As published in Lakeway Voice, May 2018.

News from LMUD

Update on Out of District Wastewater Project

Our Out of District wastewater project for the first 17 sections of Lakeway also known as “Old Lakeway” continues to progress. We sent out a survey to all residents of the first 17 sections. We have received a little over 600 surveys back and 80% were in favor of the project. We also held two public meetings where approximately 22% of the first 17 sections was represented.  With the favorable outcome of the survey, we will present to the Board of Directors a plan to fund the project and a plan to move forward with construction. We also did a pilot project with great success and favorable feedback from the residents in and around the project.  We are planning to do the project with our own staff, saving considerable funds and using individuals who care about Lakeway.  We have committed to repair and/or replace any landscaping we disturb back to its original condition if not even better. We still have a lot of work to do before construction. Also, we will hold a public meeting to discuss in more detail how we are going to move forward. If you have any questions please call or email me.

Sale of Lakeway MUD Land

Legends communities has purchased approximately 16 of the approximately 82 acres for the police station and an over 55 housing called Tuscan Village II. There have been questions about what LMUD will do with the monies from the sale of the land. The Board will be looking into ways that will be most beneficial to the MUD, like pay down some debt and/or use some of the monies for our Capital Improvement Plan. We have been able to reduce the taxes for the last five years, and will continue to do our best to reduce taxes.

Beneficial Reuse System

As far as wastewater operations we continue to find ways to irrigate landscaping with our recycled effluent. We will continue to work with Legend Communities on the new development to irrigate all outside landscaping with reclaimed water. Also, the new police station will be using reclaimed water for landscaping. We save approximately twenty nine percent of our surface water every year by using recycled water for irrigation; approximately 158 million gallons a year.

We are always looking for ways to use our effluent in a beneficial way to reduce the amount of potable water used for irrigation. We have submitted the paperwork to LCRA for a grant to help with some reuse projects. We are headed into another hot summer with very little rain in sight, so we all need to do our part.

Mariner Water Project

We also have a water project going on down at our raw water intake at the end of Mariner. Since Lake Travis has zebra mussels, we have to make sure our intake line does not get these very aggressive mussels in the raw water line. We will be constructing a building to house a chemical feed system that will keep these mussels from attaching to our raw water pipe. We will add a small amount, just enough to have a trace residual at our plant, which will keep the mussels from attaching to the pipeline. The chemical is widely used in the industry for taste and odor issues, so we will see a benefit during the spring to summer when the lake turns over.

Stage 2 Watering Restrictions

Stage 2 restrictions are in effect between May 1 and September 30, and allow watering twice per week according to the following schedule:

For Odd Street addresses, Wednesday and Saturday are irrigation days.

For Even Street addresses, Thursday and Sunday are irrigation days.

Commercial customers may irrigate on Tuesdays and Fridays.

In Stage 2, no watering is allowed between 10AM and 7PM.

We are facing the beginning of another hot Texas summer, and we are already in moderate drought conditions even though Spring has just arrived.   The Board encourages all residents and businesses to continue the good water conservation habits we have learned over the past few trying years.  The citizens of Lakeway have been extremely cooperative during the past drought conditions we have had to live through, and we ask for that same conservation mentality as we get through the summer months. Everyone can help by doing their part; here are a few tips we can use:

• Turn off all faucets tightly so they don’t drip; a dripping or leaking faucet can waste up to 200 gallons of water per month!
• Check all toilets frequently; a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons per day!
• Wait until the dishwasher and clothes washers are full to run them; both appliances use a lot of water.
• Limit use of garbage disposals; a lot of water goes down the drain.
• Encourage restaurants you visit to serve water only by request; many glasses of full water are left on the tables.
• Reduce your time in the shower by a minute or two; it’s amazing how much water Lakeway would save if we all practiced this!

We have conservation tips on our website at www.Lakewaymud.org. Lakeway MUD notifies our customers when usage is considerably above normal urging them to check for leaks and/or equipment malfunctions.  It is possible for the programmed instructions for sprinkler systems, pools, and water softeners to become distorted and cause unwanted water usage.  We also receive tips from citizens, city employees, and others when running water or accumulations of water are observed, and we react immediately to the issue to solve it as quickly as possible.

We will be in Stage 2 of our drought plan throughout the summer and will keep you informed of any changes via our website and our banners on Lohmans Crossing and Lakeway Boulevard.

Thanks again to all for your great conservation efforts over the past few years; let’s continue to practice good stewardship of our valuable resources!