a $849 million total budget, including $202.6 million in the general fund and a decrease in the city’s property tax rate. The proposed budget also includes increased water and wastewater rates, new public safety jobs and funding for some capital improvement projects at the McKinney National Airport, the new city hall and within the Parks and Recreation Department.

On Aug. 8, League City City Council approved a $6.01 million contract with consultant Freese and Nichols to design and bid out the expansion of the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility. The goal is to increase the facility’s capacity from what was originally 4 million gallons per day to 8 million gallons per day.